Mike Pence–backed candidate for Wisconsin Rebecca Kleefisch has gained a slight edge over Donald Trump's pick Tim Michels, according to the latest polls.
A survey by Emerson College Polling found that 36 percent of Republican primary voters in Wisconsin favored Kleefisch, a former lieutenant governor, over Michels, while the Trump-backed millionaire businessman received the support of 34 percent of voters.
Other candidates lagged behind, with Timothy Ramthun receiving 8 percent of support among Republican voters, Kevin Nicholson 6 percent and Adam Fischer only 1 percent.
Some 14 percent of voters were still undecided, but a majority of voters—41 percent— said to be leaning toward voting for Kleefisch, while 39 percent were leaning toward supporting Michels' candidacy.
Another Round for Trump vs. Pence
The face-off between Kleefisch and Michels on Tuesday is the latest political battle between Trump and Pence, who are once again supporting different candidates in the GOP primaries.
A rift between the former president and his ex-No. 2 has been evident since the final weeks of Trump's administration, and it has only gotten deeper since. Since June 2021, Pence has repeatedly stated that Trump was wrong to claim the 2020 presidential election was stolen, a claim which has since been debunked.
In a clear attempt to distance himself from his former boss, Pence has also been supporting candidates opposed to those embraced by Trump—with mixed results.
In May, Pence-backed candidate for Georgia Brian Kemp defeated Trump's pick David Perdue.
But in Arizona, Trump's pick for the state gubernatorial election, former television anchor Kari Lake, won the primaries against Pence's candidate Karrin Taylor Robson last week, securing the GOP nomination for the November's election with 46.8 percent of the vote against Robson's 44 percent.
Lake's victory was a significant success for Trump, who triumphed over the Republican establishment supporting Robson. Lake declared her victory "a political earthquake."
How Much Weight Does Trump's Endorsement Carry?
According to Emerson College Polling, Trump's support of Michels has a significant influence for only half of Wisconsin's Republican voters.
Some 39 percent of Republican voters said the former president's endorsement made them more likely to support a candidate, while 11 percent said Trump's support made them less likely to back a candidate.
Approximately half of the voters said Trump's endorsement of a candidate did not make a difference in their vote.
On Saturday, Trump traveled to Wisconsin to rally in support of Michels, delivering a 90-minute speech that touched upon the false claims that the 2020 presidential election was "rigged and stolen."
"As your governor, Tim will crack down on violent crime, and he won't play games," Trump said, as reported by Fox 6 Milwaukee. "He will fight to lower soaring energy costs, create jobs, guarantee free and fair elections. The elections will be free and fair."
"Kleefisch does not have what it takes to beat Tony Evers," Trump added, mentioning the challenge represented by the Democratic governor seeking re-election in Wisconsin.
Curiously, Michels has never been clear about whether he believes Trump's claims about the 2020 election. Asked about whether he thought the presidential election had been stolen during an interview on WTAQ-AM, Michels responded, "Maybe." On the other hand, Kleefisch has repeatedly claimed that the 2020 election was stolen, going as far as filing a lawsuit in November 2021 against the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek Reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on U.S. and European politics, global affairs ... Read more
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