ABC of WI Goes 4-4 in Last Week’s Primaries

Last week Tuesday’s primary elections included some surprises (including two long-time incumbent Milwaukee-area state representatives losing). ABC of Wisconsin and its members were pleasantly surprised when all four of its primary preferences prevailed and will be on the ballot in November.

U.S. Senate GOP Primary Winner – Leah Vukmir. Although she was significantly outspent, long-time ABC of Wisconsin champion state Sen. Leah Vukmir defeated Marine Kevin Nicholson 49-43 percent. While Nicholson was the vote leader in 56 counties, Vukmir won the more populous counties in southeastern Wisconsin handedly, including Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties with over 65 percent of the vote. Vukmir will now face Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is one of the few Senate cosponsors of S. 2810, which is essentially “card check on steroids.”

1^st Congressional District GOP primary Winner – Bryan Steil. Whomever wins this Southeast Wisconsin congressional seat will have big shoes to fill in replacing Speaker Paul Ryan. Manufacturing executive and UW System Board of Regent Bryan Steil won the five-way GOP primary with nearly 52 percent of the vote and will face union ironworker Randy “Iron Stache” Bryce, who has the distinction of been arrested three times as often as he has run for office in the past.

1^st Senate District GOP Primary Winner – André Jacque. This legislator lost his committee chairmanship for holding a vote on the repeal of prevailing wage, but comfortably cruised to victory with nearly 80 percent of the primary vote in this Northeast Wisconsin seat. Jacque now faces Democrat Caleb Frostman, who barely defeated him in a special election for the open seat earlier this year.

86^th Assembly District GOP Primary Winner – John Spiros. Mosinee mayor and trial attorney Brent Jacobson ran a spirited campaign, but fortunately ABC of Wisconsin champion and incumbent Rep. John Spiros won the primary for this eastern Marathon County-based seat. Spiros will face Democrat and Marathon County Labor Council member Nancy Stencil in November.

All four of these pro-merit, pro-free enterprise candidates need your help to be elected in November. Please donate to the ABC of Wisconsin Political Action Committee via this safe and secure web link.

By John Schulze
John Schulze is director of legal and government affairs of Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin.