>> Ron Johnson
weighs
in on the
president's plan
to nationalize
elections. Democrats
reintroduced legalizel to
weed. And what
can we the Republicans
who are not running
for the state Senate?
This is inside
Wisconsin politics. I'm Wpwr
Capital Bureau
Chief Shawn
Johnson here with
Wpwr capital
reporter van Wagtendonk
PBS Wisconsin senior political
reporter Zac Schultz
and political reporter
Rich Kramer
in Eau
Claire. Hey,
everyone. John.
>> Hey. >> So
let's start with what
Senator Johnson
said this week
about something that
President Trump said. And,
I mean, I think
we've all gotten pretty
used to, inecially
swing state Wisconsin,
hearing pretty
broad claims
about what's happening
in elections
or changes
that people want
to especially
President Trump.
But this is
pretty even by his
standards. First of all,
Rich, did the
president say
about nationalizing
elections? >> So
during a podcast
interview, President
Trump mentioned that
Republicans should just
take over
election administration.
He talked
about it. Henalizing
also mentioned
15 different
states where this
might happen
or where liked
to see it happen,
but specifyt
which ones.
So that's gotten a
lot of people's attention.
Based on
some of those
comments you referenced
from the president.
You know,
we had the
2020 withtion
the president
denying the
outcome, essentially, and
that led
to the riot 6th,
at the US Capitol.
So definitely,
people are paying
attention to
what President
Trump said.
>> Yeah. So
you it 15ioned
states. We don't
know which
ones, but we
just ofd
assume, hey,
we're Wisconsin, one of the
most Every yearpolitical states.
we got to be on
that list, right.
So Wisconsin Senator Ron
Johnson was
asked about
this at his
tele town hall.
What did he have
to say? >> Senator
Ron Johnson said
Senator Johnson said he
wouldn't like to
see nationalized
elections, but
he did
offer some
ideas for
how to
set basic
standards across
the country.
He talked
about the
Save act.
Essentially, that would
require people to
prove citizenship
before register to
vote. To
do that, you'd
need documents
like birthified
certificate or a
passport, something that
a people
might not access
to. But
Senator Johnson
went beyond
that saidlso
that he
thinks early
voting has gone
way too far
in this country,
and that he
he's generally
opposed to
mail in
balloting of
absentee ballots.
>> So it feels a lot there's
to unpack with both
what the
president said and
with what Senator
Johnson said. I mean,
first of all, the
idea of
nationalizing Wisconsin's
elections, would
that work?
I mean, tangibly, what would
that mean.
>> In Wisconsin?
It's not
really possible
without some
drastic changes. First
off, they'd have to
be the votes to pass it
in Andt.ess, which they're
Wisconsin's election
system is decentralized
like so many
other We have an
elections commission that
has very little
direct over howht
elections are
run all the
way down to like
the township level, where
there may be
30 or 40 voters
and a clerk that
works part time.
That's beauty
of elections. And that's
why theoriesonspiracy
about fraud can
usually be
put to rest
among thatple
actually are attention and
listening facts is
that you
can't rig an
election that's
run by so many
different people.
The conspiracy
is the entire
state at this
point, so
it really
wouldn't work here without some sort
of dramatic
federal court
takeover that,
you know,
goes too far down
the line rationallyle can
conceive at this
point. >> You
actually did feature once, I
remember, ofo a bunchalked
election clerks who
have many
duties, as
I recall.
>> Yeah. That's right. I mean,
that's the thing with this kind of federated
system is that you ofave all
these highly
skilled local kind
of civic
civil servants, I should
say, and
they do
all kinds of
things wet
never think about. have to think about,
like the size of envelopes, and they
have to in a certain way,
all these little things. And so that's also
like a so when Andience
you make these there'sof all,
rules about kind of how far out you
need to processes, but
then also toet the knowledge
be able to kind implement these nitty
gritty kind of details.
>> And so, you
know, we can't
read the president's
mind here,
but we thatknow
we're in an
election cycle
where there's a
lot of talk that this
might be Democratic
wave year.
And everybody's always
trying predict
waves. itometimes
works, sometimes it
doesn't. But if
you look the
polling generically
right now,
it's shaping
up way
anyway. Do
you this
is sort of a
way a markerg down
and saying
that this
is the tohing we're going
fight over in court things don't go
our way? setting theitely
table for conspiracies if
Republicans lose in
the fall,
because easiest way to
convince your
base that they
never lost it was
stolen from us, which
we saw in 2020.
There peoplell
holding on
to this idea
that Donald
Trump had the election
stolen from him, and
there's still conspiracies
about ballot
dumps from the
city of Milwaukee
running around the internet
just this
week, having to
be debunked
yet again.
And what's
the best way
to set
your base
up for that?
Tell right
now tot's going
be stolen ahead of that we have
to nationalize we don't do it.
But example of Donald
Trump then, andom the
everyone takee has to
it seriously and either why it is
or been doingsible.
that since he escalator golden
ten years ago. It's
not a new thing
that say, there and
well, would it really be possible to do
this? And but we havet's
to take it ofecause so many
the things previously in politics that we didn't
think were possible, he pushed through
somehow they've
materialized for people. Take it
seriously. And so that's what we have to
do. Talking elections whenizing
everyone knows
that's not how they're
run in Wisconsin.
>> Rich. >> Yeah.
I'd also like
to mention we
also just
recently saw the
US Department
of Justice
or FBI
essentially raid
a county
clerk's office
in Fulton
County, Georgia
and seize
2020 ballots. don't
know what's going
on with
that or
why it
happened, but that
was one the
places where
President Trump
made a ofot
noise about
widespread fraud.
>> And in
that Ron
Johnson town
hall, he
brought up 2020 election,
too. I mean, I think he
brought his own I feel
like that is going the year
and the election we hear about for
the seemingly.r
there were a handful of swing states that
were obviously being one
of them, know, theseou,
kind of the centers of these swing
states. And so I think that we
will be kind goesmpt from whatever
on over, over the election cycle.
It does feel that So turning to
the state legislature,
Ana, there
was group
of Democratic
lawmakers and
activists who
introduced a
bill this week
would legalize
marijuana for
medicinal and
recreational purposes.
This something that,
if you polling,
has widespread
support among
both parties. It's
one of those
issues. And
so why
did you say
in your
story about
this bill that
it is
doomed at the Capitol?
>> Yeah, I mean,
a very
astute listener
pointed out to me that
they made this introduction
on Groundhog
Day and
that this is
a thing that
happens every
single year, that
the Democrats
introduce a full
legalization bill.
Governor Evers,
also in
his proposed
budget every two
years, has proposed
legalizing marijuana.
And it
won't happen
because Republicans
who are in
leadership in the legislature. So not
every Republican
lawmaker, but
Republican leadership
says don't
want it. So is some
amount of
leadership support
for medicinal
marijuana. ishere
not unity
among those
leaders in terms of
what it will look like. There
is supporty no
among powerful
Republicans for recreational
marijuana. And so the
Democrats thisl do
introduction. It won't
go anywhere.
We might
see a medicinal bill,
maybe come
forward in the
Senate session is
also about end in
a couple of months.
So I don't
necessarily have high hopes for that.
I don't have highrs
hopes for ends this just
up being a little of a
marketing or a
messaging kind of
move from Democrats
in an election
year. was going to say
the session could wrap in the
Assembly as soon
as this month. They may
wrap up their their
business, and they're
both going be done by
March at some
time. Is that how you
get becomeo
law youen
want it to
happen? >>
You get bills to
become by
saying, this is what
we would do if we
were in is toage really
the voters for this fall,
saying Democrats,
for timeirst
in a long time,
have a legitimate chance
at gaining
control one or both
houses. Obviously, the
governor's race
is up for grabs well. If they
had full expect tolly
see a
real discussion
at the Capitol
about medicinal
marijuana or
fully recreational
legal weed.
And what would that
look like? Who would Would it
be state run dispensaries?
Would it be a wide open market? Who
state Those are alle
the happened over the paste
decade and Shon you
and I this theredg,
last time Democrats
were in power,
when the conversation
hadn't quite shifted to
fully legalized.
Democrats still
talking medicinal then.
>> Yeah, I got
to say, this
sort of
tentative atmosphere
when it comes
to moving
forward with
legalization, either medicinal or
otherwise, been
around for
a long time. It's
very, very there
with Republicans.
They do not
want to move
on recreational,
obviously, and
seem to not want
to move on
medicinal. byave done it
now. But yeah, it was
2000. The
2009 session, I
think we were we
were >> The end.
>> Would have been And Democrats
had, it oreve
not, the governor's
office, the Assembly
and Senate,
they could what
they want and they
just got cold feet
over though iteven
was very
much a cause for some
of their members.
it's moreome so much
normalized since then.
So a
majority of states
have a medicinal marijuana
program. I think 22
have a recreational
program, including
our neighbors
in Minnesota,
Michigan and
so Illinois.
And so one
of the arguments,
again, from both
sides of the aisle is that
Wisconsin is losing
money when
people go across the
border to
kind of to reach
those products. And
so that
argument has
been compelling, I think,
to some
Republicans, a lot of
Democrats, but again,
not the
Republicans who actually get
legislation across the
finish line.
>> And just an aside
here now, you
know, we've this
these these other
products that are
essentially marijuana but
derived from hemp
that alle
over the state. I mean,
some gas
stations sell these
products. So it's just
kind of an interesting paradox.
>> So you
alluded this.
Whether or not this
actually becomes
legalized in
Wisconsin that that.des
And the next governor,
we could
keep saying this
year after year,
potentially on this issue
with. that.
>> We could
. Yeah. >> Well, we know
it's not even getn'tow.
a hearing. Pretty. Yeah, yeah.
clearly. In fact, a few sessions ago when
there medicinal bill,
they held had adjourned.re
It's one of acknowledgere they
we got to talk about it. Our constituents
are talking about this issue. They just
don't to want to
know what they to do with it.
But the legislature,
there is
some movement
in terms of
what might happen in
the Senate, where
Republicans currently
have an
18 to 15 majority.
You had
a couple retirements
recently, Rob Hutton in
Brookfield and
Steve Knox in
Whitewater. Very
different lawmakers,
I Just kind
of an open
question to
all of you.
But you, Zach.with
Like, what do we
make this? Does this
matter that coming uptirements
here as we try read the tea
leaves of 2026? >>
They matter for reasons.
Hutton is in
one of the most
vulnerable Senatelican
districts. He's
the number
one target,
arguably from
Democrats, the number
one expected
pickup. They need two
to flip the chamber.
He's number
one. fact that
he's leaving does make it
easier. alsos
a sign that he may be
looking at and saying an uphill battle.
A lot of politicians
across party
lines love to
retire before
they lose. No
one go out to
as a loser. They just slip away
a cycle early if
they can, when when they know what's
coming. So whether he's leaving for that reason
or justse he's
sick and the Capitol, we
can't answer. But
Democrats certainly
were pushing
the message that this show is
a going to be losingthey're
this seat Knox wastainly
not really in of losing his seat.
He is completely
striking example,
and he's one of
the most conservative
Republicans in the Capitol,
and that he's willing buck his own
party over and multipleagainst
budgets, forcing
Republicans in the Senate
to find Democrats to
help budgets.
He is a
true believer in what
he andys
stands by his
vote. Him
leaving sends a
different message
of either he
thinks they may
lose and want to be
in the minority, Shon.mentioned before.
Or it could simply
be he's
done
with that kind of
politics. And willt
be most interesting is
to see who takes
that spot,
because one thatthe things
we saw over and in the Walker
era is when
a Republican Senate
seat opened
up, it
was the most
conservative Assembly
member from
that district,
that one. So
over time,
Robin Vos and
the Assembly
saw most of his
most strident
Republicans move
and then
become state
senators, sometimes to
his chagrin. Those
weren't that he always got
along with, and that created that relationship
at has existed now
for more than a
decade Assembly
Republicans and how
Senate gottenlicans have
along. So
it will be interesting to see who
takes his place in seat.
>> Very likely
conservative, look atas you
the numbers for
those I thinkcts,
Kamala Harris
won the
Hutton seat
by close to
six points.
So that is a
very good seat for
Democrats. I want to
say. Steve Knox in his
district, Donald
Trump won by
27 or So
even in
the bluest
of waves, that is
probably going to be
a conservative district.
>> Yeah. I mean,
I think to kindryingve
of spin this as like, oh, Republicans are
running scared. They know we're going to sweep
the we're going to havenow
this you know,at,d I
there might be an argument to be made
that bes going toeat
a really competitive And so a person
could decide, you know, maybe I don't want
to, legal a major
settlement, and I inant to participate
a this. >> Did
happen. He did win
a sum of
money. toaybe he wants
kind of, you know, out of what
might be a out kind of fight.
But I don't think can makeu
the same argument Steve Knox. Right. And
so I think that actually a little
bit more nuanced case than just
like a, oh, the is coming.
>> Yeah. He's he's he's been
doing this since I believe, and has
always been kind of sort of legislature,
which more seats ing a
the Senate, mean, it's not just
that the Hutton seat going to decide
that they Democratso happen.
do if they want to flip that chamber.
>> That's right. I first of all,
they have to Jeff Smith, who is
a ofn my neckor up
the woods here near Claire or in
Eau Claire, thissenting
area. So
they need to defend
that. But
also, like
you both,
you were all mentioning
they have to
win a
couple. They need
a net positive
gain of
two. If speaking
of tea
leaves some
campaign finance
reports recently
offered a little
bit of
that, we
saw that
Senator Van
Wanggaard only
raised $30,000,
give or take.
And that's
just that's
just not the kind
of money you raise if you're going to
run for aboutndecidede
retirement. In fact,
a person with his office
said the
fundraising indicates
that he hasn't
made a decision yet.
So that
seat opens
up, know,
generally open
seats are a
little more
competitive for
a, say,
Democrats overing to take
a district that might be a little safer
for >> Yeah.ans.
I want to say when you did
a story about district, Rich,
you toked
his spokesperson
and he
basically said,
you van,
really want tot
think rightt this
now. So that
does not
sound like
somebody who's
super eager
to run
in a, in
a highly
competitive race
that could
determine the
balance of the That's like another
one Harrismala
narrowly won.
>> Yeah. And
and just more
broadly, some of
those finance
reports from
these fundraising committees
in state
Assembly state
Senate on Republican and
Democratic side,
also painted a
little picture
showing strategy,
maybe aagain,
little bit of speculation
here, but
a lot of
money into the
Republican Assembly
campaign committee
and just
and Democrats were
able to raise
more in
the state
Senate fundraising
committees than their
Republican counterparts.
So, you
know, one could
look at that and
say, okay, Republicans
are going all
in on
holding the
Assembly majority,
and they don't
feel as confident about
the Senate
majority. >> And
Rich, real
quick, did
some reporting
on congressional
fundraising. 2
what's going on in
the and the
third congressional
districts in Wisconsin, the
third in
western Wisconsin,
represented by Orden, thean
first by Bryan those are both
by the
numbers, in theory,
competitive. What's g
in practice
in of what you're
seeing, at
least money
raising. >> So
in practice,
it doesn't
appear that the
first is considered
as gettable
for Democrats.
So Bryan
Steil is a good
fundraiser. He ended
the last
three months of
2025 with
$5 million in the bank.
His nearest
Democratic competitor
had likeething
130,000 or maybe
even less,
just not
really competitive in the third
district. It has been a bit
of an arms race between the
Democrat Rebecca Cooke
and Republican
Congressman Derrick
Van Orden. They've
both raised
around million every
three thatths
they've reported.
Most recently,
Rebecca Cooke
raised more
around more than
Van Orden.
So still going
strong the
third district.
>> All right. And I know
you're working on a coming up
about the
Republican primary
in the seventh
Congressional District. Real quick,
before we wrap
up here,
Zach, what do
you have
going on
in coming
weeks here.
>> Looking at mining
in Wisconsin,
drilling to
explore some of the
deposits that I
identified nearly half a
century ago to
see they're
viable. All
right. And
Ana. >> I
hate to say it, but I
am going in the weeds on
marijuana legislation.
>> There's so
many >> So.
many puns. We'll
see how many
irresistible you cross
out of my final
draft. may
add some.
>> Or that's. >> Just
a little bit too much fun. So you're
going that welitics
just talked about whether it
could happen.
That's right. All right.
I'm looking forward to reading that one.
That doill
it for us
today. Thanks
for joining us
on week's Inside
Wisconsin us onollowBe sure
PBS Wisconsin. Org
or YouTube or
wherever you your
podcasts.
>> Yeah. >> I
think
the the time we
end up going to four
is really not that
much to >> It could be.
>> And that's when digging out.
I almost reference. Ohow
boy. Because right there. Oh,
Democrats and
medicinal. That
was before the
Overton window
shifted to
Democrats are for legalized
weed. Back
then it was the
incremental movement.
It ms