A bipartisan majority of 51 Wisconsin sheriffs have endorsed Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) reelection bid in Wisconsin, his campaign announced Wednesday.
The endorsements come after Johnson’s “defund police” Democrat opponent, Mandela Barnes, claimed to have won only two endorsements from two active duty police officers last week. A few days later, those officers alerted the public that they did not actually support Barnes’ Senate campaign, an embarrassing mistake for the radical Democrat’s chances of quelling the fears of Wisconsinites that he wants to defund police.
“His repeated lies are an attempt to distract from his support for defunding the police and abolishing ICE. Now his endorsement scandal continues to grow,” Johnson’s spokesman slammed Barnes.
On Wednesday, the day after the second active duty officer refuted his endorsement of Barnes, Johnson rolled out a list of 51 sheriffs endorsing his reelection campaign.
According to a press release, “Senator Johnson has a proven track record of sponsoring and supporting legislation that clearly prioritizes law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell said. “I trust him to always have the back of the hardworking men and women of law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”
Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller said Johnson “brings a common sense approach to all the craziness in DC and represents Wisconsin the way it should be. I am glad to support Sen. Ron Johnson.”
Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks said Johnson has supported police through many challenging moments, eluding to the 2020 riots in Kenosha:
Senator Ron Johnson has seen the violent acts that occur frequently against our law enforcement professionals across this Nation with many of those actions resulting in line of duty deaths. Senator Johnson seeks to ensure the safety of our local and State law enforcement officers through his efforts to further the Thin Blue Line Act.
At the same time, Senator Johnson continues to make a difference in the lives of those persons who can be frequent law enforcement contacts by his continued efforts and support of The Joseph Project, which connects people with opportunities for self-improvement and employment. I support Senator Johnson and would encourage your support too.
A Tuesday poll found Johnson is surging in the polls against Barnes, leading by four points. Just weeks ago, Barnes was leading Johnson by a moderate margin. But Barnes’ radical record seems to be working against him.
Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes who is running to become the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate speaks to reporters following a campaign event at The Wicked Hop on August 07, 2022, in Milwaukee (Scott Olson/Getty Images).
Barnes has pushed for defunding “over-bloated” police departments and allowing felons to retain the right to vote. He also believes police do not prevent crimes.
Barnes believes in abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), permitting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, and giving in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants. He has derided small business owners as “selfish” for wanting to serve customers during the pandemic.
Barnes also favors an entirely government-run healthcare system, eliminating the Senate filibuster, packing the Supreme Court, and passing the Green New Deal, which would destroy the American economy to reshape it into a socialist utopia.