Wisconsin election deniers Janel Brandtjen and Tim Ramthun lose in GOP primaries

MADISON — Two of Wisconsin’s most prominent purveyors of election conspiracy theories lost their primary races on Tuesday.

In the Republican primary for the 20th Senate District, Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, prevailed over Tim Ramthun, a Republican from Campbellsport who served in the Assembly from 2019-23 and competed in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary.

Feyen received nearly 65% of the primary vote in his district.

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And in the 24th Assembly District, state Sen. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown, defeated state Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls, also with about 65% of the vote.

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For Brandtjen, it was the second time she ran with the backing of Republican former President Donald Trump in a matchup against Knodl, who defeated her last year in the Republican primary for the state's 8th Senate District.

Brandtjen has drawn national attention as one of the Wisconsin Legislature's most prominent election conspiracy theorists, at one point calling for the 2020 results to be overturned because "tyranny is at Wisconsin's door."

Knodl, who was elected to the Senate in a special election and previously served in the Assembly, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection to the Senate seat after being drawn into a district with Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, under new legislative maps.

In a statement, Feyen thanked his family and his constituents.

“I take pride in the positive campaign that I ran, talking to voters and discussing my accomplishments and my vision for the future. I understand that some of the citizens of the (district) didn't support me tonight but ask that we put our differences aside as we defeat my Democratic opponent in November. We need to unite and look forward as conservatives,” Feyen said.

Ramthun previously ran a gubernatorial campaign in 2022 rooted in an illegal and impossible push to revoke Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes for Democratic President Joe Biden, finishing third in the GOP primary with 6% of the vote.

Since the 2022 midterms, Ramthun continued to push baseless theories about the 2020 election and supported efforts to target Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, briefly catapulting him to a national platform among those who believe Trump won the state that year.

Feyen serves as the Senate's assistant majority leader and leads the chamber's Economic Development and Technical Colleges Committee. Feyen is also a board member of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball District Board.

Knodl will face Democratic candidate William Walter, and Feyen will face Democratic candidate Michael Rapp.

Jessie Opoien can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Election deniers Brandtjen, Ramthun lose in Wisconsin GOP primaries