The Trump-endorsed candidate, and businessman Tim Michels, won the Republican primary for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
Michels has been involved in the political scene since 1998. First running for office in 1998, he lost to Rep. Scott Fitzgerald. In 2004, Michels ran for the Senate, winning a GOP primary but losing to Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in the general election. Even though he didn’t win either time, he hasn’t given up yet.
Who is Tim Michels?
Growing up in the small farming town of Brownsville, Wisconsin, Tim Michels graduated from Lomira High School in 1980. Michels soon went to St. Norbert College to receive his bachelor’s degree in political science, which he completed in 1984. Michels completed an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1997 while obtaining his MPA from the Illinois Institute of Technology the same year.
Michels served for 12 years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, in which he was also able to earn the rank of Major. Tim is the co-owner of the Michels Corporation in his hometown of Brownsville. He’s also a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Tim and his wife, Barbara, live in Hartland, Wisconsin, and have three adult children.
Michels Victory in GOP Run ‘22
Catching up to today, Michels is now in the prime position to directly face off against the current Wisconsin Governor, Tony Evers – possibly leading to some well-needed changes.
Michels is running on three main priorities now that he’s headed to go against Evers in November. Those priorities are:
- Voter integrity
- Reducing crime
- Reformation of education
Aside from the points that he has made public about how he would like to run his administration if he were to become WI’s new governor, Michels voiced many WI residents’ feelings about Ever’s current rule during his victory speech, “that’s what this race has always been about, and that’s what the general election race is going to be about as well, standing up for the hard-working people of Wisconsin.” For Michels and many republicans, this is about removing a “weak” and “ineffective” leader in Evers.
Michels perfectly summed up, in his speech, the glaring and poignant issue regarding WI’s working-class people, “They’ve been left behind by the Democratic Party that just wants to focus on the social issues. From my first day in office to my very last day as governor, jobs and the economy are arguably my number one priority.”
Tim Michel’s Bluprint for Wisconsin
Among many of his “Blueprint for Wisconsin” ideas, Michels is looking to create an economic environment that encourages a reduction in corporate and individual income taxes while increasing efforts to attract and retain more talent in Wisconsin.
Michels has many exciting and growth-centered ideas for what he would like to accomplish if he were to become governor of Wisconsin.
Pulling from his website, Michels for Governor, here are some of those plans Michels would like to put into action:
- “Increase American energy production and distribution to provide low cost and reliable energy for families and businesses all across the state.”
- “Incentivize students to pursue education in, and invest in training for, high-demand fields such as healthcare, engineering, and technology and remain in the state after graduation.”
- “Expedite access to high-speed broadband in rural communities so that all areas of Wisconsin can participate in the digital economy.”
- “Increase opportunities for K-12 students to participate in hands-on internships, youth apprenticeships, and programs such as Dual Enrollment.”
Conclusion: Wisconites Decide November 2022
As Wisconsin progresses toward the November elections this year, it’ll be interesting to see how his run unfolds. With only a couple of months left until the big decision is made, Michels is already seen as the favorite pick for Wisconsin’s governor.
Even if the state is split down the middle, Michels has a favorable chance of leading in numbers, as many Wisconites agree that Tony Evers has not done the best job running the state. With that said, it’s up to the people of Wisconsin to decide what kind of future they want their families, businesses, and communities to have – and with Tim Michels, that future might be closer than we think.
References:
“About.” Michels for Governor, https://michelsforgovernor.com/about/.
Burnett, Sara. “Michels Wins Wisconsin Gop Governor Primary, Will Face Evers.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 10 Aug. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-wisconsin-donald-trump-campaigns-376cd7c0233e619f8574897b724854d9.
“Here Are the Key Primary Election Results from Wisconsin.” NPR, NPR, 9 Aug. 2022, https://www.npr.org/sections/2022-live-primary-election-race-results/2022/08/09/1115695802/wisconsin-primary-election-results.
Steinhauser, Paul, and Landon Mion. “Trump-Backed Tim Michels Projected Winner in Battleground Wisconsin’s GOP Gubernatorial Primary.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 10 Aug. 2022, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-backed-tim-michels-projected-winner-battleground-wisconsins-gop-gubernatorial-primary.
Tim Michels – Wiki, Bio, Age, Wife, Family, and Net Worth – World-Wire. https://world-wire.com/tim-michels-wiki-bio-age-wife-family-and-net-worth/.
“Tim Michels’ Wisconsin First Economic Blueprint.” Michels for Governor, https://michelsforgovernor.com/blueprint/tim-michels-wisconsin-first-economic-blueprint/.
“Tim Michels.” Prabook.com, https://prabook.com/web/tim.michels/1787235.
