Jessie Opoien didn’t find this story on her own. Assembly Democrats gave it to her, and she reported it as is.
On October 19, she emailed Dylan Pfaffenbach, the Republican candidate in the 21st Assembly District. The subject line read: “Respond to Dem comments?”
She told him, “Assembly Dems are arguing that Republicans are running a slate of ‘election denier’ candidates and they list you as one.” The only evidence was a few deleted posts from his old personal X account. One post called drop boxes “pseudo-voting.” Another called the Jan. 6 committee “criminal.” Some posts promoted his work with Scott Presler.
Then came the questionnaire: “Who do you believe won the 2020 election?” “Do you believe Scott Presler has engaged in spreading election conspiracies?” “Will you accept the results of the Nov. 3 election regardless of outcome?”
The deadline was 6 a.m. the next morning.
That was a contrived gotcha moment written by the Democrats and delivered by the Journal Sentinel.
Start with the drop boxes. Opoien asked Pfaffenbach if he thinks they “should be illegal.” In 2022, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in Teigen that they were illegal. They remained illegal until a new liberal majority changed the rules in 2024. Now, at the Journal Sentinel, agreeing with a state Supreme Court ruling is called “election denial.”
Next is Presler. The story only mentioned his involvement with the Jan. 6 rally and “Stop the Steal.” It left out what he’s now known for: registering voters. In Opoien’s view, a Republican who signs up new voters is seen as a threat to democracy.
As for the Jan. 6 committee, many voters share the view that calling a partisan House panel “criminal” is an opinion.
Consider who responded. David Daniels from the 53rd District told the paper that Wisconsin elections are “fair & secure.” Still, Opoien still built her Republican section on audio the paper got of him at the Neenah Farmers Market. If you answer the questions, you get flagged. If you skip them, you are marked as refusing to comment.
But the same scrutiny isn’t applied to Democrats. No Democrat was asked whether drop boxes invite abuse or for comment on the Green Bay duplicate ballot scandal that led to the city clerk resigning, which Opoien mentioned in her own story. No Democrat was asked to explain why Racine officials removed GOP poll workers who reported irregularities.
If not accepting an election result makes someone a threat to democracy, then the Journal Sentinel could find plenty of Democrats to question. Stacey Abrams lost the 2018 Georgia governor’s race by about 55,000 votes and still claims she won. “Concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper,” she said. “As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede that.” Hillary Clinton told CBS in 2019 that Donald Trump “knows he’s an illegitimate president.” On January 6, 2017, House Democrats stood up one after another to object to Trump’s electoral votes until Vice President Joe Biden stopped them. In 2005, Democrats including Sen. Barbara Boxer forced a vote to challenge Ohio’s electors for George W. Bush. None of them received a questionnaire with a 19-hour deadline to explain their claims.
The payoff came fast. The next day, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin promoted the story out as “new reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.” Democrats created the list, the paper published it, and then the party cited the paper. Neat loop.
This isn’t new. The Journal Sentinel recycled WisDems talking points for David Crowley, manufactured a Kroger “scandal” for Jim Croft, and misled readers about federal voter data.
Voters in Oak Creek choosing between Pfaffenbach and Dan Bukiewicz on November 3 deserve reporting on property taxes, data centers, and public safety. Instead, the state’s paper of record focused on asking a 2026 candidate to make a pledge about 2020. Wanting secure elections is not a conspiracy. Treating it as one is the real story.
