Timothy James Michels (born August 7, 1962) is an American businessman who co-owns and co-manages Michels Corporation, a family-owned and operated construction company. A member of the Republican Party, Michels was the party's unsuccessful nominee in the 2004 United States Senate election in Wisconsin and the 2022 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. Early life and education Born in Lomira, Wisconsin, Michels graduated from Lomira High School in 1980. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from St. Norbert College in 1984, an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1997, and an MPA from the Illinois Institute of Technology the same year. Career Michels served in the United States Army as an infantry officer for one year, earning the rank of major. He is a member of the American Legion and VFW. He co-owns the Michels Corporation in Brownsville, Wisconsin. Policy positions Abortion Michels opposes abortion and supports the state’s law banning abortion except in cases of the life of the mother. When asked about abortion pills, Michels said that if elected, "they'll be illegal in Wisconsin." On contraception, Michels told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “I am against abortion, I am not against contraception.” In September 2022, Michels said that he would support a state level abortion ban that included exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. Education Michels has proposed universal school choice, an expansion of the state's private school voucher program. Tony Evers vetoed a similar proposal that would have eliminated income caps for the voucher program. Michels has also been critical of the teaching of transgender topics in public K-12 schools and supports a greater emphasis on traditional educational topics. Same-sex marriage In his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, Michels said he believed that marriage should be between a man and woman. In his 2022 gubernatorial campaign Michels said that his personal position had not changed. Political campaigns Wisconsin State Senate In 1998, Michels made a bid for the state Senate, and received 30 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, losing to incumbent senator Scott L. Fitzgerald. U.S. Senate In 2004, Michels defeated automobile dealer Russ Darrow Jr., state Senator Robert Welch, and attorney Robert Lorge in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. Michels and his Democratic Party opponent, incumbent U.S. Senator Russ Feingold, sparred on such topics as Feingold's opposition to the Patriot Act, taxes, health care, and Feingold's opposition to the