‘Plenty of opportunity to win’: New state GOP chair works to unite base, strengthen operation

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MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) – After some disappointing midterm losses, the new leader of the Wisconsin Republican Party is looking to strengthen their base and implement new strategies heading into another critical election year.

In December, longtime GOP political strategist Brian Schimming was unanimously elected chair of the state Republican Party.

Schimming said he’s aware of his task ahead: campaigning more effectively to win in the battleground state.

“We've had a lot of success out there, but it doesn't come easily. You always have to fight,” Schimming said in an interview with CBS 58.

While Democrats continue to outpace Republicans in winning statewide elections, Republicans have had success recently, including wide-margin victories in the state Legislature, picking up a congressional seat and reelecting Senator Ron Johnson.

Schimming acknowledged there’s room for improvement, but he’s optimistic the party can build on these accomplishments heading into a competitive state Supreme Court race and the 2024 presidential election.

“With all the activity coming here to Wisconsin in this next cycle, there's plenty of opportunity to win,” said Schimming. “If we can bring that unity, and we can, we'll win more. I'm excited about it.”

Reelecting Senator Johnson to a third term and electing Derrick Van Orden to represent the state’s 3rd Congressional District are examples of how the party unified in November despite losing the governorship and other executive branch seats, Schimming said.

Democratic Governor Tony Evers defeated Republican Tim Michels by more than 3% points while Johnson narrowly defeated Mandela Barnes, a rare split ticket outcome both parties are learning from.

Fundraising

Fundraising is also key, Schimming said. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin, under chairman Ben Wikler’s leadership, has become a powerhouse of organizing and fundraising. In the most recent election cycles, Democrats have outspent Republicans by 2 to 1 margins.

“Candidate quality, to me, is not our issue,” Schimming said. “We had good candidates, but we also had hundreds of millions of dollars poured into the state from outside groups to beat those good candidates.”

Fundraising efforts come as both parties are gearing up for what’s anticipated to be the most expensive Supreme Court contest in state history, a race that could tip the ideological balance of the court from conservative to liberal.

Schimming is hopeful the party can begin to raise more money to compete with Democrats, especially after Republicans voted in favor of a full-time paid chair. Discussion about paying the chairman was not a new concept, but many rallied behind the effort this time after Republicans failed to defeat Democratic incumbents during the midterm.

Early Voting

Schimming and other Republican leaders are also working to persuade their supporters to vote early. Voting before Election Day surged during the pandemic and continues to be a popular option, largely among Democrats.

It comes as former President Donald Trump continues to attack the process in part of his false narrative that widespread fraud cost him reelection in 2020.

Schimming, a proponent of early voting, said as he travels across the state, he’s encouraging Republicans to vote absentee because “we can’t go to the polls with 200,000 votes down on Election Day and make it up in 13 hours.”

“You can't do that and expect to win,” Schimming said.

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