“And In This Corner….”

*** Enemies at the Door Edition – Part 3 ***

01/13/25

By Russ Otten RPSC Chair

*This 4-part series lays out the RPSC, its transformation, and how crucial the upcoming caucus is to its future.

*You can read Parts 1 and 2 after Part 3.

The RPSC has grown into one of the most powerful county Republican parties in the state over the last three years. It is one of the few that holds its elected officials accountable. Many RPSC members attend the monthly Executive Committee meetings because they can openly question legislators who represent them in Madison and in Sheboygan County. It is healthy, effective, and necessary.

As I have written previously, some legislators did not like the open dialogue and chose to stay away from these meetings. It is not a mystery why all but one are no longer in office. An “R” behind one’s name does not give one a free pass to legislate from a go-along-to-get-along position, especially when one is in the majority. Sadly, all too often, that has been the case. RPSC members saw it and rejected it.

Several of these former legislators are now bent on changing the RPSC back to an Establishment party, much like it was for nearly two decades, that is, until three years ago. That is their comfort zone. That is what provides incumbents with no challenge for re-election. And that is what the current RPSC whole-heartedly rejects. Hence, the current challenge for the future of the RPSC.

The annual member caucus will be held Saturday, January 25. All nine positions on the Executive Committee (EC) will be elected. Most of the incredibly brave and passionate EC members are running to keep the RPSC a party with a mission to elect Patriots and then hold them accountable. But they are facing a challenge from candidates who want to change the mission and return to the “good old days”.

So, let’s take a closer look at the “good old days” compared to the last three years.

First, the “good old days” NEVER got involved in local politics. Those elected positions were viewed as non-partisan. Not one conservative candidate for School Board, Common Council, or County Board was ever supported by the RPSC. The results were predictable. Liberals were elected to large majorities and ushered in despicable policies that have tarnished our communities. Conversely, over the last three years, the RPSC clearly stated that there are no non-partisan positions and recruited conservative candidates. Every single legislator has a set of values that dictates how one votes on key issues. To support this local push, the RPSC began an awareness campaign which then morphed into a citizen group called “Take Back Sheboygan County” and began exposing the corruption at City Hall and on the School Board. The result is that the Common Council, which was 10-0 for liberals three years ago, is on the verge of flipping to conservatives in April. And the current ultra-liberal mayor may be ousted as well.

Second, the “good old days” DID NOT SUPPORT TRUMP. As I previously wrote in Part 1, the “old” RPSC wasn’t even going to have his banner in the local parade when he was running in 2016. He was deemed too controversial. Yet, the “old” RPSC was totally behind the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket when they ran. They were two of the most adamant Never-Trumpers when he was elected. Conversely, over the last 3 years, the RPSC was President Trump’s greatest cheerleader in the state. The RPSC HQ was “Trump Central” for all of 2024 and helped him win Wisconsin’s electoral votes.

Finally, the “good old days” endorsed Republican incumbents, discouraged challengers, and despised primaries. After all, if someone has an “R” behind his/her name, they must be good enough to support for re-election. Conversely, over the last three years, the RPSC has created an open campaign environment. When I was running for RPSC Chair in late 2021, I invited all current state legislators from Sheboygan County to my home for a discussion on my goals for the local party. When I said that the RPSC would not endorse incumbents, they immediately saw me as a threat. I told them that the RPSC would be open to all truly conservative candidates and sponsor forums for members to hear their views on key issues. I told them that they already had huge advantages with large war chests, voting records, and name recognition. Apparently, that was not good enough for them. Today’s RPSC holds its legislators accountable.

Please take a close look at the current RPSC. If you like what we have done over the last three years, consider becoming a new member. Elections will be held on Saturday, January 25. To be eligible to vote, you need to join 10 days in advance of the caucus. That means this Wednesday, January 15. You can join at sheboygancountygop.com and tap the “Become a Member” tab.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of the “And In This Corner….” – Enemies at the Door Editio

“And In This Corner….” – Enemies at the Door Edition – Part 1

12/16/24

*This 4-part series lays out the RPSC, its transformation, and how crucial the upcoming caucus is to its future.

My view of county party politics changed forever at a local parade in Summer, 2016. I was excited to hold the Trump banner at the front of the RPSC group. When I arrived, however, I was shocked that party leadership had decided that Trump was “too controversial” and that the banner would not be carried. I found it lying on the grass, quickly picked it up, and asked who was willing to hold the banner with me. Fortunately, Art DeJong volunteered. The response we received along the parade route was incredibly positive, somehow a surprise to the RPSC brass. Go figure!

A second seminal moment for me came a few weeks after the 2020 “selection”. I emailed my state senator (read entire 12/23/20 email below), pleading with him to investigate the signed affidavits of those who witnessed election corruption BEFORE certifying the Wisconsin electoral college votes for Biden. He refused to even look. Instead, he did the dirtiest of all deeds. He certified the steal of a Presidential election.

Two years later, I was elected RPSC Chair and made it my mission to transform the party into a Patriot movement, one that would immerse itself into local politics and hold legislators accountable. Support from the Executive Committee members ranged from good to lukewarm to antagonistic. Monthly meeting agendas changed from a “Legislative Dialog” to a “Legislative Update”, and members began attending and asking legislators about their votes or inaction on important issues. Our state senator decided to boycott the meetings. He was later joined by one of our state assemblymen. This was a bridge too far for them!

It took two hard-fought years to complete the transformation to a “We, The People” party with a mission to bring back traditional family and community values to our local and state legislative bodies. With overwhelming support (67-2 vote), RPSC members endorsed the mission to hold legislators accountable to the Republican Party platform, including the pillars that life begins at conception and that election integrity is paramount. Minutes after that vote, the only state assemblyman attending the caucus stated, “I am not a Patriot,” and that she would not be returning to the RPSC HQ. Apparently, the member vote supporting the mission was more than she could take!

The purpose of this series is to inform, not incite. I hold nothing personally against any of these individuals. Simply, they do not fight for the issues that matter most to Patriots.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the “And In This Corner….” – Enemies at the Door Edition.

**Email from Russ to state senator on 12/23/20:

—–Original Message—–
From: ottenruss@reagan.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2020 9:57pm
To: Sen.LeMahieu@legis.wisconsin.gov
Subject: Time to Fight Is Now or Never

Devin, you know my strong feelings about our political process and the crucial time it is to stand up and fight. I have challenged you several times over the last 2 years to do so. You have one more opportunity to do this. There is no tomorrow.

You and the WI GOP leaders demanded proof of voter fraud. When thousands of our citizens signed affidavits to the corruption in WI and several other battleground states, state legislatures looked the other way. Instead of standing up and insisting on a closer look and pushing for election integrity, you have looked the other way.

Trump was handily winning Wisconsin at 11:00PM on Election Night. But the counting in Milwaukee and Dane Counties stopped at that point, just like it did in MI, GA, AZ, PA, NC, and NV. The Dominion machines had been set to slightly “adjust” the votes in case Trump was ahead by a slim margin. But when Trump was up by a much larger than anticipated margin, the counting was stopped to readjust the machines with a new algorithm that would create a higher percent of changed votes for Biden. Even that wasn’t enough. More ballots had to be produced at the midnight hour to put Biden ahead.

Devin, why are you afraid to stop this process and insist on looking at all of the evidence? As the new leader of the Senate, are you not in this position to do justice? Could it be that God put you in this role at this time for this very purpose?

I am pleading with you to stand up and fight. Yes, at this late moment in this process. WI should not offer its electoral votes until this election is closely examined and all citizens heard who have signed affidavits.

Based on what I have seen and heard, I truly believe that Trump won handily in WI. If this is true and you do nothing, you condone the corruption. What are you waiting for? What is your fear? Stand up for truth. Stand up for election integrity. Stand up for the rest of us who put you in office.

It is time, Devin!

Russ
(920)207-3894

“And In This Corner….” – Enemies at the Door Edition – Part 2

1/2/25

*This 4-part series lays out the RPSC, its transformation, and how crucial the upcoming caucus is to its future.

The RPSC officially became a “We, the People” party at the annual members’ caucus in January, 2024. It was there that the members emphatically stated their support for the Republican platform and only legislators who vote likewise. It was there that the members voted nearly unanimously for the RPSC Mission: To elect Patriots and hold representatives in federal, state and local offices accountable. It was there that the members voted overwhelmingly for an RPSC Constitutional amendment that requires its Executive Committee members to support the mission. This was a seminal moment in the history of the RPSC.

It did not come without a fight, however. A recently defeated state legislator, upset that RPSC members were holding her accountable, led an attempt to split the RPSC in 2023 by writing a letter to its members with no opportunity for corrective rebuttal. Her attempt was unsuccessful because members saw through it and doubled down on their support for RPSC leadership. A small group of RPSC members, including several Executive Committee members, left the party to support her instead of the Republican platform. But the RPSC emerged stronger with 2024 as its most successful year in terms of election wins and financial support. Patriots from Sheboygan County and surrounding counties flocked to the HQ, otherwise know as “Trump Central”, to become active in key elections, get candidate signs, and purchase Trump merchandise. It was phenomenal!

On the flip side, the small group of detractors, led by the recently defeated state legislator, opened a “Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) Field Office” in an antiquated part of the Bitter Neumann building and announced its “Grand Opening” to all RPSC members, making it appear that our HQ had been replaced. This attempt also failed miserably because our members saw the deception and rejected it. Such are the actions of this detractor group that wants the RPSC to return to a go-along-to-get-along approach, the same approach that Trump rejected, fought against, and then decisively defeated in November.

At the core of this weak-kneed detractor group is the recently defeated state legislator who is closely tied to Assembly Leader Robin Vos, one of the most despicable yet powerful figures in Wisconsin politics. Vos has amassed and manages a multi-million-dollar treasure chest called the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC) Fund that pours tens of thousands of dollars into Assembly races across the state. In 2024, Vos used this fund to support another Republican candidate in an unsuccessful attempt to defeat Lindee Brill in a primary. Lindee is the only one in the state who survived a primary against a Vos-funded opponent.

Vos’s RACC Fund works like this. Vos “generously” offers to financially assist candidates during their campaigns. This usually includes covering the cost of yard signs, flyers, and mailers. In some cases, it may be just a few thousand dollars. In others, it could be well over $100,000. No matter the amount, once that candidate wins, he/she is beholden to Vos when arriving at the State Capital. In advance of key issue votes, Vos gathers all Republican Assemblymen in what is called a “closed caucus” and tells them how to vote. Anyone who pushes back is threatened with losing Vos’s support in the next election. It’s a brutal system that undermines what “We, The People” have elected our legislators to do; that is, represent our views, not those of Vos. And get this! All legislators who “take the Vos money” are then expected to financially support the RACC Fund annually. If they don’t, they will be ostracized and primaried by another Republican candidate who is willing to take the “Vos money”.

As you can imagine, the RPSC finds this system despicable and has openly opposed it the past 3 years. We have loudly denounced it locally, in our district, and state-wide. Vos, who wields power over the Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW), and the RPW have now targeted the RPSC and plan to affect our annual members’ caucus on January 25. I will share that plan in the next segment of this series.