Tim Michels
Born
Timothy James Michels

(1962-08-07) August 7, 1962
Lomira, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationSt. Norbert College (BA)
University of Chicago (MBA)
Illinois Institute of Technology (MPA)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseBarbara
Children3
WebsiteCampaign website

Timothy James Michels (born August 7, 1962)[1] is an American businessman who co-owns and co-manages Michels Corporation, a family-owned and operated construction company. A member of the Republican Party, Michels was the party's unsuccessful nominee in the 2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin and the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.[2]

Early life and education

Born in Lomira, Wisconsin, Michels graduated from Lomira High School in 1980. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from St. Norbert College in 1984, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1997, and an MPA from the Illinois Institute of Technology the same year.[1]

Career

Michels served in the United States Army as an infantry officer for twelve years, earning the rank of major.[1] He is a member of the American Legion and VFW.

He co-owns the Michels Corporation in Brownsville, Wisconsin.[3]

Policy positions

Abortion

When asked about contraception, Michels told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “I am against abortion, I am not against contraception.”[4] In September 2022, Michels said that he would support a state level abortion ban that included exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.[5]

Education

Michels has proposed universal school choice,[6] an expansion of the state's private school voucher program.[7] Tony Evers vetoed a similar proposal that would have eliminated income caps for the voucher program.[8] Michels has also been critical of the teaching of transgender topics in public K-12 schools and supports a greater emphasis on traditional educational topics.[9]

Same-sex marriage

In his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Michels said he believed that marriage should be between a man and woman.[10] In his 2022 gubernatorial campaign Michels said that his personal position had not changed.[11]

Political campaigns

Wisconsin State Senate

In 1998, Michels made a bid for the state senate. He received 30 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, losing to incumbent senator Scott L. Fitzgerald.[12][13]

U.S. Senate

In 2004, Michels defeated automobile dealer Russ Darrow Jr., state senator Robert Welch, and attorney Robert Lorge in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.

Michels and his Democratic Party opponent, incumbent U.S. senator Russ Feingold, sparred on such topics as Feingold's opposition to the Patriot Act, taxes, health care, and Feingold's opposition to the George W. Bush administration policies.[14][15] Michels strongly supported the Iraq War.[14] Feingold pointed out Michel's political inexperience.[14] Michels lost the general election to Feingold, 55% to 44%.

In 2005, Princeton University conducted a study.[16] They found that a quick look at a candidate’s photograph – a one-second exposure – created an initial impression that often lasted through the more deliberative process that helps a voter decide. The researchers showed study participants photos of Tim Michels and Russ Feingold, and were able to predict the outcome of the election based solely on facial appearances.[17][18]

Wisconsin governor

On April 22, 2022, Michels filed paperwork with the Wisconsin Elections Commission to begin his candidacy for governor of Wisconsin.[2][19]

On July 11, 2022, Michels received the endorsement of former governor Tommy Thompson, the state's longest-serving governor.[20] Michels had also been endorsed by former president Donald Trump.[21]

After announcing his campaign for Wisconsin governor, it was reported that Michels had spent the previous decade living part-time in Manhattan and Connecticut while maintaining primary residency in Wisconsin.[22] During the campaign, his remarks on election integrity received criticism, and he said "Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I'm elected governor."[23][24][25]

On November 8, 2022, Michels and his running mate Roger Roth lost the general election to Democratic incumbent Tony Evers and his running mate, assemblywoman Sara Rodriguez.[26]

Personal life

Michels in 2012

Michels and his wife Barbara have three children. Michels and his wife have also split time living in Manhattan, Connecticut, and Wisconsin part-time since 2013. In 2020, Michels and his wife purchased a mansion in Greenwich for $17 million.[27]

In March 2022, Tim and Barbara Michels donated $15 million for rare cancers research to the Medical College of Wisconsin.[28] The gift was the largest ever to the MCW Cancer Center.[29] The couple previously donated $3 million to the Weill Cornell Pediatric Brain and Spine Center, establishing the Michels Family Professorship endowment in Pediatric Neurological Surgery.[30]

Electoral history

1998 Wisconsin State Senate Republican Primary, 13th district[31]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Scott L. Fitzgerald 9,646 70.92%
Republican Tim Michels 3,956 29.08%
Total votes 13,602 100.0%
2004 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin Republican Primary[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Michels 183,654 42.43%
Republican Russ Darrow 130,088 30.05%
Republican Robert Welch 99,971 23.09%
Republican Robert Gerald Lorge 18,809 4.35%
Republican Scattering 350 0.08%
Total votes 432,872 100.0%
2004 U.S. Senate election in Wisconsin[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Russ Feingold (incumbent) 1,632,697 55.35%
Republican Tim Michels 1,301,183 44.11%
Libertarian Arif Khan 8,367 0.28%
Independent Eugene A. Hem 6,662 0.23%
Write-in 834 0.03%
Total votes 2,949,743 100.00%
Democratic hold
2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial Republican Primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Michels 326,772 47.2
Republican Rebecca Kleefisch 291,151 42.0
Republican Timothy Ramthun 41,697 6.0
Republican Kevin Nicholson (withdrawn) 24,868 3.6
Republican Adam Fischer 8,159 1.2
Total votes 692,647 100.0%
2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election[34]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tony Evers (incumbent) 1,358,774 51.2
Republican Tim Michels 1,268,535 47.8
Independent Joan Ellis Beglinger (withdrawn) 27,198 1.2
Total votes 2,656,490 100.0%
Democratic hold

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Tim Michels". Washington Post. June 30, 2004. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Tim Michels joins race for Wisconsin Governor". WKTS. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  3. ↑ Marley, Patrick (August 17, 2009). "Doyle vows to finish term". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 18, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
  4. ↑ Beck, Sophia Voight and Molly. "Tim Michels now says he is 'not against contraception' during a campaign stop in Green Bay". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Wisconsin GOP nominee for governor Tim Michels takes new position on abortion ban". NBC News. September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ Zeglis, Austin (August 3, 2022). "Michels campaign: I don't know why Universal School Choice hasn't happened yet in Wisconsin, but it will when I am governor". Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  7. ↑ Glauber, Bill. "Behind in the polls, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson steps up criticism of Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ Calvi, Jason (September 11, 2022). "Election 2022: Gov. Evers vs. Tim Michels on education". FOX6 News Milwaukee. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ Young, Benjamin (September 23, 2022). "Tim Michels: Woke politics, gender ideology frustrating Wisconsin parents". The Center Square. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  10. ↑ "User Clip: dsfasdfd | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  11. ↑ "GOP governor candidate Michels opposes same-sex marriage". AP NEWS. June 15, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WI State Senate 13 - R Primary Race - Sep 08, 1998".
  13. ↑ Whittington, Lauren W. (September 15, 2003). "GOP Churns Up The Dairy State". Roll Call. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 Kinzer, Stephen (October 11, 2004). "In Swing-State Wisconsin, Foreign Policy and Domestic Security Stir a Senate Race". New York Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Wisconsin". New York Times. November 4, 2004. Archived from the original on April 11, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
  16. ↑ Todorov, A.; Mandisodza, A. N.; Goren, A.; Hall, C. C. (2005). "AAAS". Science. 308 (5728): 1623–1626. doi:10.1126/science.1110589. PMID 15947187. S2CID 15652607. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Babyface: Kiss of death for a politician". NBC News. June 9, 2005. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Science". The Washington Post. June 13, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Construction executive Tim Michels running for Wisconsin governor, bringing the Republican field to 4". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. April 22, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Thompson, Trump endorsements for Tim Michels stir GOP primary race for governor". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ Bradner, Eric; Merica, Dan Merica; Krieg, Gregory (August 10, 2022). "Two takeaways from the Vermont and Wisconsin primaries". CNN. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  22. ↑ Beck, Molly. "GOP governor candidate Tim Michels has lived part-time in Connecticut and Manhattan the past decade but says Wisconsin is home". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  23. ↑ Morton, Kate (November 2, 2022). "Democratic Governors Association: Tim Michels under fire for saying he plans to undermine future elections". WisPolitics. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Republican says party 'will never lose another election' in Wisconsin if he wins". the Guardian. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  25. ↑ Getahun, Hannah. "Trump-backed Wisconsin GOP candidate and 2020 election denier claims Republicans will 'never lose another election' in the state if he gets voted into office". Business Insider. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers defeats Tim Michels to win second term in 2022 midterm election".
  27. ↑ Beck, Molly. "GOP governor candidate Tim Michels has lived part-time in Connecticut and Manhattan the past decade but says Wisconsin is home". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  28. ↑ Glauber, Bill. "Michels family gives $15 million gift to fund rare cancers research at MCW Cancer Center". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Gift from Tim and Barbara Michels Inspired by Teen Daughter to Fund Professorship in Pediatric Neurological Surgery | Giving to Weill Cornell Medicine". give.weill.cornell.edu. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  30. ↑ "Children's Brain Tumor Project". THE MICHELS FAMILY PROFESSORSHIP IN PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGICAL SURGERY. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Our Campaigns - WI State Senate 13 - R Primary Race - Sep 08, 1998".
  32. ↑ "Archived copy". elections.state.wi.us. Archived from the original on May 14, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  33. ↑ "2004 Fall General Election results" (PDF). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. November 2, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Wisconsin Election Results". Decision Desk HQ.
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