Wisconsin business tycoon Tim Michels is running for governor against Democratic incumbent Tony Evers and the race is getting a bit spicey, to put it mildly. In the runup to Labor Day weekend, Michels apparently became incensed at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel after they ran a story providing details of charitable donations made by the foundation that Michels and his wife operate. Some of the donations went to groups that support abortion restrictions and others were given to churches that are described as preaching “anti-gay” positions. In response, Michels spoke to a conservative radio host and said that people need to “get out on the streets with pitchforks and torches” to draw attention to the hard leftward slant of most of the mainstream media. This opened the door for Evers to warn voters that electing Michels to replace him could lead to riots and violence in the streets. But how many people are seriously going to believe that Michels was speaking literally? (Associated Press)

The Republican candidate for governor in Wisconsin endorsed by Donald Trump is calling for people to take up “pitchforks and torches” in reaction to a story that detailed his giving to anti-abortion groups, churches and others — rhetoric that Democrats say amounts to threatening violence.

Tim Michels, who co-owns the state’s largest construction company, faces Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in the battleground state. If Michels wins, he will be in position to enact a host of GOP priorities passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature leading into the 2024 presidential election. Evers has vetoed more bills than any governor in modern state history and is campaigning on his ability to serve as a check on Republicans.

Michels, a multimillionaire, this week reacted strongly to a story published by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel detailing charitable giving by he and his wife’s foundation, some of which went to anti-abortion groups and churches that have taken anti-gay positions.

Democrats love it when Republicans invoke the “pitchforks and torches” imagery because it gives them the opportunity to claim that it’s a veiled reference to lynch mobs and (of course) racism. In reality, it’s actually a reference to the earliest movie versions of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but don’t let that stop you. Anyone who is a member or supporter of the political party that Joe Biden is trying to ban from polite society is a racist by definition, no matter what they do or say.

With all of that said, though, Michels should probably try to keep a check on his reactions to avoid the impression that he’s some sort of hothead who is ready to fly off the handle at the drop of a hat. He can rail against his opponent or the policies of the Democratic Party all he wants, but he’s going after one of the larger newspapers in the region. And he’s doing so because they reported publicly available information about the charitable foundation he operates with his wife.

If he gave money to groups that support abortion restrictions, what of it? That’s not illegal. I understand that Democrats across the country want to run on abortion access in November because they think they’ve latched onto a political winner, but if Michels leans the other way (which he clearly does), he needs to own that. The support for churches having “anti-gay” policies is a bit more tricky. I’m assuming that’s a reference to churches that oppose gay marriage, but public opposition to gay marriage has mostly evaporated in the polls. It’s one more tactic from the Democrats intended to paint Michels and every other Republican on the ballot anywhere as some sort of MAGA monster.

Speaking of polls, the gubernatorial race in Wisconsin is looking like it’s going to be a serious nail-biter. Some of the polls had Evers comfortably ahead by as much as seven points in early June. But now, the RCP average has Michels trailing by less than two points, and a recent Trafalgar poll had the race dead even. It’s hard to say if that’s a show of momentum that could last for another two months, but it’s better than seeing his numbers heading in the other direction.

The last thing to note here is that Michels was strongly endorsed by Donald Trump, a fact that Tony Evers points out at every opportunity that arises. Michels seems to be emulating Trump’s open state of war with most of the establishment media. The Wisconsin Governor’s race this year will almost certainly be seen as a major test of Trump’s kingmaking powers.