I am supporting Brandon Maly for the chair of the Republican Party of Dane County.
Like the state party, we need new leadership. Fortunately, at the state level, we now have Brian Schimming recently elected chair who has the confidence of the party members and the leadership skills to implement a winning strategy.
Unfortunately for me, there are a couple of county party executive committee members who are fighting to maintain their ‘do nothing’ status on the committee and who have viciously attacked me for daring to step out of line and hold my own opinion by supporting new leadership.
Existing chair Scott Grabins and committee member Rolf Lindgren are now running a smear campaign of lies against me – and I’m not even running for any office! Way to go guys! We have a Supreme Court race to win, but you’re focusing on burning down your own house and alienating donors in order to retain power in a dying organization under your leadership! I’m sure that’s a winning strategy. 😉
In an email dated January 19, 2023, at 3:36 pm CT, Rolf Lindgren said I was “anti-Trump.”
Really? Hmm, let’s see who supported Trump first and who donated to him. Then decide. (Admittedly, like a lot of Republicans, I am reserving my decision in the 2024 race until we see who enters the race.)
Rolf also claimed in his email that I am “leading a clandestine group to oust our able Chairman Scott Grabins, and replace him with a puppet.” I am not leading or participating in any group to oust Grabins.
Brandon Maly called me and asked for my support, and since Grabins has failed to achieve results in election voting totals of people voting Republican in Dane County, I am exercising my right as a party member to support an alternative candidate in a party election process.
There’s nothing secretive about this. Grabins’ term will expire and the only question is, will party members choose him or another candidate to lead the party next?
If they choose him, you can kiss winning statewide elections goodbye in my opinion. Rolf also said “he (me) continues pissing on our volunteers and candidates”; this too is false and completely made up. The problem isn’t volunteers or candidates, but rather the leadership of the county party.
Lastly, Rolf said, “It sounds like Wall is trying to buy the county party.” How naive of me, I didn’t realize it was for sale. Apparently, my support for the county party over many decades was ok with Rolf, except when I air my voice for an alternative candidate.
Grabins has been happy to have my financial support over the years, especially when he calls me a couple of weeks before the election (more than once) asking for an immediate donation to execute some new strategy. (I denied him this last election; anyone who believes he can execute a new strategy two weeks before an election should not be in a leadership role.)
The numbers speak for themselves; Republican vote totals during Grabins’ term have stayed flat or even slightly declined (using presidential election numbers) while the population count of Dane County has soared and the Democrat vote totals have likewise increased substantially (up about 40,000 votes from what I can see). So while Dem votes went up and the population went up, Republican vote totals went nowhere.
Also, I have been personally involved in many local campaigns for city aldermanic seats, county board seats, and school board seats over many decades and have never once seen Grabins’ involvement. Ever. The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, and that’s what this leadership has been doing.
The county board and the Madison city council are more progressive than ever before under Grabins. It’s time to wake up and elect new leadership. I can also tell you that I would never support the party under Grabins again given his lack of response to Rolf’s attacks.
Rolf’s attack was issued more than a week ago, and I still have not received a call, an email or any communication from Grabins. I have not heard a peep out of him trying to correct the record. That shows you where he stands. I am one of the top 5 Wisconsin donors to Republican candidates for statewide and federal offices. I believe I am the #1 donor to Republican senate and assembly candidates.
More importantly, I am probably the #1 donor to local races over the last 30 years as well as being a bundler for many races. Is alienating donors over a difference of opinion on who to support in a party election really the right approach? The vote for chair and other offices for the county party is in late February.
Show up and let your voice be heard.
