Wisconsin Republicans Use State Convention to Call for Unity

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023 -- 10:01 AM

(By Shawn Johnson, Wisconsin Public Radio) Following multiple elections where conservative candidates emerged from bruising primaries and struggled to counter Democratic attacks on the issue of abortion, Wisconsin Republicans used their state party convention Saturday to call for unity and new ways to present their views to the public.

According to Shawn Jonhnson with Wisconsin Public Radio, the annual gathering of Republicans, held this year in La Crosse, came roughly two months after the state's supreme court race captured national attention and one year before Wisconsin is expected to be the center of the political universe.

Republicans will hold their national convention in Milwaukee in 2024, ahead of a presidential election where Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes could be critical in the race for the White House.

Last year's GOP primary for governor and this year's Supreme Court primary both turned negative for conservatives, and early signs suggest the GOP primary for president, and a primary for U.S. Senate, could again divide Republicans.

The abortion issue that defined the last two campaigns could also prove just as pivotal next year. On Saturday, Republicans sought to temper those divisions, urging the party's faithful to focus on defeating Democrats, not each other.

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