Wisconsin Gun Rights: 2022 Midterm Elections Report

WGO Staff | November 9, 2022

Ron Johnson (R) edged out Mandela Barnes (D) for a third term in the U.S. Senate. Whether that will result in anything meaningful for gun rights remains to be seen. Photo: Gage Skidmore

When it comes to Wisconsin gun rights, partisan gridlock is a double-edged sword.

Milwaukee, Wis. — With the reelection of Senator Ron Johnson (R), Governor Tony Evers (D), and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), gun owners in Wisconsin can expect more backbreaking work on the pro-gun lobbying front when the new session convenes in Madison in early January.

All three races were high-profile, and all three candidates earned F- ratings from WGO due to various factors, including not returning their gun rights surveys or mistreating gun owners during the legislative session.

And while state republicans flipped one seat in the state senate — Romaine Quinn (R) took the 25th Senate District, giving the GOP a two-thirds majority — the red party fell two seats short of a veto-override majority in the assembly.

Based on Tony Evers’ comments on Wednesday, that shortfall could prove troublesome for gun rights activists.

According to a story in the Wisconsin State Journal (“Wisconsin midterms leave status quo largely intact”), “Evers also didn’t rule out plans to continue his ongoing calls for the Legislature to convene in special session for a variety of issues, including gun safety measures.

“At some point in time, the will of the people will become the law of the land,” Evers said.

But while gun owners can expect a republican assembly and state senate to hold off Evers’ more extreme gun control plans, there’s no guarantee that they’ll hold the line on so-called “reasonable gun measures” and cut backroom deals with Democrats.

There’s also no guarantee that Ron Johnson will suddenly turn into Braveheart and charge forth in the battle to overturn numerous draconian federal gun laws.

The now three-term senator (he lied, claiming he would only run for two terms) has consistently worked against meaningful pro-gun reforms in congress, choosing instead to play it down the middle.

WGO grassroots has petitioned Johnson to hold the line and not sell out; so far, those efforts have kept him on the right side of the issue, but further vigilance will be needed.

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