- Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels said Republicans would never lose an election in the state.
- "Tim Michels is a danger to our democracy," Gov. Tony Evers said on Twitter.
Wisconsin GOP candidate Tim Michels said Republicans would never lose a race in the state should he become governor, concerning opponents that he would take steps to alter election results once in office.
American Bridge 21st Century, a left-leaning political action committee, released an audio clip Monday of Michels recorded during a campaign event in Jackson County, Wisconsin. Michels is running for governor against Democratic incumbent Governor Tony Evers.
"Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I'm elected governor," Michels, who co-owns the state's largest construction company, can be heard saying.
In response to the audio clip, posted on Twitter, Evers replied, saying: 'Tim Michels is a danger to our democracy."
"Democracy is on the ballot in this election," Sam Roecker, a spokesperson for Evers told Insider. "Tim Michels has made it clear he will do anything in his power to make it harder for Wisconsinites to vote and could even overturn the fair results of our elections if he doesn't like the outcome."
—Tony Evers (@Tony4WI) October 31, 2022
Michels, a candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has questioned the results of the 2020 election and has declined to answer questions as to whether or not he would certify presidential election results as governor should a Democrat win the state in a national election.
Michels also suggested that he could pursue an unconstitutional effort to decertify Biden's 2020 win in Wisconsin once he became governor, telling local station WKOW that he would "need to see the details."
In a statement to Insider, the Michels campaign denied the audio had anything to do with election integrity. Rather, the campaign said, Michels would garner more support for Republican candidates in the state by implementing "lower taxes, better schools, uniform election laws and safer communities."
"While revving up supporters to get out and vote, Tim was referring to winning and leading and then being rewarded by voters for doing a good job," Brian Fraley, a spokesperson for Michels, told Insider in a statement.
"Any attempt to make more out of that quip shows just how pathetic and desperate Tony Evers and his supporters are getting as we approach election day. They want to talk about anything other than his four years of failure."
An NBC analysis found 60% of Republican candidates in five key battleground states deny or question whether or not President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Experts told The New York Times that election deniers who win key offices could refuse to accept the 2024 elections, resulting in legal battles across the country.
Michels is looking to unseat Evers next Tuesday in a race that has been rated a "toss-up" by Inside Elections, The Cook Political Report, and Sabato's Crystal Ball.