KEY POINTS

• Tim Michels was born in Brownsville, Wisconsin, and co-owns Michels Corporation, a construction company located in the same town. 
• Tim Michels served as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army for twelve years. 
• Tim Michels is pro-life, supports our law enforcement, and is in favor of the Parental Bill of Rights. 
• A study by AP-NORC concluded that 85% of U.S. adults aren’t happy with how things are going in our country. 

Tim Michels is an All-American businessman and politician. He’s also the co-owner of Michels Corporation, based in Brownsville, Wisconsin, the same rural town where he grew up.  

Education & Background

Michels graduated from Lomira High School in 1980 and received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1984 while attending St. Norbert College. In 1997, Tim completed an MBA from the University of Chicago and an MPA from the Illinois Institute of Technology. 

Michels ran for state Senate in 1998 and won. He won over 43% of the vote in a four-way primary. In 2004, Michels defeated Russ Darrow, Jr., Senator Bob Welch, and attorney Robert Lorge in the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate. He held the record for most votes for a Republican candidate in the history of Wisconsin up until 2010.

Michels served as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the United States Army for over a decade, twelve years total. He also earned the rank of Major and is a proud member of the American Legion and VFW. 

Tim has been pushed towards the top of the list concerning the upcoming Republican Primary. Michels has spent around $7.7 million heavily on advertising for the campaign. Michels is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and is in a close race with Rebecca Kleefisch, who has garnered the support of former Governor Scott Walker.

We can see clearly that most Americans aren’t happy with who we have calling the shots right now. Biden’s job approval rating hit a new low a few months back of 31%. From the recent Marquette Law School poll, we saw that many individuals included in that poll believed we were heading down the wrong path. Another study by AP-NORC concluded that 85% of U.S. adults aren’t happy with how things are going in our country.

Let’s take a closer look at Tim Michels stance on specific issues.

The Economy

Michels has solid business experience, which shines through when he speaks about jobs or the economy. He openly states on his website, “I don’t just talk about economic growth; I have lived it.”

His Wisconsin First Economic Blueprint proposes a reduction in corporate and individual income taxes, increasing energy production in America, reducing economic obstacles by streamlining pro licensing laws, and incentivizing students to enter high-demand fields. Michels also says you can take him at his word that he will not raise gas prices. 

Wisconsin Education

Tim Michels has proposed universal school choice, an expansion of Wisconsin’s private school voucher program. This expansion lifts income and enrollment caps for families that choose to participate. 

Michels website also mentions improving reading proficiency and signing a parental bill of rights that Democratic Governor Tony Evers vetoed. Michels also wants to promote technical education and apprenticeship programs, improve school security, and increase participation in school board elections. 

Law Enforcement

Back the Blueprint is a plan proposed by Michels that reduces state aid, AKA shared revenue, for communities that decrease police funding. Tony Evers vetoed Senate Bill 119, which proposed this. 

Michels website states that he also supports a mandatory minimum 2-year prison sentence for felons convicted of gun possession and plans to do away with district attorneys that are much too soft on crime. 

Tim Michels also proposes reducing the state crime lab’s 115-day DNA testing backlog, making bail and sentencing advice more available, and has a goal of hiring 50% more police in the more dangerous areas in Wisconsin.

Abortion

Tim Michels is very openly pro-life and supports the state’s law banning abortion (except when medically necessary for the safety of the mother.) Michels has stated, “The 1849 law is an exact mirror of my position, and my position is an exact mirror of the 1849 law. Michels also mentioned that he was against abortion but not against contraception and being responsible. 

Same-sex Marriage 

Michels announced in his 2004 campaign that he believed marriage should be between man and woman. Oddly enough, Joe Biden even held that same position that year and advocated for the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed into law by Bill Clinton in 1996. 

Michels has been criticized for not changing his stance on this.

Personal Life

Tim and Barbara Michels have three children, Hank, Sophie, and Will. Sophie has an extraordinary story. Sophie Michels, a vibrant, life-loving sophomore in college, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at age 11.  

She underwent a groundbreaking endoscopic surgical technique that Dr. Mark Souwidane pioneered. Sophie made a miraculous recovery following her brain surgery. The Michels family is eternally grateful for what Dr. Souwidane has given them, and they have returned the favor by helping fund his work and research. 

Both Tim and his wife Barbara consider themselves philanthropists. 

Wealth

The Republican candidate’s tax records showed that he owed $3.7 million in state income tax back in 2020. This amount suggests that he reported millions of dollars for that year. Since 2010, he’s regularly reported $1 million in state income tax on various occasions. He owed $1.7 million in 2018, and $1.9 million in 2019, according to records from the state Dept. of Revenue. It’s challenging to get an exact number since state law allows the release of income tax liabilities, not tax returns. The amount Michels has owed over the years is based mainly on profits, losses, and tax credits for his construction business.

He also spent about $2.8 million on ads throughout his first month of campaigning and owns a $17 million dollar estate in Greenwich, Connecticut. Michels also owns other properties in Wisconsin and New York. At this point in the race, Michels has spent about $12 million of his own money running his campaign, according to reports filed with the state.