Wisconsin GOP candidate for governor Tim Michels lost in the 2022 elections after he claims former President Donald Trump told him a visit wasn't necessary based on the numbers that showed he would win.
Trump previously held a rally for Michels for the primary but did not return ahead of the general election. Michels lost by three points to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.
Losing WI GOP candidate claims Trump assured him no campaign visit was needed https://t.co/W4TyXIKU61
— Olivia (@Olivia7zx) November 29, 2022
"He said, 'I'm not going to come in. You've got this thing. I've seen all the numbers. It looks really strong, congratulations,'" Michels said of his conversation with Trump. Michels shared the comments on "The Jay Weber Show" that were shared by Fox News.
"We were convinced that we had this," Michels added during the interview.
Trump won in Wisconsin in 2016 but lost the state in 2020 in a close vote. The former president had endorsed Michels, but he did not mention the endorsement frequently during his campaign.
Local Fox-5 shared the candidate's emphasis following his primary win.
#LIVE Tim Michels speaks after Rebecca Kleefisch conceded in the Republican primary for Wisconsin governor. https://t.co/pK6a1foNZy
— FOX6 News (@fox6now) August 10, 2022
"Michels pledged that 'we are going to have election integrity here in Wisconsin.' He also said he will bring 'law and order' back to Wisconsin, criticized Evers' handling of schools and blamed Biden for rising prices," the outlet reported.
"This isn't the first time Michels dabbled in politics. He ran for U.S. Senate 18 years ago, but he lost," it added.
The close race reveals the importance of Wisconsin as a battlefield state for the 2024 presidential election. It appears Trump would unlikely win, though another conservative could tip the scales to win back its voters.
The loss also reveals the disappointing lack of a red wave nationwide, as Democrats held more spots than expected following two years of President Joe Biden in office.
Source: Fox News
