MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) has come under scrutiny by Republicans after the 2020 election, but one candidate for governor has gone from wanting to reform it to replacing it.
When businessman Tim Michels jumped into the race for governor he joined the chorus of other Republicans talking about election integrity
"One of his first initiatives, perhaps unsurprisingly, focused on what to do about elections in Wisconsin to assure that they're fair. Michels said plainly that what he wanted to do was reform the Wisconsin Elections Commission," said Greg Borowski with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
PolitiFact Wisconsin says Michels' call for reform was significant because it was different. Many other Republicans, including his rivals in the governor's race, called for abolishing the WEC that republicans had created.
"He called for senior staff members to be terminated and made to reapply for the jobs." said Borowski. "He wanted the executive director to be confirmed by the State Senate."
But two weeks later, PolitiFact Wisconsin's says Michels was saying the WEC was not salvageable and reversed course by calling for it to be abolished.
Several days later, former President Donald Trump, who has falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen, announced his endorsement for Michels.
"When we use the flip a meter, we're simply looking at whether a politician has been consistent over time, and whether to disband the election commission. Michels has not been. It took a mere two weeks for a shift," said Borowski. "On this issue, we give him a full flop."
