Kleefisch Tests Positive for COVID-19
Republican candidate for governor has campaigned unmasked and opposes vaccine mandates.
Former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch points at the crowd while announcing her campaign for governor Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, at Western States Envelope Company in Butler, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch has tested positive for COVID-19 while on the road campaigning for governor.
Alec Zimmerman, a campaign spokesperson for Kleefisch, confirmed the news Monday. Zimmerman said Kleefisch was exposed to the virus Sept. 12 at a church event. Three days before, the Republican had announced her bid for governor at Western States Envelope Company in Butler.
During her campaign announcement, Kleefisch, her husband, Joel, and her daughters who were on stage with her were unmasked. So were nearly 200 people in attendance.
“She is feeling fine,” Zimmerman said in an email to WPR. “We have canceled all upcoming events and are notifying recent close contacts.”
The positive test was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Kleefisch, 46, has been open publicly about overcoming colorectal cancer a decade ago.
She is the first high-profile Republican to enter the race to challenge Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is seeking reelection for another four-year term in 2022.
During her candidacy announcement Kleefisch said Wisconsin shouldn’t be a “nanny state” where health care choices are mandated — referencing recent COVID-19 vaccine mandates for certain groups like some public employees.
Rebeca Kleefisch Tests Positive For COVID-19 On Campaign Trail For Governor was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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She says she’s “feeling fine”, but anti-vaxers understate their covid symptoms. Remember that Wisconsin Senator Andre Jacque initially said he was largely asymptomatic (except for being fatigued). He’s been hospitalized (and on a ventilator) for about a month now.
Well, statistics wise Jaque will probably not survive.
Get well, Rebeca, and get out of the race for governor. You are on the wrong side of history in this race.
It’s nice that she’s “feeling fine” but she’ll never know how many other people were infected because of her disregard for clear scientific cautions.