Kirk Bangstad’s long-shot bid for governor is already creating headaches for Wisconsin Democrats, with party insiders privately expressing concern that the Minocqua Brewing Company owner could quickly become a political liability in an already crowded primary field.
Bangstad, who officially entered the Democratic primary last week following controversial statements offering free beer if Donald Trump were assassinated, has built a reputation as one of Wisconsin’s most polarizing progressive activists — a reputation Republicans appear eager to utilize against the broader Democratic field, as well as Democrat congressional candidate Rebecca Cooke, who previously worked as a fundraiser for Bangstad.
Shortly after entering the race, Bangstad immediately began taking shots at fellow Democrats in what had, until recently, been a relatively subdued primary. Bangstad called current frontrunner Francesca Hong “too politically naive and unelectable in a general election,” while accusing state Sen. Kelda Roys of being in office so long that “she thinks more about which coalition of voters she’ll piss off before checking in with her heart.”
The infighting is exactly the type of distraction Democrats have historically sought to avoid in competitive statewide primaries, and reports suggest party insiders are already scrambling to figure out how to solve their “Kirk Bangstad problem.”
Insiders say concerns about Bangstad extend far beyond whether he can mount a credible statewide campaign. The greater fear, some Democrats reportedly acknowledge privately, is that Bangstad’s history of inflammatory rhetoric, legal controversies, and headline-grabbing antics could dominate media coverage and hand Republicans a steady stream of opposition research throughout the primary.
Recent reporting from WisPolitics noted that Democrats face a difficult balancing act if Bangstad qualifies for the ballot. Allowing him to participate in forums or appear onstage at next month’s Democratic convention could provide him a platform to “go off the rails,” insiders reportedly said. But excluding him could also risk turning him into a martyr within progressive circles, allowing Bangstad to use his large social media following and mailing list to rail against the Democratic establishment for attempting to silence him.
Bangstad appeared to lean into that narrative during a recent UpFront interview, telling WISN’s Matt Smith he would speak “outside the front door” of the convention if Democrats deny him a platform inside. He also predicted that efforts to sideline him would backfire politically, arguing that he could ultimately win the primary if party leaders attempt to keep him from speaking.
TheWisPolitics report also suggested that some Democrats believe the “best bet” may be to challenge Bangstad’s nomination papers if he successfully gathers the 2,000 signatures required to appear on the ballot.
That speculation comes after Heartland Post previously reported that Bangstad’s campaign botched its initial nomination paperwork rollout, first circulating incomplete forms before later submitting revised documents that also appeared to contain errors.
Democrats fear that if Bangstad ultimately qualifies for the ballot, Republicans will spend the primary amplifying his statements and controversies in an effort to portray him as representative of the modern Wisconsin left.
For many Democratic insiders, reports suggest they would rather avoid that circus altogether.
