Timothy Ramthun
Timothy S. Ramthun (born March 13, 1957) is an American consultant, politician, and candidate for governor currently serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Hartford, Kewaskum, and neighboring towns of Calumet, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, and Washington counties. He was first elected in 2018.
Timothy Ramthun | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 59th district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jesse Kremer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1957 Kewaskum, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Carolann |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Campbellsport, Wisconsin |
| Website | Official website |
He is a candidate for the Republican Party nomination in the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election.[1] He is running on a platform to overturn Wisconsin's 2020 election results and install Donald Trump as president on the basis of claims of election fraud.[2]
Background
Ramthun was born and raised in Kewaskum, Wisconsin. After high school, Ramthun received vocational training at Milwaukee Business Training Institute, which closed in 2003 and transferred records to Milwaukee Career College, offering Dental Assistant, Veterinary Assistant, or Medical Assistant training.[3]
Ramthun was elected to the Kewaskum Board of Education and served as President of the board for two years.[4]
Political office
His first attempt at election to the Wisconsin State Assembly was in 2014, when he ran in the Republican primary to replace Daniel LeMahieu, but was defeated by Jesse Kremer.[5] Four years later, in 2018, Kremer chose not to run for re-election and Ramthun again entered the Republican primary. This time he prevailed over the Republican field and went on to win the general election without opposition.[6]
2020 presidential election
After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election and Donald Trump refused to concede while making claims of fraud, Ramthun solicited private donations to conduct an audit of the presidential election results in Wisconsin.[7] Ramthun released a video that he titled, "The Calm Before the Storm", a phrase used in association with QAnon, a baseless conspiracy theory that contends the government is controlled by a cabal of Satanist pedophiles.[7] Ramthun in November 2021 introduced a joint resolution in which the legislature would rescind certification of the 2020 election results and "reclaim" Wisconsin's electoral votes. The motion was praised by Trump (who urged a member of the State Senate to co-sponsor the motion), but condemned nationally. Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, a fellow Republican, said the Assembly would not act on the resolution, since the attorneys of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Legislative Council agreed that there is no way in the law to do such a thing and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (also a Republican) rejecting the idea as a "talking point of the far left and far right."[8]
References
- Beck, Molly; Marley, Patrick. "Election conspiracy theorist Timothy Ramthun enters race for governor, putting Donald Trump's claims on the 2022 ballot". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
- Epstein, Reid J. (February 19, 2022). "Fringe Scheme to Reverse 2020 Election Splits Wisconsin G.O.P." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- "EA Closed Schools List" (PDF). DSPS Home. Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau (2019). "State Legislators" (PDF). Wisconsin Blue Book 2019-2020 (Report). Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-7333817-0-3. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- "Four Republicans vie for LeMahieu's seat". The Sheboygan Press. August 4, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 2, 2019. p. 23. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- Marley, Patrick (August 3, 2021). "Wisconsin Republican invokes the QAnon theme as he seeks private funding for an Arizona-style election audit". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- Beck, Molly (November 19, 2021). "A Wisconsin Republican drew praise from Trump for his call to decertify the 2020 vote. Here's why that won't happen". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.