Wisconsin Right Now is announcing a major new effort to boost conservative voices in Wisconsin by introducing you to 17 new conservative columnists!
The art of column writing is dying as newspaper resources wane. When Wisconsin columnists do exist these days, they are rarely conservative, although there are a few notable exceptions.
We remember the days when columnists like Mike Royko in Chicago or Charles Krauthammer nationally were thought leaders in their communities and the nation. The columnists of old were often the voices of common sense in their communities and, when they took a stand, things changed, politicians quivered, legislation passed, and wrongs were righted.
We believe that conservative voices rarely get amplified by the liberal media, which has increasingly turned to Democratic advocacy. We also believe that conservatives are stereotyped unfairly. Thus, to boost conservative voices and a common-sense perspective, we are announcing the Wisconsin Right Now columnist initiative.
The 17 new columnists will join our existing columnist Terrence Wall. T. Wall holds a degree from the UW in economics and an M.S. in real estate analysis and valuation and is a real estate developer. Former President Donald Trump has shared one of Wall’s columns twice!
The new columnists are young and older; they come from all walks of life; they represent different perspectives and demographics within the conservative umbrella; they come from different regions of the state. Some are already known figures; others we want to make known figures. What they share in common is intellect, class, and something important to say. We believe they showcase the breadth of Wisconsin conservative thought.
We think they are thought leaders.
We may add to this roster. The columnists will generally write at least twice a month. They will shatter stereotypes.
Wisconsin Right Now co-editors Jim Piwowarczyk and Jessica McBride will also occasionally write columns, although they will focus mostly on investigative journalism. Piwowarczyk is a former Milwaukee County police sergeant, an entrepreneur, and an award-winning journalist. McBride is an award-winning journalist and journalism educator with 25 years in online, print, and broadcast media.
We now introduce the new Wisconsin Right Now columnists, in alphabetical order. We are excited to introduce them to you!
Ed Delgado
Ed Delgado, Also known as The Caramel Conservative, is a figure in the realm of Wisconsin’s political commentary and podcasting. With a deep-seated passion for American politics, Ed’s journey began as a blogger, where his insightful and often incisive commentary quickly garnered attention. His unique ability to dissect complex political issues and present them in an accessible, relatable manner has distinguished him in a crowded field. His sharp analytical skills, coupled with a straightforward, no-nonsense approach, have made him a respected voice among conservative commentators.
As the host, The Ed Delgado Show, www.theeddelgadoshow.com, he delves into current political events and issues from a conservative perspective, blending serious analysis with a touch of humor and sarcasm. The show, known for its candid and often provocative discussions, appeals to a broad audience, ranging from political novices to aficionados. Ed’s advocacy for limited government, free markets, and individual liberties resonates strongly with his listeners, and his talent for engaging and persuasive discourse has only amplified his influence.
Beyond the microphone, Ed is actively involved in health and wellness in addition to political discourse to garner a greater understanding of others, striving to foster a more informed and engaged public. His work extends beyond mere commentary; it is a call to action for listeners to think critically and participate actively in the democratic process. Ed Delgado isn’t just a voice in the conservative movement; he is a catalyst for dialogue and change.
Meg Ellefson
Host of the #1 Rated Wisconsin Morning News and The Meg Ellefson Show on WSAU Radio in Central Wisconsin, Meg got involved in the conservative movement in 2009 and started the Wausau Tea Party in response to the irresponsible, harmful and unrestrained conduct of our elected officials. After observing government overreach again in 2020 during the “shamdemic,” she founded Get Involved Wisconsin, a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing citizens to take action and address local issues affecting our way of life.
A native of St. Paul, MN, Meg and her husband have lived in Central Wisconsin since 2006. As much as we all would prefer to be left alone by the government, she frequently reminds listeners how important it is to be engaged and involved in the actions of our elected leaders. We have the most influence and power at the local level. If you don’t run for office, do everything you can to help a fellow conservative get elected.
“Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not our by inheritance, it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.” – Ronald Reagan
Bill Feehan
Bill Feehan is a resident of La Crosse Wisconsin, where he operates several small businesses. Bill has served as an officer in the Republican Party of Wisconsin since 2009. He was elected to the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors in 2010. Bill has served as Chairman of the 3rd Congressional District Republican Party since 2019. He was a Republican elector in the 2022 presidential election.
Bill is currently a candidate for the La Crosse District 1 County Supervisor. You can find the archives of his Fact Check podcast at https://www.wizmnews.com/podcasts/fact-check-with-bill-feehan/. Bill has also been a frequent contributor to The La Crosse Tribune newspaper since 2004.
Nicole Harris AKA Our Mystery Woman
Nicole Harris is a pseudonym, our mystery woman. She is an African-American female who lives and works in the City of Milwaukee. We have known her for several years and have met her in person, and we believe her perspective is so interesting and unique that it warrants anonymity. Harris can not use her real name because of the nature of her job. But you will like what she has to say!
Harris provided this bio:
In 1992, I was excited to cast my first vote for Bill Clinton. Fast forward 31 years later, what was I thinking?
I wasn’t.
I was born, raised and educated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My parents migrated from the sweltering south, mounds of red dirt, poverty, and lack of education. They vowed to give me all of the opportunities that were not available to them.
The main value my parents instilled in me was accountability.
Amy Hemmer
Hello WRN readers! I am very honored to have been chosen to write for Wisconsin Right Now. Years ago I penned a conservative column called “It’s Hemmer Time” for the now-defunct Lake Country Reporter. I also like to keep The Waukesha Freeman busy with my frequent “Letters to the Editor.”
Writing has always been a passion of mine and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to an excellent news source like Wisconsin Right Now. A brief background of yours truly: I graduated from UW-Madison in 1982 with a degree in Graphic Arts. I loved my time in Madison and was actually very liberal upon graduation. However, after working in the real world, I soon grew up, got smart, and became very conservative. VERY conservative.
I have been happily married for 38 years and have three great adult children, as well as an assortment of furry friends. My hobbies include, but are not limited to, politics, jigsaw puzzles, target shooting, volleyball, cooking, biking, reading, and – of course – writing.
I am also currently serving my third term as an elected school board official of the Arrowhead Union High School. Prior to Arrowhead, I served two terms as a school board member for the Merton School District. Being a school board member in today’s political climate has been very challenging, but at the same time very rewarding. More to come on that topic!
At my age, I feel many of my past, present, and future experiences and observations will make for an interesting read. I am very frightened for our country right now, like a majority of Americans. The old mantra of “Make America Great Again,” has been discarded and stomped on by Biden & Co. for too long. It IS time to take our country back, and in my own small way I hope, via my words, to contribute to that cause.
Chrissi Illgen
Christine Illgen was born in Brooklyn, New York, to refugees who fled Poland after World War II. Her family’s experiences significantly influenced her social, cultural, and political views, sparking her conservative activism.
Christine graduated from the University of Notre Dame with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering. After relocating to Boston, she worked as a researcher at the MIT Center for Genome Research, specializing in laboratory automation for high-throughput sequencing for the Human Genome Project. While in Boston, she also served as a writer and software developer for Charles River Analytics and I2 Technologies.
Currently, she holds the position of Vice Chair of the Republican Party of Dane County (RPDC) and serves as an advisor to the Wisconsin Federation of College Republicans. Before becoming Vice Chair, she co-chaired the RPDC Public Policy Committee and organized fundraisers, candidate forums, and educational events related to public health and parental rights.
Scarlett Johnson
Scarlett Johnson is a mom of Five and an “accidental activist” who fights for children and works to regain the loss of agency parents experienced following the devasting pandemic response that caused senseless harm to our kids and exposed large fissures in our institutions. Scarlett has amassed a large Twitter following by documenting and exposing the insanity of woke education in Wisconsin and across the country. She works to elect and support local leaders who agree that kids attend schools for an education, not to become woke social justice warriors.
Scarlett was a lead organizer in the Mequon-Thiensville Recall of Four School Board Members, a school board candidate, and a volunteer for both state-wide and local campaigns. Currently, she collaborates with local, state, and national grassroots organizations in the conservative movement, including Moms for Liberty and Awake Americans. She is a frequent guest on the Vicki McKenna Show, the Meg Ellefson Show, and the Mythinformed MKE Podcast.
“I’m just here to save Western Civilization.” -Scarlett Johnson
Michelle Litjens
Michelle is a lifelong campaign and GOP volunteer. She was raised in Burlington, WI, served in the State Assembly and is the very proud mom of a teacher and a Marine.
In addition to being a small business owner, Michelle is a frequent political pundit on TV and Radio.
Brandon Maly
Brandon Maly, a second-generation American, attributes the resilience of his family, who were Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union, as his inspiration for his involvement in conservative politics. Their pursuit of freedom from communism has instilled in him a deep appreciation for preserving the values and opportunities that define America as a beacon of hope and liberty.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Brandon began his political engagement at the age of 14. With nearly ten years of dedicated involvement, he has amassed extensive experience as a conservative activist, contributing to numerous campaigns across various states. Brandon has worked for candidates including Rick Scott, Ron Johnson, Donald Trump, and Ron DeSantis, demonstrating his commitment to national-level political efforts.
Currently, Brandon holds multiple leadership positions, serving as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Dane County, Vice Chairman of Wisconsin Republican County Chairs, and acting as a Field Representative for Turning Point Action. His expertise lies in youth voter outreach and grassroots organizing, reflecting his dedication to political engagement at the community level. Additionally, Brandon is dedicated to combating Anti-Semitism and communism, underscoring his commitment to addressing broader societal concerns. In his leisure time, Brandon plays competitive tennis, actively seeks out fellow conservatives in Madison (they do exist), and enjoys literature about his favorite President, Calvin Coolidge.
Will Martin
Will Martin has served in senior roles for Wisconsin Governors Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker leading reforms; acted as an advisor for the British, Dutch, and Israeli governments; and consulted clients in successfully competing for over $600 million to support worthy public-private workforce, housing, and economic development initiatives.
In 2022, Will was a candidate to become Wisconsin’s Lt. Governor. In addition to being a columnist, Will is a radio talk show host, a small business owner, a member of the Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Committee, and Executive Vice President of Columbia Savings & Loan Association—Wisconsin’s only Black-owned bank and the sixth oldest in the nation. He lives in Racine and is passionate about limiting government and maximizing personal freedom.
Orlando Owens
Orlando Owens is a minister who lives in the City of Milwaukee. He is a married father of two who is a 1993 graduate of Wauwatosa West High School.
Owens is a graduate of Morris Brown College with an undergraduate degree in business and marketing. He is a small business owner and has spent 20 years in workforce development. Owens is a co-founder of the Joseph Project, which works to help formerly incarcerated people connect with employers.
Owens is the S.E. Regional Director for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson.
Jenna Piwowarczyk
Jenna Piwowarczyk is an 18-year-old freshman at Liberty University, studying government science and specializing in politics and public policy.
She started the first Young America’s Foundation chapter at her former high school in southeastern Wisconsin and is now interning at a nationwide political communications firm.
John Righeimer
We take our State and our Country back locally first. John Righeimer often says, “Sawyer County, NW Wisconsin, Wisconsin, America first…in that order.
Righeimer started my own business 24 years ago and it’s still going today. He understands what it means to start with nothing and build sustainability. He believes in Ronald Reagan’s quote about government, “Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.” What that means to me is that good governing is mostly about staying out of the way.
John Righeimer has been in the energy sector for 32 years, with knowledge of both selling and procurement of energy supply (natural gas, diesel, gasoline, electricity).
John holds a degree in history from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior from Benedictine University. John is married and has one son attending college at the University of Minnesota Duluth. In his spare time, he is a student in multiple self-defense systems, an endurance/fitness athlete, and the Chairman of the Republican Party of Sawyer County, WI.
Sam Rogers
Sam Rogers is the Founder of the Wisconsin Veteran Business Alliance. He also owns StratNet LLC, a strategic business development company,
and currently manages a multi-state region for the Foundation for Government Accountability. He is a longtime Midwest leader in public policy advocacy campaigns. He lives in Waukesha, Wisconsin with his spouse, Petty Office 1st Class Danielle Rogers, and their four children.
Sam is a former U.S. Army Interrogator and Department of the Army Intelligence Operations Officer, with three deployments to Afghanistan.
Sam served in a variety of leadership roles in veteran and student advocacy at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, his undergraduate and graduate alma mater. Sam has led movements to reform higher education, end the endless war in Afghanistan, care for Afghan refugees, and hold the
VA accountable for the repeated disasters in veterans’ healthcare, recently recognized with a President’s Volunteer Service Award and as a Notable Veteran Executive by BizTimes. Sam has discussed foreign policy, veterans’ health care, and other veterans’ issues with Wisconsin legislators and media including WPR’s Lake Effect, Central Time, The Vicki Mckenna Show and 620 WTMJ. Sam has been featured on the Black Rifle Coffee Podcast, Fox 6 Milwaukee, The Wilkow Majority, The Journal Sentinel and in HuffPost. His writing on foreign policy has been featured in News Week, The Hill, USA Today, and The Cap Times.
Brian Schimming
Wisconsin GOP Chairman Brian Schimming served three Republican governors starting as a member of Governor Tommy G. Thompson’s cabinet and serving Gov. Scott Walker as the chief operating officer of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. After helping lead the first Republican takeover of the state Assembly since the 1960s, Brian went on to serve as chief of staff to Assembly Speaker and future state Supreme Court Justice David Prosser.
His involvement with the Republican Party of Wisconsin stretches back to his service as vice chairman under both Reince Priebus and Brad Courtney, serving as a spokesman-at-large during the Act 10 demonstrations at the Capitol.
A long-time member of the grassroots, Brian regularly speaks at local conservative events around the state and uses his frequent guest hosting on conservative talk radio on WISN and WIBA to champion conservative values in the public space. Brian is a frequent commentator on local, state, and national media on such outlets as Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, BBC, and NPR.
Stephanie Soucek
Stephanie Soucek is a political activist passionate about defending our constitutional rights and common sense values against the far-left agenda that is undermining the foundational principles of our nation. She desires to influence the culture and public policy by building relationships, creating thought-provoking content, and working through the political process. During the recall effort of Governor Scott Walker and out of concern for our nation, she felt compelled to do something and got involved in the Republican Party of Door County in 2012.
She has served in different capacities within the party and has volunteered as a county coordinator for various campaigns over the years. Stephanie became the chair of the Republican Party of Door County in 2019 and is currently serving her third term, while also being elected vice chair of the 8th district of Wisconsin in 2023.
Stephanie has a degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. She is currently a stay-at-home mom, taking care of children and homeschooling her son. She also serves in various ways in her church, as her faith is an important part of her life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring in nature, and studying American history.
Rich Strohm
Rich Strohm is the founder of Burlington Area Conservatives, current 1st Congressional District Republican Party Executive Board Member, former 1st Vice Chair of Walworth County GOP, and former Walworth County GOP Executive Board Member.
Noah Strohm
Noah Strohm is the 1st Congressional District Young Republicans Vice Chair, National Committeeman for WI Young Republicans, and a member of Burlington Area School District School Board.
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