COVID Relief Helped, but ‘No Thanks to Ron’ Johnson, RV Tour Aims to Show

Multi-city campaign meant to remind people that no Republicans voted for the billions in help that came to the state from the American Rescue Plan.

Now that shots are in arms and people are getting into the full swing of summer, a progressive advocacy group says it’s no thanks to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. And they’re saying it on the side of an RV going on a statewide tour. 

Opportunity Wisconsin’s “Summer is On, No Thanks to Ron” campaign is designed to remind people that at every step towards mitigating the pandemic and helping people and businesses recover, Johnson has stood in opposition.

“The past year was really hard on folks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Miranda Stark, Opportunity Wisconsin’s regional lead based in La Crosse. “But thanks to the American Rescue Plan with increased vaccination efforts, $1,400 checks that went straight into folks’ pockets and then the [relief for] small businesses, summer is back. And we also want to remind folks to hold Senator Ron Johnson accountable. He voted no against these measures that would provide massive relief for Wisconsin families.”

RELATED: ‘I’m Not Trying to Make Headlines,’ Ron Johnson Says About His Conspiracies

The RV tour launched Wednesday in Madison, where Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) was the first to sign an oversized card to be sent to Johnson’s office, “Get it together, RoJo.” The RV was wrapped with images of Johnson’s face and contact information plus graphics celebrating summer in Wisconsin. 

“We get to enjoy our lakes and all of the festivals and what makes Wisconsin great in the summertime. Those are all things that RoJo [Johnson] obstructed and really had nothing to do with,” Hong said. “He said ‘no’ to stimulus checks, he said ‘no’ to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, he said ‘no’ to getting shots in arms. But because we have all of those things done collectively by the Biden Administration, we’re now on track to have summer back on in Wisconsin.”

Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Opportunity Wisconsin formed in early 2020 to call attention to Wisconsinites who had been left behind in the pre-pandemic economy. This March, it made a six-figure ad buy on Wisconsin TV stations to call out Johnson for opposing COVID relief. Last summer it ran ads criticizing former President Donald Trump for pandemic mismanagement that put workers’ health in danger. Earlier this month, the group sponsored events with restaurant owners to ask Congress to beef up the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

The RV tour has stops planned at the Pewaukee Kiwanis Beach Party on June 25, Dane County Farmers’ Market on June 26 and the Brewers vs. Cubs game in Milwaukee on June 30. For more information on the van and where it’ll be stopping this summer go to: opportunitywisconsin.org/summer.