His detractors discredit the party.
Fair warning: Blaska is going to convention this weekend and he’s loaded for bear. Blaska’s mission is to prevent a self-inflicted blood letting in full view of a hostile news media.
What should be a moon-shot send-off for Tom Tiffany for governor and Eric Toney for attorney general may disintegrate into an attempt to shoot down hard-working and popular party chairman Brian Schimming.
Some sharp operators are behind the attempted putsch: Terry Dittrich of Waukesha County (which has been bleeding Republican votes), Ken Sikora of the Eighth Congressional District, and Brett Galaszewski out of Milwaukee; the latter is the 30-something national enterprise director for Turning Point Action.
Someone — it’s unsourced — published a graphic of a poll claiming 70 percent of Republicans want Schimming out. Doesn’t say who sponsored it, who conducted the polling, or who answered the poll. We sure didn’t! Which says something about the tactics of the people who want to take over the party.
They blame Schimming for the crushing defeat of Maria Lazar for state supreme court. They don’t factor in that the candidate got a late start due to incumbent conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley playing an indecisive Hamlet until the last minute. Or that the big money people didn’t see the payback in a court that would remain 4 to 3 liberal even if Lazar had won. Or that the table held bigger stakes in November with governor, AG, eight congressional districts, and the legislature on the ballot. Or that Schimming’s state party plowed $9 million of Brad Schimel’s $15 million war chest last year when control of the court really did hang in the balance.
Are the conspirators rally MAGA?
One more thing: the big guy at Mar-a-Lago wants Brian Schimming. His White House worked the phones last week to forestall a Tuesday showdown of the 31-member GOP executive board. Takes only six members to schedule a meeting — after the phone calls, two of them backed off, they being Second District chairman Billy Johnson and Gerard Randall of Milwaukee.
“I’m the President’s guy,” Brian told this scrivener. This blogge is often critical of Number 47 but it’s the super MAGA types who are nipping at the chairman’s heels.
Trump credits Schimming for squeaking him over the finish line in 2024’s razor-close election. Ron Johnson, Mr. Republican in Wisconsin these days, knows he owes Schimming, who literally rode his campaign bus, with another close win. Brian has good history with Tommy Thompson, who last week endorsed Tiffany. And Tiffany doesn’t need trouble.
Party loyalists accuse Turning Point USA of trying to take over the party.
“Turning Point people are nasty,” party activist Darlene Wink committed to social media. “I have been laughed at, called names, threatened and had my reputation smeared all because I oppose an outside group from taking over a major political party. Brian Schimming is a good chairman, their real reason for not supporting him is their desire to take over the party.”
“If these attacks on Brian don’t stop we will be looking at a huge Democrat year in Wisconsin. The attacks on Scott Walker also are very destructive.”
On a more positive note
Schimming has put black and hispanic outreach offices in Milwaukee, signed 5,300 poll workers to ensure election integrity, and encouraged over 400 candidates to run for local office — the Republican “farm team.”
Dissidents failed to dock Schimming’s salary at regularly scheduled state Republican executive board meeting last month with a minority of 10 of the 31 voting in favor. Some have pledged to bring a no confidence vote to the floor at state convention Saturday 05-16-26 in Wisconsin Dells.
Blaska’s Bottom Line: If they do, Blaska will bring a resolution to expel one or more of the conspirators from the executive board.
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