Ron Johnson calls for Republicans to run for local office and ‘take back our culture’

Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) on Saturday urged his fellow Republicans to “take back” local government positions in order to “take back our culture.”

Johnson made the remarks in a speech to Wisconsin’s state GOP convention, where his presence was met with applause and chants of “six more years,” The Capital Times reported. The senator bemoaned what he characterized as the Republican Party neglecting local offices in favor of federal positions.

“Take back our school boards, our county boards, our city councils. We will take back our culture. We don’t have to fear this anymore,” Johnson said, according to the Times. He advocated for “trickle-up elections.”

The Times reported that Johnson, who has not announced whether he will run for reelection in 2022, also used his address to take aim at Democratic politicians, criticizing them for their repeated calls for social change while also acknowledging that the U.S. is “not perfect.”

“The leaders of the left talk about fundamentally transforming this nation. Do you even like, much less love, something you want to fundamentally transform?” Johnson asked the crowd. “America’s not perfect; we had that original sin from slavery, but we’ve made progress. We’ve continuously improved. That’s not good enough for the left.”

“Our little democracy here, this marvel we call America, is but a blip in time. It’s kind of tiny, it’s kind of insignificant on that scale. But man, is it rare and is it ever precious,” Johnson added. The Times noted that he appeared to be alluding to the 1997 film “Contact,” in which a group of scientists makes first contact with extraterrestrials.

“So it’s just my belief that it is our solemn duty, having been given this gift, something this rare, something this precious, it’s our duty to make sure that it not only survives for our kids and grandkids and great-grandkids — that it thrives,” he added.