Two GOP incumbents – one with a conviction record – vie for rural voters

Rep. Peter Schmidt’s hold on his solidly Republican seat in the 6th Assembly District could be at risk as he faces another incumbent lawmaker in the Aug. 13 primary. 

Schmidt, R-Bonduel, was censured and banned by the Republican Party of Shawano County in 2022 because of a criminal conviction, shortly after he had already won his first primary by only 63 votes. Schmidt’s challenger, Rep. Elijah Behnke of Oconto, was drawn into the 4th District under new maps, but later decided to run in the 6th instead.

And this time around, Behnke is backed by the Shawano County GOP.

Both Schmidt and Behnke are newer members of the Assembly, with Schmidt first elected in 2022 and Behnke winning his seat in an April 2021 special election. Behnke is a farmer and small business owner from Oconto County who currently represents the 89th District. Schmidt is a dairy farmer. 

The rural district covers all of Menominee County, most of Shawano County and parts of Oconto, Brown and Waupaca counties. It includes small cities such as Clintonville and Shawano. 

Schmidt pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct, a Class B misdemeanor, and criminal trespassing, a Class A misdemeanor, after he choked a worker on his farm in 2019. When he first ran in 2022, the county GOP said Schmidt did not disclose the recent criminal conviction, leading the party to withdraw its support for his campaign.

He was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to participate in an anger management program. Schmidt did not respond to questions from Wisconsin Watch.

If Behnke had run in the 4th District, where his father is now running, he would have had to face incumbent Rep. David Steffen, R-Green Bay, who has held office since 2015. Behnke agreed that Schmidt being an “easier target” had “something to do” with his move. 

Ken Sikora, chair of the Oconto County Republican Party, said he thought Behnke would have easily won against Steffen, and he doesn’t understand the reasons for his move. 

Behnke said he wants to represent a more rural district. He was concerned about the new makeup of his old district inching toward Green Bay — though the one he was drawn into remained largely the same as his old.

Although he’s moving into the district, he is a familiar face to the lower, eastern portion of the new 6th District where he said he has family, friends and customers.

But Behnke added another reason for his move to the 6th: He was “backstabbed” by the Oconto County GOP — his local party. He claims Sikora wasn’t willing to spend money to help him run, despite the fact that he “served them honorably,” and he no longer wanted to work with the “dying party.” Behnke’s father, Darwin Behnke, is the vice chair.

Sikora rebutted, claiming the party turned him into a “rock star” in Oconto County when he first ran. He says he gave Behnke plenty of in-kind contributions, allowing him to use party facilities for fundraisers and frequently giving him chances to speak. 

“Honestly, as a guy that’s been a legislator for three and a half years, if you’ve done your job, you should be able to raise your own money,” Sikora said of Behnke. 

In 2022, Behnke was caught on video saying that Republicans “should cheat like Democrats” to win future elections and that he wanted to “punch” Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. He later announced that he regretted his choice of words. 

“I think both candidates are, at best, a little disgusting,” Sikora said of the primary race. “It’s a sad position to be in, where we have two Republicans running against each other, and I really can’t support either of them.” 

Schmidt authored eight bills in 2023, one of which dealing with county land sales was enacted into law. Behnke authored 63 bills in that time, including three signed into law.

In 2022, Behnke received an endorsement from Pro-Life Wisconsin, an anti-abortion group that endorses candidates who are “100% pro-life.” They do not support exemptions for rape or incest, nor do they support exemptions when abortion is necessary to save a pregnant person’s life.

That same year, Pro-Life Wisconsin rescinded its endorsement of Schmidt “due to criminal misconduct and behavior grossly unbecoming of a candidate for public office.”

Schmidt has touted himself as a “100% pro-life” candidate with no exceptions. But earlier this year, he helped introduce legislation that would have allowed abortion up to 14 weeks, which included an exception for medical necessity and was later amended to include exceptions for rape and incest.

Behnke voted against the bill.

Behnke has been endorsed by the sheriffs of Oconto County and Shawano County.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.