Wisconsin Republican Bill Berrien quits governor’s race amid fallout over sexually explicit links
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin business owner Bill Berrien, a supporter of President Donald Trump, ended his Republican campaign for governor on Friday. The decision came days after reports surfaced that he followed numerous sexually explicit accounts online, including that of a nonbinary pornography performer.
Berrien, a former Navy SEAL and one of three prominent Republican candidates who had announced their campaigns, issued a lengthy statement. He said, “I had no idea that running for political office could be almost as dangerous” as “hunting down war criminals in Bosnia.” Ultimately, Berrien concluded he could not win the Republican primary.
“Looking towards what is in the best interest of the party, voters, donors, and my family, I have decided to end my campaign,” he stated.
Berrien’s departure leaves U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who joined the race on Tuesday, and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann as the only Republican candidates. Meanwhile, there are numerous Democrats running ahead of the primary in August.
According to reports, Berrien maintained an account on the online platform Medium.com where he followed nonbinary porn performer Jiz Lee and several other authors who write sexually explicit essays. He also followed “publications” — similar to blogs — that explored sexuality, including topics like having relationships with multiple partners. Lee called Berrien a hypocrite in a statement released Thursday.
Several prominent Republicans had called for Berrien to drop out of the race following the revelations. Schoemann, reacting to Berrien’s withdrawal, did not address these social media habits directly but expressed appreciation for Berrien’s willingness to serve the country as a candidate. Tiffany did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, Phil Shulman, suggested that Berrien’s departure was not due to his social media activity but rather his past criticism of Trump. Conservatives had previously questioned Berrien’s viability as a candidate because he supported former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary and had expressed uncertainty about supporting Trump as recently as August 2020.
“Bill Berrien is a lesson for all GOP candidates: if you don’t show complete and total loyalty to Trump—past or present—then you better pack your bags and head for the door,” Shulman said. “His failure, despite his resume, financial investment, and doing somersaults to earn Trump’s love, shows just how far the other GOP candidates are going to have to go to win the nomination.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel initially reported on Berrien’s online activity on Monday. Berrien defended his actions to The Associated Press on Tuesday, dismissing the media focus as “stupid articles I read years ago.”
He was even more forceful in his statement withdrawing from the race, calling the articles he read and the people he followed “cherry-picked.” Berrien said the coverage “painted a salacious and sensational picture that was clearly targeted to force me out of this governor race. It was a major attack piece.”
“And for what? For reading!” he emphasized. “Nothing illegal, nothing unethical, and nothing immoral. Just reading. Wouldn’t you want your political and business leaders (and all of society, frankly) to be widely read and thoughtful and aware of different perspectives and ideas?”
Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision, had run as a supporter of “family values.” Despite this, he had been critical of transgender people during the opening weeks of his candidacy. His exit comes less than three months after entering the race.
The governor’s race in battleground Wisconsin is open for the first time since 2010, as Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided against seeking a third term.
The most prominent Democratic contenders include Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; state Sen. Kelda Roys; and state Rep. Francesca Hong. Others considering entering the race are Attorney General Josh Kaul, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, and former state economic development director Missy Hughes.
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/ap-politics/ap-wisconsin-republican-bill-berrien-quits-governors-race-amid-pornography-fallout/
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