The Wisconsin Senate election in 2022 will provide both parties with an opportunity to make their stronghold in the US Senate. Just like the Pennsylvania Senate race, this contest is also a highly anticipated one, with a lot of debate going around.
As Republican Senator Ron Johnson is currently serving as the Senator from Wisconsin, a defeat would shock the Republicans.
A slight margin of votes in the last election of Senator Ron Johnson of 3.4 percent also depicts that the election will not be a walk in the park for Johnson.
Biden’s narrow victory in the 2020 presidential race, with a 0.7 percent margin, along with the success of Democrats in statewide contests in the 2018 midterm election, also opens the possibility of a Democratic win for Johnson’s seat.
Republicans Ready to Contest the Wisconsin Senate Election in 2022
Following are the potential candidates to contest the Wisconsin Senate election in 2022.
- David Beth, Sheriff of Kenosha County
- Sean Duffy, a former member of the House of Representatives
- Mike Gallagher, US Representative
- Senator Ron Johnson, the incumbent senator
- Rebecca Kleefisch, former Lt. Gov.
- Kevin Nicholson, businessman and 2018 candidate for United States Senate
- Bryan Steil, member of House of Representative from the 1st Congressional District
Democratic Horses:
Democrats can place their bet on the following people.
- Gillian Battino, a radiologist
- Sarah Godlewski, State Treasurer
- Alex Lasry, Milwaukee Bucks Senior Vice President
- Tom Nelson, former majority leader in the Wisconsin Assembly
- Ron Kind, member of the House of Representative
- Mandela Barnes, Lt. Gov. of Wisconsin
Senator Ron Johnson’s Reelection: A Test of Wisconsin on Trumpism
Ron Johnson has not confirmed whether or not he would run for reelection; however, the possibility of retiring cannot be ruled out at this stage.
If he runs for the Wisconsin Senate election in 2022, it will be a big win for Donald Trump’s narrative.
Even after leaving the White House, Trump has often commended the controversial senator, mainly because he is one of those who supported him. This support covered perpetuating baseless voter fraud allegations and furthering Trump’s narrative on the Hunter Biden investigations and the aftermath of the January 6 episode.
This is why Trump has already introduced the slogan “Run, Ron, Run,” adding that the incumbent has no idea about his widespread popularity.
Senator Ron Johnson appealed to the Trump base by focusing the Senate Homeland Security Committee’s attention on the Hunter Biden case.
He also endorsed former President Donald Trump’s decision to move Republican Party away from the free-market economy and traditional family values towards reactionary politics.
The Democratic campaign, thus, will have to inject millions of dollars into Wisconsin to defeat Senator Ron Johnson.
Sarah Godlewski: A Democrat Ready to Saturate Primaries
Wisconsin State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski has joined the Democratic campaign to become a candidate for the Wisconsin Senate election in 2022.
She came hard on the incumbent even in her campaign launch video, criticizing Ron Johnson for defending Trump and his baseless cause, including his comments on the capitol riot. He said that attack does not look like an armed insurrection to him.
Godlewski also proposed several plans to create jobs, help small businesses, provide effective climate change response, decrease the price of prescription drugs, and increase the minimum wage, which is one of the critical issues being faced by Americans in general and Wisconsin residents in particular.
Tom Nelson: Another Democrat in Action
Another Democrat, Tom Nelson, has also kicked off his campaign to compete in the already saturated Democrats primary.
Tom Nelson, an Outagamie County executive and a former majority leader of the state assembly, told Politico that he has already filed his papers. This is the first official challenger to the incumbent Republican senator.
Starting his campaign early could benefit Nelson in the elections, yet he would need to take extraordinary measures to outrun the competition.
Mandela Barnes: A Probable Nominee on the Democratic Ticket
Lt. Gov. of Wisconsin Mandela Barnes has also shown his keen interest to run for election on a Democratic ticket.
As Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes became a passionate vocal of human rights after the shooting of Jacob Blake and subsequent Kenosha riots, he can win many voters based on these grounds.
In fact, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement supporters would be happy to cast him their vote instead of Ron Johnson.
Barnes entered mainstream politics in 2013 when he won the race for Wisconsin State Assembly and represented District 11 from 2013 to 2017. Barnes then ran for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin in 2018 on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial nominee, Tony Evers, and won.
Final Thoughts
The consequences for Senator Ron Johnson for standing by Donald Trump are yet to be seen, and his ideological approach could cost him the Wisconsin Senate election in 2022.
His fundraising campaign is also doing no wonders, as compared to his previous election when, in the first quarter of 2015, he raised $1.3 million; that is far more than the $545,000 that he has been able to raise until now.
Democrats need not relax on this seat and make their strategy according to the latest developments, as the retirement of Ron Johnson could make the Wisconsin Senate election in 2022 even more interesting.
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Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.