RNC 2024: Wisconsin delegates include Tommy Thompson, Tim Michels
MILWAUKEE - Weeks before the world will descend on Milwaukee for this summer's Republican National Convention, FOX6 was first to report the list of Wisconsin delegates.
Wisconsin's 41 RNC delegates:
- Republican Party of Wisconsin Chair Brian Schimming
- Former Gov. Scott Walker
- Former Gov. Tommy Thompson
- Former candidate for governor Tim Michels
- RNC National Committeeman Tom Schreibel
- RNC National Committeewoman Maripat Krueger
- Republican Party of Wisconsin Immediate Past Chairman Paul Farrow
- Republican Party of Wisconsin Past Chairman Brad Courtney
- State Treasurer John Leiber
- State Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee)
- Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney
- Dave Anderson
- Candee Arndt
- Barb Bittner
- Jordan Briskey
- Kathy Broghammer
- George Bureau
- Pete Church
- Brett Galaszewski
- Jim Geldreich
- Kevin Hermening
- Christine Illgen
- Scarlett Johnson
- Robert Kordus, Jr.
- Rose Marie LaBarbera
- Brandon Maly
- Georgia Maxwell
- Diamond McKenna
- Shannon McKinney
- Andreina Patilliet
- Phillip Prange
- Patricia Reiman
- Matt Rust
- Chris Slinker
- Stephanie Soucek
- Pam Travis
- Terrence Wall
- Cindy Werner
- Sandy Wiedmeyer
- Laurie Wolf
- Dixon Wolfe
"This is a big deal to be a delegate," said Patty Reiman.
She showed FOX6 her mementos from years of being a national delegate in 2008, 2016 and 2020. She was also an alternate in 2012.
"I have all my fun things when I was a delegate. You get badges," she said.
In less than two months, she'll get one more.
Patty Reiman looks through Republican delegate mementos
"It was a process just becoming a delegate, so I created a flyer, so people know who I am and everything I’ve accomplished in the 30-plus years I’ve been actively involved as a grassroots supporter," said Reiman.
Reiman's fellow Republicans of the Fourth Congressional District voted for her to serve as one of the district's three delegates at the national convention that will take place miles from her Milwaukee County home.
"We’ll be having the biggest stage that we’ve ever had in Milwaukee," she said. "It is huge. Huge for the Republican Party being in Milwaukee, because our state is so pivotal."
Featured
Conventional Wisdom: Part Prom, Part Homecoming
She’s a Wisconsin native, a new mom and in charge of the convention that will bring 50,000 visitors to Milwaukee this summer. The CEO of the Republican National Convention, Elise Dickens, sat down with Ted Perry and Stephanie Grady to talk all things convention.
RNC 2024
Delegates are bound to vote for whichever candidate won the April primary; in this case, former President Donald Trump. If a delegate can't make it, alternates like Luke Dretske will be inside Fiserv Forum, ready to take on the role.
Dretske is a 25-year-old law student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He serves on both the Berlin City Council and Green Lake County Board.
"I was kind of flabbergasted. I was like: ‘Really?'" he said.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
But, there was a catch – as Dretske explained to his wife: "I call her, I’m like, ‘Hey, I got asked to be an alternate delegate for the National Convention.' She says: ‘You should do it, you’ll be great. You’ll enjoy it, you want to do it.’ But, I’m like, ‘Hold on, there’s a kicker: it costs about $3,000.’ Then, she goes, ‘Absolutely not. You’re not doing it.’"
As it turned out, Dretske will go thanks to donations from family and friends to cover the hotels and other fees.
He can count on long days, from breakfast in the morning to sitting in Fiserv Forum for the main events at night, and other activities in the middle.
"We have the day to walk around, meet people, I am hoping to do a lot of networking, just because we’re the hometown, so we have all the knowledge of where to go, what to see, where to shop," said Reiman.
Wisconsin's RNC alternate delegates:
- Akil Ajmeri
- State Representative Tyler August (R - Walworth)
- John Beauchamp
- William Blathras
- Len Boltz
- Luanne Coyne
- Catherine DeVries
- Alan Downs
- Luke Dretske
- Barbara Finger
- John Graber
- Amber Hahn
- Billie Johnson
- Kelly Johnson
- Rita Lackovich
- Shirl LeBarre
- Don Lee
- Julie Leschke
- Jeanie Moore
- Jerry Murphy
- Purnima Nath
- Annette Olson
- Gerard Randall
- State Representative Nik Rettinger (R - Mukwonago)
- Patricia Schick
- Jim Schildbach
- Lawrence Schneider II
- Amber Schroeder
- Brian Smith
- Robert "Bob" Spindell Jr
- Ruth Streck
- Gwen Theien
- Carl Toepel
- Julie Vale
- Pam Van Handel
- William Vanevenhoven
- Judy Wenger
- Michael Zaremba
Convention veterans and rookies will bring the Grand Old Party to Milwaukee and Wisconsin Democrats will have 95 delegates and seven alternates headed to their own Democratic National Convention in Chicago. FOX6 plans to profile some of those delegates in the weeks ahead.