Former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in battleground Wisconsin will be put to the test in a congressional race during Tuesday’s primary, where voters will also set the field for the state’s closely watched U.S. Senate race. The Senate seat, currently held by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, is seen as a must-win for Democrats if they hope to maintain majority control. Republican millionaire banker Eric Hovde has dominated the GOP race and faces nominal opposition in his quest to defeat two-term incumbent Baldwin.
Voters will also decide on a pair of Republican-backed constitutional amendments that would take power away from the governor to spend federal money. These amendments would require legislative approval before the governor could spend any federal money coming to the state for disaster relief or any other crisis, unless it’s already earmarked. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and liberals are opposed to these amendments, arguing that it will slow down the distribution of money when it needs to be spent quickly.
In another primary for the open 8th Congressional District seat in northeast Wisconsin, three Republicans, including one backed by Trump, will face off. Former gas station chain owner Tony Wied, endorsed by Trump, is up against two challengers who have won legislative races in portions of the congressional district. This race will test the extent of Trump’s backing in Wisconsin. Dr. Kristin Lyerly, an obstetrician who sued to overturn Wisconsin’s abortion ban, is the only Democrat running in this district.
The 3rd Congressional District in western Wisconsin, previously held by a Democrat for 26 years before flipping in 2022, is the most competitive district in the state. There is a crowded Democratic primary for the chance to take on incumbent Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL and strong Trump supporter. State Rep. Katrina Shankland, who has support from labor unions and other Democratic members of Congress, faces two other challengers in the Democratic primary.
This election is the first under new legislative boundary lines that were enacted after the previous maps were deemed unconstitutional. Legislative incumbents will face each other in six primaries, including four Assembly races where the new maps pitted them against each other. The winners in Tuesday’s primaries will face off in November, when all 99 seats in the Assembly and half of the Senate are on the ballot. Democrats are running candidates in every Senate district for the first time in 20 years, hoping to capitalize on the new lines that are more favorable to them.
The Legislature in Wisconsin has been under Republican control since 2011, serving as a block on Governor Evers’ agenda. Evers has vetoed the most bills of any governor in Wisconsin history. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who faced two failed recall attempts by Trump backers, faces no primary challenger. Two Republicans, state Rep. Janel Brandtjen and Sen. Dan Knodl, will face each other in a new Assembly district representing Milwaukee’s far northwestern suburbs. On the Senate side, Republican incumbent Dan Feyen will face former state Rep. Tim Ramthun in a primary for the seat representing far east-central Wisconsin.
