ICYMI: Tony Evers Claims to Work Across the Aisle, but Doesn’t

[Madison, WI] – In case you missed it, Tony Evers is once again trying to convince Wisconsin voters that he is a moderate who works across the aisle – but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

In a new ad, Evers claims that he “worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass middle class income tax relief” and is “focused on bringing people together,” but as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes, “The lack of communication between the first-term governor and GOP leaders has been well established…The two sides barely spoke during budget deliberations last year.”

Meanwhile, when Evers isn’t avoiding Republicans entirely, he’s secretly recording their conversations. He announced his campaign by telling state Democrats that he plans to act as a firewall against Republicans if re-elected. If Evers hasn’t established enough trust to develop a working relationship during his first term, why should he deserve a second?

Read more from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel below:

Gov. Tony Evers is casting himself as someone who works with Republicans, but he rarely talks to GOP leaders
Patrick Marley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
May 3, 2022

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is campaigning as if he works closely with Republicans who control the Legislature even though he rarely talks to legislative leaders.

The lack of communication between the first-term governor and GOP leaders has been well established, and each side has blamed the other for the situation. Overlooking their history, Evers launched a re-election ad Monday that said he “worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass middle-class income tax relief.”

“Folks, there’s too much division in politics today. That’s why I’m focused on bringing people together to get the results that matter,” Evers said in the ad. 

The two sides barely spoke during budget deliberations last year. Republicans tossed aside Evers’ proposal to raise some taxes and cut others and then wrote their own plan to cut income taxes by more than $2 billion over two years. Evers quickly signed their plan, calling it a victory for the middle class. 

Republicans treated Evers’ ad as revisionist history. 

“This is something,” Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, wrote on Twitter. “Why would anyone believe he’d reverse course after 3 years of pretending the legislature didn’t exist?”

Evers stood by his strategy, saying he consults with Republicans other than Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu of Oostburg.