MADISON Wis (CBS 58) – A key target for Democrats at their annual state convention was U.S. Senator Ron Johnson, who has yet to announce whether or not he will run for a third term.

Democrats focused on Johnson, who this week reiterated he was undecided, for his baseless allegations of electoral fraud and repeatedly downplaying the severity of the pandemic.

“We have to send Ron Johnson back to the planet he came from,” said US Representative Mark Pocan. “Look, it’s embarrassing to have the most ignorant US senator. “

Pocan also sent a message to candidates for Johnson’s Senate seat to keep the race focused on issues rather than personal attacks.

“The person we’re trying to beat is Ron Johnson, not the other one,” Pocan said.

Governor Tony Evers, who officially announced his candidacy for re-election on the virtual stage, also took aim at Johnson, saying, “We have bags to pack for Ron.”

Evers and other leading Democrats also spoke about their recent victories in 2020 after winning the April state supreme court race and November presidential election. Many Democrats have raised the challenge of sustaining this momentum through 2022 as they no longer target former President Donald Trump, a key figure who helped generate voter turnout.

“We must continue to prepare for what is at stake this year,” said Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Another common theme was the discussion of Republican attempts to change election laws that Democrats say make voting more difficult.

“They operate under a philosophy that if they can’t beat us, they will cheat us,” said US Representative Ron Kind. “That’s why you see all the voter suppression bills popping up across the county based on this big lie – that last year’s election was based on fraud.”

President Joe Biden also made wiretap remarks at the convention, thanking supporters who contributed to his White House victory.

“You showed the world what America is really made of, opposing the politics of division and the politics of hate,” Biden said.