GOP Gubernatorial Candidates in MN, WI, and AZ Go All-In on the Big Lie
Across the country, Republican candidates for governor are embracing Donald Trump’s Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. Here’s a roundup of how GOP primary candidates in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Arizona went all-in on baseless election conspiracy theories this week:
In the first minutes of the Minnesota GOP primary debate on Wednesday, all five candidates refused to admit the 2020 election results were legitimate. CNN anchor Erin Burnett slammed the Minnesota Republicans last night, saying the Big Lie “has taken over the GOP.” Watch the full clip here.
In the neighboring state of Wisconsin, Republican candidate Rebecca Kleefisch appeared alongside and earned the support of Michael Gableman, the frontman of the Wisconsin GOP’s taxpayer-funded investigation into 2020 election results.
Kleefisch supports wasting more taxpayer money on baseless conspiracy theories and has refused to say whether she’d sign a bill allowing the state legislature to overturn election results if elected governor.
In Arizona, Trump-endorsed GOP primary candidate Kari Lake is appearing at an ‘election integrity’ rally outside the Attorney General’s office today. Lake is escalating GOP infighting by protesting the Republican AG’s failure to prosecute non-existent election fraud in the state. Lake has openly said she believes the election was stolen and Trump won Arizona in 2020.
Her primary opponent Matt Salmon has also leaned in to the Big Lie and vowed to fight non-existent voter fraud. And, like the Minnesota Republicans, Kimberly Yee and Karrin Taylor Robson have refused to say if they believe Joe Biden was legitimately elected.
“The GOP has become the party of the Big Lie, and Republican candidates for governor are desperate to embrace whatever baseless conspiracy theories will win them far-right votes,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “These Republicans are too caught up in dangerous lies to deliver real policy platforms that will better their states, and voters will reject the GOP nonsense at the ballot box.”
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