On Saturday, February 22, the Waukesha County GOP held a meeting for its members at the Ingleside Hotel. The event served a gathering for members of the Waukesha County GOP and allowed them to discuss the upcoming April 1 election. Among several local elected officials, a handful of those facing tightly contested races in the five weeks ahead spoke. Terry Dittrich, Chairman of the Waukesha County GOP Board, introduced the prominent speakers including Brad Schimel, Brittany Kinser, Scott Fitzgerald, and Zach Wittchow.
At the meeting, members were encouraged to pay special attention to the upcoming Supreme Court race. With the primary election concluding on February 18, the April 1 general election has become many activist organizations’ top priority. Earlier that morning, Brad Schimel, who is the conservative leaning candidate in the statewide Supreme Court race, stopped at the Waukesha Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast. After that event, he joined the GOP members at the Ingleside to speak about the importance of his race.
Schimel began with a prayer and then led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Afterwards, he gave a speech highlighting the importance of early voting and “Maintaining the integrity of all three branches of our government.” Schimel made calls for early voting, citing that absentee ballots will be sent out within the next couple weeks. He also emphasized how expensive this race was already proving to be. The 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court race cost over $45 million and he predicted that his race would cue even more expensive. Schimel currently serves as a Waukesha Circuit Court Judge.
The first speaker, U.S. Congressman Scott Fitzgerald made sure to point out the importance of Waukesha County voters, saying “This county is the focus of what people think about when they think about Wisconsin politics.”
After Fitzgerald, Brittany Kinser gave a rundown of how she had decided to run for State Superintendent. “I’m feeling very excited about the next five weeks,” She said. Kinser talked excitedly about putting power into parents and families to make the right decisions for their children.
Additionally, Zach Wittchow addressed the members of the GOP briefly but poignantly: “I’m running to protect Waukesha County. I want to continue our tradition of keeping a conservative on the bench.”
The morning meeting concluded with a recap of 2024 from Chairman Dittrich. Dittrich, too, pointed out the importance of the upcoming Supreme Court race for those living in Waukesha County. He noted how in the past few years, “Spring election voter turnout has risen significantly from 17% to 42%”. For GOP members in attendance, it was a morning of transparency. Elected officials and candidates up for election met with constituents to discuss the state of the party before April 1.
