Wisconsin GOP sees implosion amid efforts to overturn the presidential election: report

Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin are reportedly at an impasse due to their mixed opinions on the efforts to overturn the presidential election. Since the election conspiracy theories have run rampant over the last 15 months, The New York Times reports that Robin Vos, the Assembly speaker "is now struggling to rein them in."

One example of the big problem centers around the conspiracy campaign being pushed by Timothy Ramthun. Although the country is near the 2022 midterm elections, Ramthun is still fighting to have President Joe Biden kicked out of office.

Per the NY Times:

"'This is a real issue,' said Timothy Ramthun, the Republican state representative who has turned his push to decertify the election into a nascent campaign for governor. Mr. Ramthun has asserted that if the Wisconsin Legislature decertifies the results and rescinds the state’s 10 electoral votes — an action with no basis in state or federal law — it could set off a movement that would oust President Biden from office."

However, Rob Swearingen, a Republican state representative from Wisconsin's conservative Northwoods, stressed the importance of looking at the bigger picture. “This is just not what the Republican Party needs right now,” said Swearingen. “We shouldn’t be fighting among ourselves about what happened, you know, a year and a half ago.”

The difference in opinions underscores the divide between Republicans in Wisconsin; a problem that could have longterm effects with the midterm election right around the corner.

Despite the claims of voter fraud in Wisconsin, there have been multiple testimonies to suggest otherwise. According to Madison.com, Meagan Wolfe, the state's Elections Commission administrator, and its technology director Robert Kehoe testified before the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections. During the hearing, Kehoe addressed the baseless claims of voter fraud.

“A lot of concerns about the November 2020 presidential election are based on assumptions that lack a full understanding of election policies, laws and technologies,” Kehoe said. “Other concerns expressed to this committee have alleged startling claims of fraud without providing adequate evidence.”

Like Wisconsin's election officials, State Senator Kathy Bernier is the only Republican who has admitted that Trump's election loss was legitimate.

“I have no explanation as to why legislators want to pursue voter-fraud conspiracy theories that have not been proven,” Ms. Bernier said in an interview. “They should not do that. It’s dangerous to our democratic republic. They need to step back and only speak about things that they know and understand and can do. And outside of that, they should button it up.”