Yes. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes received slightly more of the vote share than President Joe Biden did in 2020 and significantly more than Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton did in 2016. Barnes, who lost to Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, received 49.5% of the vote in the 2022 midterms, compared to Johnson’s 50.5%.
Category: Fact briefs
Wisconsin Watch is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.
Contact us at factbriefs@wisconsinwatch.org
Posted inFact briefs
Did Ron Johnson win reelection with one of the lowest approval ratings among US senators?
Yes. Republican Ron Johnson of Wisconsin had the third lowest approval rating (37%) among U.S. Senators, behind Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania (36%) and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky (33%), according to an April 2022 report from Morning Consult.
Posted inFact briefs
In Wisconsin, do evictions stay on your record for 20 years?
Yes. Under Wisconsin Supreme Court rules, records of small claims cases — which include evictions — are kept for 20 years. Dismissed small claims cases, however, are removed from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access website after two years.
Posted inFact briefs
Does Wisconsin track the number of livestock killed by wolves?
Yes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has an interactive map showing verified wolf depredations of livestock, pets and hunting dogs.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Enbridge Energy wait a year before reporting a pipeline leak in Wisconsin?
Yes. The Canadian oil company Enbridge Energy reported to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources a leak of Line 13 — a pipeline of chemicals used to dilute petroleum— near Fort Atkinson in July 2020. That was more than a year after the company first discovered it.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Wisconsin have one of the least active full-time legislatures in the country during the pandemic?
Yes. An October 2020 review by WisPolitics.com found Wisconsin had the least active full-time legislature during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted inFact briefs
Did PFAS contamination cause a consumption advisory for fish in Lake Superior?
Yes. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Health Services advised people to eat no more than one meal a month of rainbow smelt from Lake Superior in January 2021. The advisory followed the discovery of high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, persistent contaminants known as “forever chemicals.”
Posted inFact briefs
Is Wisconsin widening a highway whose traffic has not increased in 20 years?
No. Wisconsin’s Interstate 94, the state’s longest expressway, has experienced modest traffic increases in the past decade.
Posted inFact briefs
Does Wisconsin have a projected $5 billion surplus?
Yes. The state Department of Revenue estimated in August that Wisconsin will have a $5 billion surplus by July 2023, the start of a new fiscal year.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Ron Johnson vote against the Respect for Marriage Act?
Yes. On Nov. 16, 2022 Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin voted against a procedural motion to advance the Respect for Marriage Act — a bill that would codify same-sex marriage equality nationwide.
Posted inFact briefs
Did the state’s score for Milwaukee Public Schools drop in 2021-22?
Yes. Milwaukee Public Schools fell from a three-star “meets expectations” rating to a two-star “meets few expectations” rating between 2020-21 and 2021-22.
This year, the district received an overall score of 56.8, compared to 58.1 the previous year.
Posted inFact briefs
Did Assembly Speaker Robin Vos say Republicans are considering changes to the 1849 abortion law in Wisconsin?
Yes. Rep. Robin Vos, the Republican leader of the Wisconsin Assembly, expressed interest in working with fellow Republicans to “make some potential changes to the 1849 law” in the the 2023 legislative session. The statement was made during a Nov. 10, 2022 radio interview.