Conspiracy-Spouting Legislator Makes Plans to Run for Governor, with Conspiracy-Spouting Pillow Salesman’s Endorsement 

Ramthun opens a campaign website, then takes it down.

State Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R-Campbellsport), the Legislature’s foremost spreader of conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and most vocal supporter of efforts to “decertify” the long-settled vote, launched and quickly deleted a gubernatorial campaign website Wednesday evening.

Bearing the campaign slogan “Let There Be Light,” Ramthun’s website—riddled with spelling errors—focused almost exclusively on his insistence there was widespread fraud in 2020 despite multiple lawsuits, audits, and a recount in Milwaukee and Dane counties reaffirming Joe Biden’s win. The website said Ramthun would immediately order a “cyber forensic audit” of this year’s gubernatorial election, regardless of the outcome.

Prominent far-right conspiracy theorist and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told the Associated Press Thursday he is endorsing Ramthun and that he will appear Saturday at a rally to announce Ramthun’s candidacy. Last August, Ramthun joined two other Wisconsin Republican officials in South Dakota for an election conspiracy symposium hosted by Lindell.

Ramthun joins a Republican field including former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and former US Senate candidate and Marine Corps officer Kevin Nicholson. The winner of the August primary will face Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has pledged to block Republican attempts to restrict voting rights or overturn the 2020 election, in the November general election.