Wisconsin Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson, one of two Republicans competing to challenge Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., for her seat in November, went viral last month for a less-than-enviable reason: His parents and brother, it turned out, have each donated the maximum allowed amount of money to Baldwin this cycle.
That was enough to generate coverage in the Washington Post, CNN, BBC, CBS, ABC, and a host of other national (and international) outlets.
Formerly the president of the College Democrats of America, Nicholson’s conversion has been a major focus on his opponents’ attacks. Though he took the leap and left the party over the course of the 2000s, Nicholson’s parents don’t seem to have wavered at all.
Asked by the Washington Examiner in a Wednesday interview whether he expects any members of his family to donate more money to Baldwin this cycle, Nicholson, a former Marine who now works as a business consultant, replied, “I have no idea.”
“Here’s what I do know,” he continued. “We have aunts, uncles, cousins that are all deeply involved in our lives, deeply involved in our campaign,” noting that members of his family “just sponsored a big meet and greet back home.”
In an interview on “Fox & Friends” after news of the donations broke, Nicholson explained he’s no longer “in contact” with his parents, a decision he said they “made on the basis of their politics.”
On Wednesday, Nicholson said “the bulk of [his] family” is supporting his campaign. “It’s really everybody but the individuals you know, and they’ve made their choice, and I can’t control them.”
“I wish them the best, but I cant do anything about what they’re planning on,” he added.
