Overview
- Bangstad announced his candidacy in a Facebook livestream and at a gathering at his Minocqua brewery.
- To qualify for the ballot, he says he needs 2,000 voter signatures by May 15.
- FBI and U.S. Secret Service agents interviewed him voluntarily after his posts referenced a “free beer day” tied to the president’s death and questioned the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, which agents say they follow up on as perceived threats.
- The posts drew criticism from political leaders in both parties, putting his rhetoric under fresh scrutiny as he seeks statewide support.
- He says he will focus his campaign on protecting voting rights and democracy, and he brings a background as a liberal PAC founder and a 2020 state legislative candidate, with Wisconsin’s primary in August and the general election in November.