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Potential Wisconsin Senate Candidates Attacked Before They Enter Race

Groups post documents that show Republicans with anti-Republican views

Kevin Nicholson was both the beneficiary and target of documents posted to discredit possible candidates in Wisconsin’s 2018 Senate race. (Kevin Nicholson via Facebook)
Kevin Nicholson was both the beneficiary and target of documents posted to discredit possible candidates in Wisconsin’s 2018 Senate race. (Kevin Nicholson via Facebook)

Two potential Republican Senate candidates in Wisconsin have been targeted by anonymous groups even before they have gotten into the race.

Nichole Schneider, who is considering a run against Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, was targeted in an anonymous post that alleged she deleted tweets that criticized Republican candidates, including President Donald Trump and whether Catholics could support the then-Republican nominee.

In addition, the document also supposedly showed various tweets expressing pride that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., spoke at her alma mater, the Heller School at Brandeis University, and retweeted Baldwin praising the 2010 health care law’s success.

Schneider said she ultimately wound up voting for Trump.

The document was created by Matt Batzel, the national executive director of American Majority, an organization which has ties to mega-donor Richard Uhlein, who is supporting potential candidate Kevin Nicholson.

 

Nicholson did not deny to the newspaper that his team was behind the attack against Schneider.

“The tweets and Facebook posts in question were widely shared in conservative circles,” he said. “That’s politics and doesn’t bother me at all, as long as what is shared is accurate and publicly available.”

Nicholson himself was also anonymously attacked by a website which appeared to show him speaking at the 2000 Democratic National Convention endorsing then-presidential candidate Al Gore.

But Nicholson says his previous views are old news.

“After fighting in two wars, seeing kids killed in those wars, and having three kids of my own, I’m pro-life and happy to tell people why,” he told the Journal Sentinel.

All of this comes despite the fact no Republican has formally filed to run in the race. Other potential candidates the Journal Sentinel listed include Madison businessman Eric Hovde, State Sen. Leah Vukmir and the state’s Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

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