Saturday, July 5, 2025
spot_imgspot_img
Saturday, July 5, 2025

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

Ramthun for Governor: Website Goes Live, Then Down, Before Announcement

spot_img

Ramthun for governor? What Donald Trump will do next is the most interesting question.

Wisconsin State Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport) took a new website – Ramthun for governor – live ahead of a “special announcement” he’s scheduled for Saturday in Kewaskum. The website refers to him as a “Gubernatorial Candidate.” Ramthun’s campaign literature touts an endorsement from My Pillow’s Mike Lindell, who is expected to be at his Saturday campaign event.

However, although it was live earlier in the evening on February 9, by about 10:15 p.m., the Ramthun for governor website went down. The reason for that is not clear.

Ramthun for governor

A Ramthun gubernatorial bid would surely shake up the Republican race for governor, and not all conservative political observers are happy about it. In fact, one insider lamented to Wisconsin Right Now that the Wisconsin governor’s primary is turning into a “clown show” that will help Tony Evers. That observer said there’s a perception behind the scenes that former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch has not locked down the race, a belief given fuel when former President Donald Trump publicly urged Sean Duffy to run instead, leading to a free-for-all as more and more candidates jump in.

“We need a heavyweight,” the observer said. There’s a move to get businessman Eric Hovde to throw his hat in the ring, and he’s considering it, sources said.

Others think that the more candidates who get in the race on the “anti-establishment” side, the more it helps Kleefisch by cannibalizing her opposition.

However, there is clearly anger in the conservative base over the election and displeasure with legislative leaders that Ramthun will seek to capitalize on. His current battles with Assembly leadership, who disciplined him, elevated his profile somewhat. There’s also the question of whether Ramthun runs as a Republican or Independent, although most observers think he would run as the former.

Former U.S. Marine Kevin Nicholson and business owner Jonathan Wichmann are also competing in the Republican primary and both have, like Ramthun, mounted anti-establishment campaigns. Nicholson is backed by Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein, one of the country’s most powerful Republican donors. Former Governor Tommy Thompson is still considering a gubernatorial run.

Ramthun is a Donald Trump supporter and fervent critic of the 2020 election. He received national press recently when a Rolling Stone article revealed that Trump had personally called Ramthun on December 2, 2021, to thank him for his efforts to decertify the election (Ramthun introduced a resolution to do just that which did not go anywhere in the state Assembly). “He offered to endorse Ramthun, and Ramthun knew how powerful that endorsement could be running for reelection to the Assembly or seeking a higher office,” that article said of Trump.

That sets up the $68,000 question surrounding a Ramthun for governor election bid; what will Trump do?

Some believe a Trump endorsement of Ramthun is far from a sure thing and that another anti-establishment candidate, maybe Hovde, could appeal to the former president. Some think Trump may stay out of a chaotic GOP primary and wouldn’t endorse someone who some believe doesn’t have a strong chance to win it; others think the election decertification issue is such catnip to Trump that anything is possible.

For about two weeks, sources have told Wisconsin Right Now that Ramthun, a Republican who recently butted heads with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and legislative GOP leaders, has been widely rumored to be considering a run for governor.

Social media posts say that Ramthun is holding an event for a “special announcement” at the Kewaskum High School Auditorium, 1510 Bilgo Lane, in Kewaskum, on Feb. 12, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s labeled open to the public. However, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that, as of February 9, Kewaskum officials had not received a reservation from Ramthun for such an event.

Ramthun for governor

Ramthun was born in Kewaskum, Wisconsin. He was elected to the state Assembly in 2018. His state Assembly website describes him as, “Former executive business management consultant; vice president and directorship roles for multiple Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies that specialized in manufacturing, technology, finance, education, supply-chain service, and delivery and call center operations.”

Ramthun for Governor Website

His new campaign website makes his intentions clear. It says, “I’m Timothy Ramthun, and I am running for Governor in Wisconsin. I’m a servant of, by, and for the people who believes in truth, transparency, and integrity. I will call for an independent full forensic physical cyber audit for the November 2022 election, beginning with my race regardless of its outcome. It’s time we restore confidence in our elections process. Let there be light!”

In addition to the 2020 election, the Ramthun for governor website indicates he will also make issues like lockdowns and education a focus of his campaign.

The Ramthun for governor website also says, “Tim Ramthun will stand up for the people’s Constitutional Rights in every facet of government. It was his efforts that wrote and introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 4, that ended Governor Evers unconstitutional overreaches after the shutdown.”

Another section reads, “Timothy Ramthun has sat on the Kewaskum School Board for 9 years and has also been on the Assembly Committee on Education during his time in the assembly. He is keenly aware of all the issues that have been invading the education of our children and has a proven track record of doing what is right for both the children and their parents. He will fight to preserve education and stop the indoctrination.”

Trump’s earlier unsuccessful pushing of former Wisconsin Congressman Duffy to run for governor would seem to indicate that he’s not rushing to embrace former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch; sources say one problem there is that Kleefisch opted out of being a delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention, citing a scheduling conflict with a Beloit Chamber of Commerce meeting, although she was a member of a 2020 Women for Trump bus tour and Trump picked her to lead the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Some observers chafe at the idea of a Ramthun bid; they believe the gubernatorial election needs to be a litigation of the failed policies of Tony Evers, tying him to Joe Biden – not a re-litigation of the 2020 election, a topic that does not play outside of hardcore conservative circles in a state where the GOP nominee will need independents (and a big enthusiasm gap) to win it.

Those observers believe the media use issues like decertification to unfairly mock the documented problems that existed in the election, such as the Racine County Sheriff’s investigation into the Wisconsin Election Commission operating above the law. Some observers believe that an ugly and competitive Republican primary will only help Evers, especially if it forces the other candidates and an eventual nominee to take more extreme positions and spend down their money.

Whether Republican voters can really be neatly divided into establishment and anti-establishment camps is unclear; after all, a lot of party activists like the former president. Ramthun would start with minimal name ID. A Trump endorsement, if it ever comes, though, would obviously shake things up dramatically. Ramthun would presumably argue he’s in it to win it.

It’s all shaping up to be a wild primary season.

The Rolling Stone article falsely blared, “Wisconsin Is Ground Zero for the MAGA Effort to Steal the Next Election.” In fact, Ramthun and many legislative Republicans have split sharply over how far to take election concerns, with legislative leaders not embracing the nuclear option of decertification, which they believe is illegal and unconstitutional. They say there’s no legal mechanism to do it.

The extremely biased Rolling Stone article brushed off all claims of election problems, even the legitimate issues documented by a non-partisan audit and a Waukesha judge’s ruling banning dropboxes. The liberal media paint every documented election concern as unfairly “crazy,” so some observers see a candidate pushing decertification as playing into that narrative.
The partisan Wisconsin Election Commission chaired by major Joe Biden donors, along with municipal clerks throughout Wisconsin, violated state law in numerous ways in the 2020 presidential election, according to that non-partisan Legislative Audit Bureau report, which was released on October 22, 2021. Read more about it here.

Ramthun’s website comes on the heels of his dust up with Assembly Leader Robin Vos. Vos stripped Ramthun, a Republican from Campbellsport, of his staff member last month. The Republicans in Assembly Leadership then sent out an extraordinary letter obtained by Wisconsin Right Now, defending Vos and accusing Timothy Ramthun and his staffer of spreading “lies.” Read the Assembly Leadership letter and get the background here.

Ramthun then accused Assembly Leadership of “misinformation.”

“Republican Leadership posted a statement on 1/20/22 to offer apparent justification for the abrupt transfer of my full-time staff requisition that occurred the prior day,” Ramthun wrote.

Here’s what Rep. Timothy Ramthun said then:

“The statement indicated my office, specifically me and my full-time staffer, were putting out ‘misinformation’ regarding Speaker Vos working with Hillary Clinton attorneys. Upon review of all written and posted communications by my office, including those most recent in an email of election evidence sent to the Legislature, there is no indication of me or my office making such a statement.”

He added:

“If your claim is your justification for reassigning my staff, and it is not true, he should be dutifully returned. We agree a better job of listening and communication is needed, citing specifics and refraining from speculation and wrongfully accusing, should be our shared priority in the pursuit of truth. To add misinformation to my statements, remove my staff and not address the evidence I have presented, only deflects from his ‘wholehearted’ support for the use of 500 illegal drop boxes in Wisconsin.”

Loader Loading...
Ead logo Taking too long?

Reload Reload document
| Open Open in new tab

Assembly leaders in their own statement had sharply criticized Ramthun, writing in part, “We support Speaker Vos’s actions. No matter how much Rep. Ramthun and his staffer believe what they are saying is true, it does not make it so. Sending out communications full of lies is doing disservice to all voters. With so much information to parse through on the Internet and in traditional media, we all must do a better job of listening and communicating.”

Rep. Timothy Ramthun’s 59th Assembly District includes Hartford, Kewaskum, Campbellsport, Eden, Cascade, Waldo, Mount Calvary, St. Cloud, and New Holstein.

Conservative talk show host Mark Belling of WISN 1130 then demanded that Vos and Assembly leaders document their claim that Ramthun was spreading misinformation, filing open records requests with their offices. Belling wrote in a column posted to his website, “An open records request by me reveals that it was Vos and the leadership team that were spreading misinformation.”

Belling wrote, “Vos and the other top Assembly members alleged Ramthun claimed that Vos was working with ‘Hillary Clinton’s attorney’ to conspire to allow placement of voting drop boxes in Wisconsin.’ Neither Vos nor a top ally, Rep. Cindi Duchow, have been able to back up their assertion that Ramthun ever made that claim.”

Table of Contents

Governor’s Veto Powers Wisconsin Republicans Parental Bill of Rights Outlaw Child Sex Dolls Embrace Them Both Unemployment Reforms Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Bail Reform Amendment wisconsin covid-19

Conservative Wins in the Wisconsin State Budget Bill That Passed July 3

Wisconsin has a divided government, and, with a Democrat in the governor's mansion, conservatives were not going to get everything they wanted. However, there...

Shorewood Officer Shot; Glendale Pursues Suspect, Who Appears Dead

A Shorewood, Wisconsin, police officer was shot but saved by his bulletproof vest in the early morning hours of July 3. Several hours later, Glendale...
kendall corder

MPD Confirms Sad News That Officer Kendall Corder Has Died; Procession Unfolding

The Milwaukee Police Department has officially confirmed the tragic news that Officer Kendall Corder has died in the line of duty. Earlier in the day,...

Oconomowoc Rotary Refuses to Document ‘Threats’ & There’s No Police Reports

Getting criticized is hard, but reasonable criticism - even heated criticism - is not a threat. And it's what representative democracy is all about,...
kendall corder, tremaine jones

Tremaine Jones: Milwaukee DA Declined to Prosecute Him 4 Times Leading Up to Officer Shooting

KEY FINDINGS: Accused cop shooter Tremaine Jones was given a deferred prosecution agreement for a 2021 Milwaukee case involving a stolen Kia and...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

2 Milwaukee Police Officers Shot Near 25th & Garfield

Two Milwaukee police officers were shot on the evening of June 26, police confirmed. One officer remains in critical condition and the second does...
josh schoemann Washington County’s Early Vote

2026 GOP Candidate Josh Schoemann Challenges Evers’ Budget Approach

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

richard van buren

Richard Van Buren Arrested in Dodge County Dog’s Death, Sheriff Says

Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Chester Town Board in Wisconsin, was arrested in the death of a golden retriever dog in rural...

Rep. Donovan, Greenfield Officials Outraged at Release of Accused Random Stabber

State Rep. Bob Donovan and top Greenfield officials are expressing outrage and concern over the release of a man who is accused of randomly...

Dodge County Dog’s Death Under Investigation by Wisconsin Sheriff

Update: Richard Van Buren, the chairman of the Town of Chester Board, has now been arrested. See the story here. The Dodge County Sheriff's Office...
Anthony LoCoco

Anthony LoCoco Running for WI Court of Appeals to Defend the Constitution

Note: Anthony LoCoco, of Waukesha, has worked for the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and the Institute for Reforming Government. He is...

Milwaukee Alderman Voices Frustration at ‘Crumbling’ Roads, Massive Cost Estimate

The Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee heard from City Engineer Kevin Muhs today "about a newly released report from the Department of Public...

Oconomowoc Rotary Club Apologizes, Reverses Course After July 4 Parade Mess

The Oconomowoc Rotary Club has apologized for the mess surrounding its July 4 parade and will now allow political parties and elected representatives to...
Killed by Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Milwaukee Reckless Drivers Kill Box In Milwaukee Police

Milwaukee Police Officer Shot by Armed Suspect in Foot Chase, Department Says

Two ghost guns were recovered. A Milwaukee police officer was shot by an armed suspect who refused to drop his gun during a foot chase...

Milwaukee Police Association Raises Alarm on Low District 7 Staffing

The Milwaukee Police Association is raising the alarm about severely low staffing levels in District 7, one of the city's busiest police districts. The MPA,...
uw-madison Administrators at UW Schools

UW Employs 495 Foreign Nationals at Almost $43 Million a Year, But Won’t Release Their Names

With salaries ranging as high as $320,000 a year, are the foreign nationals getting taxpayer-funded jobs at UW instead of qualified U.S. citizens? The...
Governor’s Veto Powers Wisconsin Republicans Parental Bill of Rights Outlaw Child Sex Dolls Embrace Them Both Unemployment Reforms Wisconsin’s Professional Licensing Bail Reform Amendment wisconsin covid-19

Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

hannah dugan

Milwaukee Police Refuse to Release NEW Hannah Dugan Body Cam Video, Citing Crime ‘Prevention,’ in Part

The Milwaukee Police Department has refused to release a new Hannah Dugan police body cam video, citing, in part, crime "prevention" and "detection" and...

DHS Puts 4 Wisconsin Cities & Counties on Formal Notice, Says They ‘Defy Federal Law’

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security placed two Wisconsin counties and two cities on notice on May 29, saying they are defying federal law...

DOJ Begins California Title IX Investigation Over ‘Trans’ Boys Dominating Girls’ Sports

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced it is investigating California for violating Title IX by allowing males to participate in female student sports.

“Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for Civil Rights. “It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies.”

In February, President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning males from participating in female student sports, and he has threatened to block California's federal funding for continuing to defy his order. With California facing deficits in the tens of billions of dollars each year, it's unclear how the state would offset any losses or pauses in federal funding.

Notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom hosted conservative pundit Charlie Kirk on his podcast and told Kirk that he thinks it’s “deeply unfair” that boys are participating in girls’ sports.

When asked later at a press conference what this means for state policy, Newsom demurred, painting the matter as a marginal, non-issue not worth his time.

“You're talking about a very small number of people, a very small number of athletes, and my responsibility is to address the pressing issues of our time,” said Newsom.

The California Interscholastic Federation, which governs student sports in California, has since responded to Trump’s threat by announcing a new pilot program to allow girls who otherwise would have qualified for sports finals had the finalist spots in girls’ sports not been taken by transgender-identifying boys to participate in said finals.

Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1972 to ensure that schools could not discriminate against female students. It requires they be provided with equal opportunities to engage in athletics, extracurriculars and education.

DOJ’s letter of interest says it is investigating whether California’s Assembly Bill 1266, which requires transgender-identifying students to be allowed to participate in sports consistent with their gender identities, violates Title IX.

“As a result of CIF’s policy, California’s top-ranked girls’ triple jumper, and second-ranked girls’ long-jumper, is a boy,” wrote the DOJ. “As recently as May 17, this male athlete was allowed to take winning titles that rightfully belong to female athletes in both events.”

“This male athlete will now be allowed to compete against those female athletes again for a state title in long, triple, and high jump,” continued the DOJ. “Other high school female athletes have alleged that they were likewise robbed of podium positions and spots on their teams after they were forced to compete against males.”

Should the DOJ find California is in violation of Title IX, it says it will “take appropriate action to eliminate that discrimination, including seeking injunctive relief.”