Wisconsin GOP convention features false statements why Dan Kelly lost Supreme Court swing seat

By Steve Schuster

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The Wisconsin Republican party kicked off convention weekend Friday in La Crosse with a “God Bless America dinner,” held sessions Saturday, and concluded Sunday with the 18th annual prayer breakfast.

The weekend also included congressional and legislative panels, grassroots trainings, and hospitality suites.

The La Crosse Tribune reported GOP speakers Saturday said low voter turnout caused Republican Dan Kelly to lose the election to left-leaning Judge Janet Protasiewicz back in April.

However, as previously reported by the Wisconsin Law Journal, “turnout in Wisconsin’s hotly contest Supreme Court race broke the previous record high set for spring elections that don’t coincide with a presidential primary.”

According to the Associated Press, turnout in April’s election had already surpassed 36% of the voting-age population, with more than 10% of votes yet to be counted. The previous high was 34% set in the 2011 race won by Justice David Prosser that came in the heat of the Act 10 union rights debate.

On election day, photos and videos went viral showing college students lining up in record numbers to vote. Click here to watch the video.

Only one month later, CNN reported Republican-controlled states target college students’ voting power ahead of high-stakes 2024 elections.

Protasiewicz received 21,141 votes in Eau Claire County and Kelly received 11,897 votes.