State Assemblyman Elijah Behnke.
MADISON, WI (WTAQ) — Wisconsin 89th District Republican Assemblyman, Elijah Behnke is speaking out after video of him saying that Republicans “should cheat like Democrats” to win future elections was released last week.
The Oconto Republican told WTAQ he regrets his choice of words.
“I do regret using the word ‘cheating’, that wasn’t my intent,” Behnke said Monday. “I’m not telling anybody to break the law. I’m simply telling people to look after their loved ones, and their ballots, this upcoming election season.”
Behnke was seen in the secretly recorded video using that phrase when discussing allegations that voting in nursing homes was done improperly during the 2020 election, when the requirement to send special voting deputies to assist nursing home residents was suspending in the wake of COVID-19.
Behnke was also seen on video saying that he wanted to “punch” Democratic Governor Tony Evers. Behnke says those words came from a place of anger.
“If he would have called you ‘non-essential’, caused your business to be destroyed…I had to sell 20 acres to make sure my family was taken care of–and thank God I’ve lived a blessed life and had those assets to get rid of–but in May of 2020, I was angry,” Behnke explained. “It’s been a year and half, I’m a forgiving, Christian man, and would never cause any harm, or encourage other people to cause harm to any election official.”
Those who recorded the video appear to be supporters of Campbellsport Republican Assemblyman Timothy Ramthun, and were arguing on video with Behnke in an attempt to get the Oconto assemblyman to support Ramthun’s assertions that Donald Trump won the 2020 election in Wisconsin, and a full forensic audit of the election.
Ramthun was recently punished by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos after Ramthun accused Vos of signing a deal with attorneys for former Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton to authorize ballot drop boxes.
“I expect these tactics from the other side of the aisle,” Behnke told WTAQ. “I just feel backstabbed that it was our side of the aisle…I just thought it was a friendly conversation, not an opportunity to backstab me. It’s a hard lesson to learn.”
Behnke, was elected in 2020 and is serving his first term in the assembly. He is a small business owner who owns a cleaning service and operates a hobby farm.
“I’ve learned the hard way, but my base is with me,” Behnke said. “They didn’t elect a smooth talking politician, they wanted someone who would stand up for them and their values.”
The secretly recorded video was released last Thursday.
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