The mayor of Waukesha, Shawn Reilly, condemned a campaign ad run by a Republican independent group that linked Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin with the killings of six people at a 2021 Christmas parade in the Wisconsin city. The ad, paid for by One Nation, an independent group aligned with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, accused Baldwin of voting against increased funding for pretrial detention of violent criminals. Reilly called the ad a “pitiful political tool” that hurts the entire community.
Baldwin is facing Republican Eric Hovde in a closely contested Senate race that is crucial for Democrats to win in order to maintain majority control of the Senate. The ad, which started airing across Wisconsin and was later taken down, used footage from the Waukesha Christmas parade where Darrell Brooks Jr. drove his SUV through the parade route, killing six people. Brooks, who was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without parole, had been released on $1,000 bail just days before the incident.
Baldwin’s campaign spokesman spoke out against the ad, stating that using the tragic event for political purposes was deeply hurtful to a community still trying to recover from the tragedy. Reilly, who disavowed the Republican party after the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, said he is now an independent who supports Baldwin in the Senate race. Hovde, who accused Baldwin and her allies of attacking him unfairly, stated that he was not familiar with the ad in question.
The ad attempted to tie Baldwin’s vote against funding for pretrial detention of violent criminals to the tragic events at the Christmas parade, insinuating that it made it “easier for criminals like Darrell Brooks to terrorize our communities.” However, Baldwin had nothing to do with the setting of Brooks’ bail before the parade, as the amount requested was by the Milwaukee County district attorney’s office. Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2023 that makes it easier for judges to set higher bail amounts, a measure pushed by Republicans after the parade killings.
Reilly urged politicians to refrain from using the Waukesha Christmas parade attack for political gain and creating fear to drive votes. He referenced a joint statement issued by Baldwin and Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson immediately after the parade killings, urging no one to exploit the tragedy for political purposes. Hovde expressed a desire to lower the negative rhetoric in the campaign and focus on the issues rather than engaging in attack ads. Despite the controversy surrounding the ad, both candidates continue to campaign in a heated race for the Senate seat.
