Ron Johnson Beat Mandela Barnes For Wisconsin Senate

Wisconsin is a battleground state, having voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 and former president Donald Trump in 2016; for years, it has been one of only a handful of states to be represented in the Senate by one Republican and one Democrat. This year’s contest between Barnes and Johnson was closely watched as polls showed them neck and neck through the summer.

In June, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol revealed text messages showing Johnson’s staff sought to deliver a slate of “alternate” — and fake — electors in support of Trump just before then–vice president Mike Pence was set to certify Biden’s win.

Since the hearing, Johnson has said that he knew nothing about the fake electors scheme. He said that he was contacted by Jim Troupis, an attorney for Trump’s 2020 campaign, about getting a package to Pence, but claimed he didn’t know what it contained.

During the campaign, Barnes accused Johnson of attempting to overturn the election, stating that ​​“Ron Johnson actively tried to undermine this democracy.”

“He literally tried to hand Mike Pence fake ballots,” Barnes said. “Once again, Ron Johnson has proven he’s a danger to our country and our fundamental rights.”

Johnson was one of the Republican lawmakers who planned to object to the 2020 election results on Jan. 6, 2021, but in the end, he and several others withdrew their objections because of the Capitol riot.

However, since then, Johnson has argued that the Jan. 6 attack was not an “armed insurrection” and said in an interview that he would have been more afraid of the rioters if they had been Black Lives Matter supporters or antifa.

On top of this, Johnson has promoted discredited COVID-19 treatments, such as using mouthwash to fight the virus, and in March 2021, he said that he saw no need to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Johnson has also downplayed the issue of climate change throughout his career, and last year was seen in a video describing it as “bullshit.”