First Democrat to enter race for open Wisconsin congressional seat in Republican district

Madison, Wis. (AP) – A doctor from De Pere on Thursday became the first Democratic candidate to enter the race in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. open seat Created following the surprise retirement of Republican Representative Mike Gallagher.

Kristin Lyerly announced her candidacy two weeks ago Gallagher plans to step down, Due to the timing of his resignation there will be no special election.

Currently, Lyerly is unopposed in the August 13 Democratic primary. The Democrats did not field any candidate for the 2022 election.

“Even in what has been an R-plus 16 district in the past, there’s still a clear path to victory there,” Lyerly said on UpNorthNews Radio when announcing his campaign, referring to the district’s sharp Republican leanings.

Lyerly said she would win, “with women leading, with women voting, with women stepping up and acknowledging that my personal freedoms are being taken away from me.”

Two Republicans, State Senator Andre Jack and former State Senator Roger Roth, are running and a third is expected to join the race next week. Republican consultant Alex Brusewitz planned to make an announcement Monday. Brusewitz, 26, was born in Wisconsin but currently lives in Florida. He will have to return to Wisconsin to run for the seat.

Gallagher was elected four times to serve Northeast Wisconsin. His early departure leaves Republicans with a 217-213 majority in the House, meaning they can’t afford to lose more than one vote on a party-line vote.

Gallagher found himself at odds with former President Donald Trump and his supporters. He also angered fellow Republicans last month refusal to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Jack, Roth and Brusewitz are all Trump supporters.

The district is overwhelmingly Republican, but Democrats have vowed to make it competitive.

Trump won the district by 16 points in 2020, even though he lost the state to President Joe Biden by less than a point. Gallagher won re-election three times by at least 25 points. The district includes the cities of Appleton and Green Bay, Door County and covers mostly rural areas north through Marinette.

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