Wisconsin Republicans battle accusation of sexism

The governor’s office says leaders won’t work with female aide.

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ spokeswoman accused Republican legislative leaders Saturday of refusing to work with the governor’s chief of staff because she is a woman, leading the GOP lawmakers to call the charge “asinine” and “clueless.”

The back-and-forth came after Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald detailed at the Wisconsin Republican Party convention what they said was a strained relationship with the new governor, who is in his fifth month in office.

“There’s a real disconnect on all different levels with this governor,” Fitzgerald said. Fitzgerald said he and Vos have only met with Evers twice for five minutes since January.

Evers “has communicated repeatedly to GOP leadership that they should work with his chief of staff, just like they did under the previous governor,” said his spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff. “That directive wasn’t confusing to them when the chief of staff was a man.”

Everyone who served as chief of staff under former Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, was a man. Evers’ chief of staff is Maggie Gau, who ran his campaign and previously worked for Democrats in the Legislature.

“Vos and Fitzgerald are clearly uncomfortable or simply unwilling to work with a leadership team made up entirely of women,” Baldauff said.

Fitzgerald replied in a statement, “The most powerful senator on the budget committee is a woman,” referring to Republican state Sen. Alberta Darling, “and perhaps they’d know that if someone from the governor’s team was actually engaged in budget negotiations.”

Vos, in a tweet, said that his own chief of staff, communications director and policy director are all women.

“Evers staff - Clueless,” Vos tweeted.

Vos and Fitzgerald defended their approach to Evers, including killing several of his proposals, including Medicaid expansion.

The convention that brought together about 650 conservative activists served as part pep rally ahead of the 2020 presidential election, part examination of why every Republican running for statewide office lost in 2018, and part strategy session on what changes need to be made to do better next year.