Democrats nationally are enamored with congressional candidate Randy Bryce, the ironworker who rocketed to viral fame for revitalizing hopes that progressives can compete in Trump Country. Bryce stole the party’s heart by vowing to “repeal and replace” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., on a platform of “Medicare-for-all,” a $15-an-hour minimum wage, and other progressive favorites (like abolishing ICE).
Ryan’s departure from the race this week left Democrats feeling good about their chances, situated with a well-funded candidate surfing a blue wave in a district that’s not quite as red as Ryan’s career of landslide victories would suggest. But Bryce is far from a perfect candidate— with a platform more suited to San Francisco than Janesville, a history of local electoral failures, and a past plagued by financial missteps. Democrats in Wisconsin may ultimately determine he’s a bad bet for the general election.
Bryce was already facing a surprisingly formidable primary challenge before Ryan’s announcement, but now another serious candidate is weighing a bid. “I feel like I’ve got to at least take a look at it. It’s a whole new ballgame,” State Rep. Peter Barca told a local news reporter on Thursday. Barca, who represented Wisconsin’s first district in Congress from 1993 to 1995, said he was being encouraged to consider a run “from a wide range of quarters from all corners of the district,” and from supporters in New York and Washington. That’s extremely telling for a primary race where one of the candidates has raised millions of dollars, been lauded by national figures, and built an unusually high national profile.
Should Barca enter the primary, Bryce’s cash, national support, and name recognition would probably still secure him the nomination. But, then again, with a solid local profile and less extreme platform, Barca could easily sway some national supporters, drying up donor enthusiasm for Bryce, and allowing him to build traction in the district. The election isn’t until August, giving Barca plenty of time to make inroads and derail Bryce’s fairly clear path to the nomination.
Bryce will probably win in August and lose in November, but this race could get interesting.
