Priebus Doubts Tim Michels Will Enter Governor’s Race

Reince Priebus, the influential Kenosha Republican who once served as White House chief of staff to President Donald Trump, signaled Sunday that there’s no need for another GOP candidate to enter Wisconsin’s race for governor.

During an interview with WISN-TV, Priebus specifically said he does not expect construction executive Tim Michels, who ran for governor in 2022, to mount another campaign for the state’s highest office.

“I highly doubt that Tim Michaels will get in,” Priebus said. “I mean, I think it’s getting a little late.”

The comments from Priebus are noteworthy given his ties to Trump and his close association with Michels, who some have speculated could enter this year’s governor’s race.

Priebus was a senior campaign advisor for Michels’ 2022 gubernatorial campaign, which officially launched in April of that year. During Michels’ campaign, Priebus talked publicly about encouraging the Michels Corp. CEO to run for governor and described the two of them as “pretty close friends.”

In the WISN-TV interview that aired Sunday, Priebus called U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, the likely frontrunner in the GOP primary. He said he’s never met the other GOP candidate for governor, Washington County Executive Josh Schoeman.

In Republican primaries, nothing carries quite the same weight as an endorsement from President Trump, who has yet to back a candidate in this year’s race for governor.

“But my general view is the president is going to get involved,” said Priebus. “You just have to assume it. He likes having his fingerprints on things.”

Tiffany “has been very loyal” to Trump, Priebus said, and the president respects the congressman.

“So, I know he has a relationship with the president,” Priebus said. “I’m not speaking for the president. But I mean clearly, Tom Tiffany is — he’s got a lot of momentum.”

Prior to serving as Trump’s first White House chief of staff in 2016, Priebus chaired the Republican National Committee. More recently, he was instrumental in bringing the 2024 Republican National Convention to Milwaukee.

Michels did not respond to a request for comment.

Priebus comments hint at desire to avoid costly primary battle

With Wisconsin’s partisan primary just over seven months away, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Political Science Professor Anthony Chergosky told WPR “there would be plenty of time” for Michels or any other Republican to mount strong campaign.

“But there could also be a strong interest among Priebus and others in the Wisconsin GOP to not have more players enter the fold and to keep this as a one-on-one competition between Josh Schoemann and Tom Tiffany,” said Chergosky.

It could be a lesson learned from the messy GOP primary in 2022, when Michels and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch battled fiercely for the nomination. Michels secured a Trump endorsement in June, which helped him defeat Kleefisch by around 5 percentage points that August. Ultimately, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers beat Michels by more than 3 points.

Chergosky said the 2022 Republican nomination context “left Michels ultimately hobbled for the general election that year.”

“I can imagine that there is a certain comfort level in the Republican Party with the small field (in 2026), and the idea that this will not become a messy campaign, and ultimately the winner will be able to pivot cleanly into the general election,” Chergosky said.

Priebus: Mandela Barnes winning Democratic nomination for governor ‘makes it a lot easier’ for Republicans

While the Republican field in the Wisconsin’s race for governor is currently down to two candidates, a bevy of Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination. So far, they include Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Madison state Sen. Kelda Roys, Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and Greater Milwaukee Committee President Joel Brennan.

Priebus says he expects Barnes to win primary, though it “would be pretty bad for the Democrats to do that,” citing Barnes’ liberal record.

“I hope Mandela Barnes becomes the Democratic nominee,” Priebus said. “It makes it a lot easier.”

Chergosky said Republicans have a playbook against Barnes, which worked well in 2022 when he was defeated by GOP U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson. He said that provides a “certain proof of concept” of messaging that resonated with voters.

In a statement, Barnes’ campaign spokesperson Cole Wozniak disputed Priebus’ characterization of the race, calling it “cheap partisan hackery and weak spin.”

“The polls tell a different story: Mandela Barnes beats Tom Tiffany and Tim Michels handily in a general election,” Wozniak said.

Listen to the WPR report

Reince Priebus: It’s a ‘little late’ for Tim Michels to enter governor’s race was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.