GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner is retiring from the safely red seat he’s held since 1979, and a number of suburban Milwaukee Republicans have already expressed interest in running to succeed him in Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District. 2018 Senate nominee Leah Vukmir, who gave up her state Senate seat to unsuccessfully challenge Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, said Thursday that she was considering and would decide in the “coming days.” While Vukmir lost statewide 55-45, she carried the 5th District 57-43.
If Vukmir runs, she may face a familiar primary rival. Businessman and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson tweeted shortly after Sensenbrenner’s announcement that “[t]here will be time to make a decision about this race later.” Nicholson ran for the Senate last year and benefiting from over $10 million in spending from groups supported by billionaire megadonor Richard Uihlein.
However, while Nicholson pitched himself as a conservative outsider, he had trouble explaining away his long history as a Democrat. This included, but was not limited to, his time as president of the College Democrats of America during the 2000 election and his speech at that year’s Democratic National Committee in support of Al Gore.
Vukmir, by contrast, received “only” $2.5 million in air support from groups funded by Diane Hendricks, another billionaire megadonor, and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. However, her GOP bona fides were never in question, and she had the support of the state party establishment. While early polls gave Nicholson the lead, Vukmir beat him 49-43.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald also says he’s considering running. Fitzgerald was a key ally of Gov. Scott Walker and he’s been a persistent thorn in the side of Tony Evers, the Democrat who unseated Walker last year. Fitzgerald won another four-year term in 2018, so he could remain in the legislature if he lost a congressional run.
State Sen. Chris Kapenga also expressed interest, though he said he had no timeline to decide. Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow (please hold off on those “crucial Waukesha County” jokes―we have 11 months to go before this primary) also said he was thinking about running and plans to decide later this month. However, Farrow sounds unlikely to run against Vukmir, who he called “a great voice for the conservative movement and her constituents.” Farrow also said that Fitzgerald would be “great.”
The Associated Press also reports that state Sen. Dale Kooyenga, former Trump state director Vince Trovato, and Ben Voelkel, who serves as spokesman for Sen. Ron Johnson, are all considering. However, while former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch was quickly mentioned as a possible candidate, unnamed sources close to her tell WisPolitics that she’s focusing on a potential 2022 bid for governor.
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