“And In This Corner…” 3/26/22

Posted on April 14, 2022May 12, 2022 by Alan Jante

“And In This Corner...”

Russ Otten, RPSC Chair

3/26/22

Fellow RPSC members, let me start with the movement to decertify Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes. There was a rally on March 15 with approximately 100 attendees, including some from 4 other counties. Over 120 people signed the Decertification Petition. I attended the March 16 emergency meeting of Republican County Chairs in Plover. Attendees included Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Paul Farrow, Sen. Devin LeMahieu, Assemblyman Robin Vos, and approximately 55 County Chairs. To say the least, it did not go well. When I asked Vos if he would bring AR120 to a vote now that Justice Gableman's Report stated that there was a path to decertification, Vos replied, "His report said that there could be a path, not that there can be a path." When I retorted, "That's semantics!", he yelled back at me, "Words matter!" After the meeting, I met LeMahieu outside and said, "I cannot tell you how disappointed I am with you right now." He responded, "We (Senate) are just one third of one branch of government. We cannot do more than we have already done to correct what happened." On March 18, copies of the signed petitions were emailed to LeMahieu, Stroebel, Katsma, and Vorpagel, demanding that they push both the Senate and Assembly to bring decertification resolutions to the floor for votes. Having received no response from any of them in 5 days, I finally emailed them on March 23 and gave them 24 hours to respond. I have since received responses from all of them stating that they have no intention of representing us or the RPSC members that voted 120-2 in favor of the Decertification Resolution. (See attached for actual email responses.) The battle over decertifcation is not over. More explosive data showing ballot "mules" was presented this week in Madison. Stay tuned and optimistic!

At the heart of our Party is replacing liberals on our County Board, City Councils, and School Boards. Spring elections are Tuesday, April 5. It is crucial for each of you to vote for an incredible slate of Freedom Fighter candidates. Bring a friend or family member (who shares your values) to the polls. Put up a yard sign. Make calls. Do a literature drop. With what is going on in our communities, the stakes have never been higher. We can make a difference! On a related note, I had the opportunity to be interviewed for an online Sheboygan Press article today on local elections. Here is the link to read it: Sheboygan’s local elections are nonpartisan, but Democratic and Republican parties still play a role. Here’s how.

Here are 2 upcoming events that I encourage you to attend:

Thursday, March 31 - American Majority is hosting an event at Sheboygan Falls American Legion. "Want to Secure Our Elections" will start at 5:30 PM with a Meet & Greet the Candidates (Spring elections) at 7:00 PM. LEARN MORE
Saturday, April 2 - 6th District Caucus at Amore in Plymouth starts at 11:00AM with registration at 10:30AM. This will be your opportunity to determine which of our RPSC resolutions pass and go to the State Convention in May.

The RPSC has grown from 175 members in October to 322 members as of today! With the goal of 400 members by June, we are well on our way. Here are just a few things that have happened in the last 50 days:

Thanks to Judi Pool, the RPSC, for the first time in its history, has officially recognized a list of conservative candidates for Spring elections on its website.
Thanks to Zack Pattison, the RPSC has rallied many members to be part of the opposition group to wind turbines in our county.
Thanks to Jon Paul, the Sheboygan Area School Board is aware that every key issue is in front of the RPSC members for potential action.
Thanks to all of you, the RPSC was the first county to pass resolutions for decertification and for the resignation/removal of Vos as Assembly Leader.

In closing this edition, I urge you to stay positive, vigilant, and connected to each other. We are in a fight for the survival of our communities, our state, and our nation. We cannot relent or become weak. Take a short break when needed. Come back renewed and ready for whatever this battle brings.

God bless you all!

Russ

(920)207-3894

ELECTION RESULTS

Posted on April 13, 2022April 13, 2022 by Alan Jante

ELECTION UPDATE: HEIDEMANN WINS!!!!

Posted on April 13, 2022April 13, 2022 by Alan Jante

Editors Note: After the Tuesday, April 5th Spring Election, Sheboygan City Council District 10 candidate Joseph Heidemann won over Andre Walton 403 to 402 votes. Thursday afternoon Heidemann was informed by the City Clerk that an additional "vote" had been found.

Friday, April 8, 2020

After the Elections Canvas members voted to allow the additional ballot, it was then revealed that it was for......wait for it.......Andre Walton! So, the next step, according to state election law (which is, in my opinion, really messed up), a winner had to be determined by a card draw. Walton drew a 3. Joe drew a KING! So, Joe is the declared winner!

Walton now has the right to request a recount of the election. I believe this request was filed about 12 seconds after he lost the card draw. This recount will be set by the City Clerk for a date and time. I will let you know along with the rules of the recount and who may observe. If the recount shows no changes, Joe is the winner.

For now, say a prayer of thanks that God intervened!

Long live, King Joe!

Russ

Lincoln-Reagan Dinner A Smashing Success

Posted on April 11, 2022May 19, 2023 by Alan Jante

“And In This Corner…” 3/4/22

Posted on March 26, 2022May 19, 2023 by Alan Jante

“And In This Corner...”

Russ Otten, RPSC Chair

3/4/22

Fellow Party Members, it has been my honor serving as the RPSC Chair since February 5. I am excited to report that so many great things are happening because of our efforts.

First, we have activated and caused quite a stir around the state. Our Vos Resolution from the caucus has been a hot topic for Mark Belling's and Regular Joe's radio shows over the last few weeks. More importantly, many other counties have followed suit. This is not going away. In fact, it has gained momentum. With the Gableman Report on Tuesday stating that there is more than enough evidence of election fraud to move forward with decertifying Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes, Rep. Ramthun has been vindicated and proven correct in making his case for such. This has led to someone stepping up to primary Vos and also caused State GOP Chair Farrow to call an "emergency meeting" on March 16 with all County Party Chairs and VIce-Chairs. I expect that meeting to be one last pushback from Vos and Farrow to bury the decertification and stay in power in Madison. If that happens, you may hear a loud boom around 8:00PM that night. Stay tuned!

Second, we have crucial Spring elections on April 5. I urge you to offer your assistance to one of the 16 conservative candidates as they sprint toward victory. You can make a difference right here in your own community by doing lit drops and making phone calls. Anika Rickard is coordinating these efforts. Please contact her at arickard@wisgop.org. You can now view a full list of candidates and their districts on our website. Be sure to share this with your family and friends. The "Meet the Candidates" night this past Tuesday was fantastic. Over 100 people attended and were amazed by the presentation, "Taking Back Our Local Government". Thanks to the RPSC's Darryl Carlson and SCFF's Judi Pool and Suzanne Speltz for organizing this wonderful event!

Third, a key issue has emerged that needs your attention. 16 massive 673' wind turbines are planned to be erected in Sheboygan County. They are 50% taller than the Acuity flag and will be seen from virtually any city, village, and township in the county. Party member Zack Pattison is building a large group opposed to these monstrosities. Please reach out to him at zackpattison@yahoo.com to stay up-to-date on this issue. We need to fight for our neighbors from Cedar Grove to the Town of Mitchell and keep our quality of life for all of Sheboygan County!

Fourth, the recent Lincoln-Reagan Dinner was a huge success! Over 220 people gathered to celebrate our freedoms and were inspired by Sen. Ron Johnson to engage in the fight to keep them. Check out the article and pics that are posted on our website! One additional note on this: One of you was kind enough to offer to pay for several others to attend. This was love in action!

Finally, our Party has grown to 300 members. This is your home, the place where your values are shared. Please tell others what you are doing. Invite them to an event. Volunteer for a campaign together. Let them know that you are making a difference in our community. And ask them to join the Party. Please print out a copy of our Membership Form or make them aware that they can join online at https://www.sheboygancountygop.com/join-rpsc/. Let's push to hit 400 by June!

God bless you all!

Russ

(920)207-3894

Sheboygan’s local elections are nonpartisan, but Democratic and Republican parties still play a role. Here’s how.

Posted on March 24, 2022May 19, 2023 by Alan Jante

Sheboygan’s local elections are nonpartisan, but Democratic and Republican parties still play a role. Here’s how.

Maya Hilty Sheboygan Press March 24, 2022

SHEBOYGAN - People who vote in local elections can have powerful sway because not many people do it.

Last year, only 27% of registered voters in Sheboygan County, about 20,000 people, voted in spring elections.

In comparison, 92% of registered voters, about 66,000 people, voted in the prior November 2020 election.

This April, voters will elect the entire Sheboygan County Board, among other school board, city council and town board members. Although these elections are nonpartisan, activating and educating voters are priorities for the county Republican and Democratic parties.

The Republican Party of Sheboygan County is helping the campaigns of several candidates who share conservative values, such as maintaining personal freedoms, party chairman Russ Otten said.

The county Democratic Party is focused on sharing information about voting and candidates from nonpartisan organizations, party chairwoman Maeve Quinn said.

While both parties have members running for office, the GOP’s activation of candidates this spring is most evident, with the majority of contested seats on the county board featuring new challengers who are highlighting conservative issues.

Here’s how the parties have been preparing for the April 5 election and how the party chairpeople view nonpartisan elections.

Activated by local issues, Sheboygan County Republican Party is helping in campaigns

Recent issues on the county board, Sheboygan city council and school boards have activated the conservative base and county Republican Party, Otten said.

For example, more than 100 people protested an ordinance the county board proposed (but eventually dropped) in August 2020 they felt wrongly authorized a nonelected official, the county health officer, to impose penalties on people for violating public health orders.

The near-unanimous election of an activist and executive director of a progressive organization to the Sheboygan city council by other council members last October was another controversial issue for conservatives, Otten said.

On the school board, masking and critical race theory are examples of issues that have driven people to get involved, he said.

In response, the Republican Party has recruited people for local office and helped them learn how to become candidates, Otten said.

The party has hosted several events this year where people could meet conservative candidates.

“That really puts our group of freedom-fighter candidates out there for everyone to see,” Otten said. “We’re trying to educate people as to those candidates we believe share our values.”

He added: “We did not set any kind of a platform for them to sign off on. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about freedom fighting — people who are wanting to put their views into action.”

One example of an issue some conservative candidates are rallying around is opposition to proposed wind turbines in Sheboygan County.

“We have three county board candidates that are making it a campaign issue, so it’s getting a lot of traction,” Otten said. “What that group is trying to do is say, ‘Let’s do this as a county and say we don’t want these monstrosities in our county.’ I think a county board who took that strong stance would be heroes, but a lot of people don’t want to make that an issue.”

In candidate interviews and on social media, candidates have identified things such as medical freedom, Second Amendment rights, fiscal responsibility and protection of constitutional freedoms as key campaign issues.

Seven freedom-fighter candidates are running for county board, which is a lot, Otten said. Ten seats on the 25-member county board are contested.

The county's Republican Party website links to a Sheboygan County for Freedoms “Guide to spring elections,” which are the personal choices of Judi Pool and not formal endorsements from Sheboygan County for Freedoms, it says.

Democratic Party is sharing voting information and candidate interviews by nonpartisan organizations

The Sheboygan County Democratic Party does not support candidates in local elections, Quinn said.

Ahead of spring elections, the party is focused on sharing information about how to vote and directing voters to nonpartisan groups to learn more about local candidates, she said.

“Within Sheboygan County, we have a pretty low voter turnout for the spring," Quinn said. "I sometimes think that people don’t quite realize how low voter turnout is."

She added: “Our focus is very much to get the vote out and make sure people know that there’s an election and local elections matter. Local elections have the biggest impact on the quality of life that we have here in our city, and it’s the same for other municipalities."

The party is spreading awareness that some polling places have changed after redistricting, including in Sheboygan, and that citizens in every municipality have the option to vote early.

People can call their municipal clerk to find out when and where early voting is, which has already started.

People can find the name and phone number of municipal clerks using myvote.wi.gov.

The Democratic Party is also letting people know where to learn more about candidates, including reading Sheboygan Press candidate profiles, watching the videos of the American Association of University Women candidate forums, and going to vote411.org, a League of Women Voters site with candidates’ responses to questions, Quinn said.

Those organizations are all nonpartisan and give candidates the same questions.

Quinn said it's “troubling” some candidates declined to participate in the AAUW forums and fewer than half of candidates running for office in Sheboygan County responded to the vote411.org questions.

“We’re just trying to make sure we share information so that people can research it, learn about their options, and then they can make an informed choice of who they think would be a good candidate to fulfill the duties of that office,” Quinn said.

Local elections are nonpartisan. What does that mean?

Parties don’t endorse candidates in local elections, but voters should know where candidates stand on the issues.

Those are two things on which the county Republican Party and Democratic Party chairs agree.

The Republican Party is not trying to make local races partisan, Otten said.

“I think we’re trying to catch up to reality," he said. "These bodies that are having major elections are not filled with people that have, in my estimation, conservative values. For so long, people have said these are nonpartisan offices. OK, but when partisan people run, it’s pretty obvious.”

Voters don’t know what candidates stand for when candidates use vague language like, “We’re for the people,” Otten said.

“There’s no such thing as nonpartisan anymore. Everybody has a view," he said. "I would say this: It’s not an endorsed election. We’re not endorsing candidates, we are just identifying people that we feel share our values. I think we should make clear distinctions between people and how they would vote on certain issues.”

For the Democratic Party, Quinn said the “essence” of nonpartisan forums is inviting all candidates who are running to answer questions.

“We don’t know what party affiliation candidates are, and it really does not matter because they have been elected to do the best that they can for their community based on conversations they’ve had with the citizens they represent,” she said.

“I think (nonpartisan races) are a wonderful tradition here because it really focuses on who has the knowledge, skills and experience for a position, and it’s not about them being part of a party,” Quinn added. “Local spring elections are my favorite because these are all people who really want to make a difference in their community.”

How to vote

To vote, people must be registered and present a photo ID. People can register to vote online at myvote.wi.gov or at the polling place the day of the election.

People can also register to vote by mail by printing out the voter registration form on elections.wi.gov.

In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. April 5.

Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com.

“And In This Corner…” 2/10/22

Posted on March 4, 2022March 24, 2022 by Alan Jante

“And In This Corner...”

Russ Otten, RPSC Chair

It is my honor to welcome you to the RPSC!

At the caucus last Saturday, you elected me unanimously as Chair of the RPSC. I am grateful and humbled by your overwhelming support and promise to be a Freedom Fighter in this new role. I want to personally thank former Chair Dennis Gasper, for his years of dedicated service and commitment. His tireless efforts are commendable! And he made this transition very smooth.

The caucus was amazing! It was standing room only, with over 120 people crammed into the HQ. The range in age was 20-90. Nicholson and Kleefisch shared their visions as gubernatorial candidates. Many other candidates and incumbents of various state offices spoke as well. There were many. But the only standing ovation for a politician was when Rep. Ramthun was introduced. After the election for Chair, resolutions were next. That was an animated hour, capped off by the nearly unanimous support for demanding the immediate resignation or removal of Rep. Vos as Assembly Speaker. There was never a dull moment. Please send a thank-you to Ellen Vojta who made all of the baked goodies for the event!

I want to invite you to attend future RPSC Board meetings, held at 7:00PM on the 2nd Monday of the month at the HQ at 1122 Indiana Avenue. These meetings are for all RPSC members and include reports from the Treasurer, Secretary, committee chairs, and updates from our state legislators. If you plan to attend, please be respectful, be clear on a specific topic, and be positive by offering solutions.

I encourage you to sign up for and attend the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, which is set for Friday, February 25, at Village at 170 in Sheboygan Falls. Guest speaker will be Sen. Ron Johnson, who recently announced his run for re-election. You can sign up by going to the “Upcoming Events” tab, click on Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, and use the mail -in form or pay online. This is a fund-raiser with a cost of $50 per ticket. I realize that not all of us can afford this event. So, if you have the means, please consider hosting a fellow Freedom Fighter for the evening.

The RPSC website is your guide to upcoming events and what is happening with the Party. I encourage you to mark this as a Favorite and check it out each week. I will have a new message each month which will include my views as Chair along with updates on key events, local campaigns, and ways for you to get involved and make a difference in our community.

Some of you are still reluctant to join the RPSC. I get it. Trust is a key to joining any organization, especially one that is political. As the new Chair, I hope to earn your trust. We will not win every battle. But with your support and activism, we have the chance to win more than ever before. I urge you to watch what is happening with local elections and how the RPSC is actively supporting Freedom Fighters. I urge you to watch how we hold our elected officials accountable. My hope is that you will see that the RPSC is making a difference and that your joining will enable us to change the hearts of this community for good. If you want to join now, just go to the tab “Join RPSC” or print out the form and mail it in.

The singular goal of the RPSC is to elect those who will fight for our freedoms and then hold them accountable! Our focus is on city councils and school boards in our communities, County Board, and those who represent us in Madison.

Finally, I want to reiterate what I said at the caucus after I was elected Chair: I appeal to you right now. If you believe that this nation is the last hope of the world. If you believe that God placed you here at this time in our history. If you believe that this place is worth fighting for, I ask you to be united. Be energized. Be exhausted. Be victorious!

God bless you all!

Russ

2/10/22

Email: ottenruss@reagan.com

Phone: 920-207-3894