Emboldened Democrats eye Ron Johnson amid new controversies

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is facing a slew of negative headlines ahead of his reelection bid later this year, potentially complicating what was already expected to be a tough race for the two-term senator.

Johnson ignited controversy last week when he suggested that “wokeness” and critical race theory were the cause of recent mass shootings in the U.S. Additionally, the senator hit back at report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel saying he has been using tax dollars to travel between Washington, D.C., and a Florida vacation home, calling it a “fully coordinated attack.”

The headlines have given Democrats running to replace Johnson fodder ahead of the general election as the Wisconsin senator’s popularity declines in the state and have them wondering if the Senate race could be a rare bright spot in a year expected to favor Republicans.

But Johnson is also no stranger to controversy and has overcome it on two previous occasions.

“Ron Johnson has been underestimated probably as much as any politician out there,” said former GOP strategist Brandon Scholz, who is based in Wisconsin.