Wisconsin GOP candidate under scrutiny after report he followed transgender porn stars
Controversy surrounding Bill Berrien’s online activity becomes new hurdle in a crowded Republican primary for governor
Bill Berrien, a Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate described as a MAGA-aligned outsider who likens himself to Donald Trump, is facing renewed scrutiny after a local newspaper reported that he followed sexually explicit content online, including transgender porn performers, on his Medium account. The 56-year-old CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision announced his bid for Wisconsin’s open governor’s seat earlier this year, campaigning on a Wisconsin-first agenda.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report said Berrien followed nonbinary porn performer Jiz Lee and several other authors of sexually explicit essays on Medium, as well as publications that deal with exploring sexuality. After the Journal Sentinel contacted him about the history, he stopped following 23 accounts, including many of the most explicit ones. In a statement to the Associated Press, Berrien did not refute the reporting. A campaign spokeswoman acknowledged that he deleted the accounts after being reached by the newspaper.
Berrien reacted to the reporting on social media, posting, "Is this the best they can do?" and arguing that mainstream media should focus on policy rather than old online activity. In a statement to the AP, he said there are a lot of important issues affecting the state and nation, but questioned what the media was focused on, adding, "Some stupid articles I read years ago, not the plans I have to reindustrialize our state, turn the economy around, and bring prosperity for all through work." He did not deny the specific items in the Journal Sentinel report in his comments to the AP or in his post on X.
The revelation sparked immediate political noise. The Wisconsin Democratic Party declined to comment, while Joel Schoemann, the other announced Republican candidate in the governor’s race, declined to comment. The Journal Sentinel’s findings prompted some Republicans to question Berrien’s viability in the primary, though supporters argued the controversy distracts from substantive policy proposals.
Conservative voices within the party also reacted. Bill McCoshen, a longtime Republican strategist, suggested on social media that the revelation could end Berrien’s candidacy. Dan Degner, president of the social conservative group Wisconsin Family Action, said family and sexuality issues matter to Republican voters and that endorsements would depend on whether a candidate champions those causes. Degner added that his group would need to have in-depth conversations with Berrien before considering any endorsement.
Berrien has positioned himself as a political newcomer with business credentials—owner and CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision, manufacturers of precision-machined components in New Berlin—for the past 13 years. He launched his campaign for Wisconsin’s open governor’s seat by criticizing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, whom he accused of attracting illegal immigration and allowing boys into girls’ sports and locker rooms. He pledged to sign a ban targeting transgender athletes in girls’ sports teams and framed his bid as a reset after what he described as six years of Evers governance.
In a campaign launch video, Berrien walked in front of a tank while footage of Trump was shown, and he described himself as an outsider and a businessman who could shake up Madison. "We [have] to get away from the six years of Tony Evers, where we’re going in the entirely opposite direction. This race is extremely winnable. I can win it. I can be the conservative governor that is going to make this the Wisconsin century," he said. He also tied his message to Trump’s apparent success in the state, arguing that Wisconsin could build on that momentum.
The race for Wisconsin’s open governor’s seat is competitive. The GOP primary is about a year away, and several Democrats have announced their own candidacies as voters weigh questions about leadership, values, and the direction of the state’s policies on taxes, immigration, and social issues. Evers signed a state budget last week that cut taxes by about $1.5 billion, a contrast to Berrien’s promise to slash taxes and to take a harder line on immigration and transgender policy. Berrien pledged to sign legislation banning transgender girls from competing in girls’ sports and to oppose what he described as woke ideology in schools and government.
While Berrien’s supporters say the campaign is focused on Wisconsin’s economic future—reindustrializing the state, growing the workforce, and expanding prosperity through manufacturing and innovation—the online activity cited by the Journal Sentinel has punctured the candidate’s perception as a conventional businessman-politician. Critics note the timing matters: the primary is still months away, and the controversy arrives as voters are assessing candidates’ character and judgment in addition to their policy platforms.
As the campaign moves forward, Berrien’s team will be tested on how it manages fallout from the disclosure and how it recounts or contextualizes past online activity. The candidate remains a figure of interest for both supporters who view him as a Trump-aligned reformer and opponents who see a risk he may be defined by past online behavior rather than present-day proposals. The Wisconsin race, already framed by debates over taxes, education, and social policy, could hinge on which candidate most credibly pledges to deliver tangible changes for Wisconsin’s economy and daily life.