"It's not helping:" Senator Ron Johnson criticizing his own party over attack ads in governor's race
MADISON (WITI) -- United States Senator Ron Johnson is criticizing his own party's strategy in the race for governor. Senator Johnson says he's uncomfortable with the Walker campaign's attacks on Mary Burke's wealth and her family company, Trek Bicycle for outsourcing.
Governor Scott Walker has come under fire from an unlikely source -- a prominent voice in his own party.
"It's not helping," Senator Johnson said.
Senator Johnson, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Editorial Board was critical of the Walker campaign's strategy of attacking Democratic candidate Mary Burke's family company.
"Far too often in the political realm, we demonize success. We demagogue against it. What we should be doing is incentivizing success," Senator Johnson said.
The Walker campaign has been running ads in which he initiated a three-week stretch of attack after attack on the issue of outsourcing at Burke's family company, Trek Bicycle.
But now, Burke is throwing a punch of her own -- on the issue of jobs. Burke says Walker hasn't followed through on his campaign promise to create 250,000 jobs in his first term in office.
"Sometimes for career politicians like Scott Walker who make promises to win elections, the truth is hard to swallow. The truth is, we're dead last in the Midwest in terms of job creation and we're nowhere close to the promise that he made," Burke said.
On Wednesday, August 6th, the Walker campaign seemed to take Johnson's advice -- releasing a new ad that focuses on Walker's re-election record -- not on Trek Bicycle.
The latest Marquette University Law School poll -- released two weeks ago, on Wednesday, July 23rd showed the governor's race in a dead heat!
The poll showed 47 percent of likely voters supporting Burke, with 46 percent of likely voters supporting Walker.
CLICK HERE for a full analysis of the latest Marquette University Law School poll head of the August 12th statewide primary election.
Voters head to the polls for the general election on November 4th.