House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., may be retiring from Congress, but he has left a lasting imprint on Wisconsin Republican politics.
Ryan-backed candidates did well on Tuesday night. Bryan Steil, Ryan’s preferred successor, won the Republican primary to represent the outgoing speaker’s district after the midterm elections. State Sen. Leah Vukmir won her primary to take on Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., by a 10-point margin. Ryan endorsed her in June.
“Bryan Steil is the right person to represent this district in Congress and I congratulate him on his win tonight,” Ryan said in a statement. “I know Bryan will take his private sector skills and problem-solving abilities to Washington and fight every day to improve the lives of Southern Wisconsinites, who I have been so privileged to serve for the last two decades.”
“Leah crisscrossed the state during this primary and I congratulate her on a hard-fought victory,” Ryan said of the GOP Senate nominee. “I’ve known Leah for a long time and supported her because she’s a proven conservative with a track record of getting things done.”
It will take a united front for Republicans to prevail in Wisconsin in November. Even though President Trump won the state in 2016, becoming the first GOP presidential nominee to do so since Ronald Reagan, and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson defied prognosticators writing his political obituary, it will be tough.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, renominated with over 90 percent of the vote against token opposition, has trailed in recent polls as he seeks a second term. Tony Evers, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday, was viewed as one of his stronger possible opponents. Baldwin has looked much stronger than other Trump state Democrats up for re-election to the Senate this year.
That said, Ryan’s allies are in better shape than former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty, a one-time candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, fell embarrassingly short in a comeback bid, losing to a former state representative by a double-digit margin.
“Jeff Johnson is the only candidate for governor that will cut taxes, grow jobs and lead Minnesota forward,” said Republican Governors Association Chairman Bill Haslam in a statement. “Minnesota needs a new direction, and Johnson has the experience to tackle the big challenges that the state faces. The Republican Governors Association is proud to support Jeff Johnson to be the next governor of Minnesota.”
Pawlenty for president never caught fire and he dropped out early, before the first primary ballots were cast. Similarly, despite his reputation as a conservative blue-state governor, he was never able to shed his establishment label in his campaign to retake the corner office.
Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., easily won his party’s nomination for state attorney general amid allegations of domestic violence. This is in spite of the fact that Sen. Al Franken was pushed out of Congress with the blessing of many Minnesota Democrats after groping accusations. His temporary successor, Democratic Sen. Tina Smith, won the primary to vie for the remainder of Franken’s term.
Vermont Democrats made Christine Halquist the first transgender gubernatorial nominee, with 14-year-old candidate Ethan Sonneborn finishing last. There was speculation incumbent Republican Gov. Phil Scott might have trouble in the primary, especially over gun control, but he won fairly easily.
Bob Stefanowski emerged from a crowded Republican primary to try to replace unpopular Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, a Democrat. He will face off against Ned Lamont, a dozen years removed from the Democrat’s successful primary challenge against Sen. Joe Lieberman. Lieberman was re-elected as an independent.
