Former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold (left) will seek a rematch against Republican Ron Johnson, who unseated him in 2010
On Thursday, ex-Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold announced that he would
seek a rematch with Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, who defeated him in 2010.
Both parties have been anticipating Feingold's comeback bid for a while, especially after he resigned from his post as a State Department envoy to Africa a few months ago. However, Feingold has always been an unpredictable enough guy that you could never be sure if he's in until he said that he's in, but there's no ambiguity anymore. If Feingold had stayed out there are a few Wisconsin Democrats who might have run against Johnson, but he shouldn't face any real primary opposition now. The DSCC also wasted no time endorsing him.
Assuming Democrats hold the White House next year, they'll need to net four seats to retake the Senate, and this looks like it will be one of their best opportunities. In March, PPP gave Feingold a strong 50-41 lead and last month, Marquette saw Feingold destroying Johnson by an astonishing 54-38 margin. Both pollsters found that Feingold's favorable ratings have more than recovered since he was dumped 52-47 in 2010, while Johnson hasn't made much of an impression in his time in the Senate.
The Badger State has favored Democrats in recent presidential cycles, and Feingold will be in a good position if the trend continues. Still, this isn't a slam-dunk for Team Blue yet. Feingold has been insulated from partisan attacks for the last few years, and the GOP is going to do whatever they can to drag his image back into the muck. Johnson will have the resources to do it: While the wealthy Republican has indicated that he won't use his personal resources for this contest, there's nothing stopping him from changing his mind.
By contrast, Feingold's support for campaign finance reform could also hamper his fundraising in the post-Citizens United world. Feingold also ran a shaky campaign last time, and he could have problems if he hasn't considered what went wrong in 2010. But Johnson isn't exactly a disciplined candidate, and he could cause his party some avoidable problems.
Feingold's return is good news for his party, but the GOP isn't going to give up this seat without a fight. We'll be watching all the developments at Daily Kos Elections.