Alex Bruesewitz was considering a congressional run for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District for months, especially after Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) voted against impeaching Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas. Not long after, Gallagher announced he was retiring. Chances looked particularly good for Bruesewitz, too, as a recent Cygnal poll showed him with a wide lead against already declared candidates in the primary. Ultimately, however, after teasing an April 8 announcement, Bruesewitz announced on Sunday night that he was forgoing such a run. Instead, he, and former and potentially future President Donald Trump are supporting Tony Wied, the former owner of Dino Stop, a dinosaur themed gas station chain. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had reported on Friday that Wied was considering such a run.
Bruesewitz is close with the Trump family and had just appeared with the former president in Wisconsin last Tuesday for a campaign event where he received a shoutout and shared a ride on Trump's plane. It was also when Bruesewitz shared he would be making that April 8 announcement.
It’s an honor to know that so many patriots in #WI08 and across the country believe in me and want me fighting for them in Congress. (I’m up 30%!)
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) April 7, 2024
But after a lot of prayer, and deliberation with my family, close friends, and trusted allies, I have decided that now is not my… pic.twitter.com/rUXc1CCq0g
Wied, sharing Trump's post giving the candidate his "Complete and Total Endorsement," posted how he and Bruesewitz will still be making a "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT" on Monday.
Trump's endorsement also called out another candidate who has already announced, former State Sen. Roger Roth. The former president referred to him as "a 'clone' of [former House Speaker] Paul Ryan, and no friend of MAGA." He also said Roth "should drop out of the Race NOW."
Roth, who enjoys 12 percent in that Cygnal poll, announced his run just hours after Gallagher indicated he was not running again in February. State Sen. André Jacque, who is also running, enjoys 15 percent in that poll.
WOW THANK YOU PRESIDENT @realDonaldTrump! What an honor!
— Tony Wied (@TonyWied) April 8, 2024
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT WITH @alexbruesewitz TOMORROW!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TleaC0GBuc
Even though Bruesewitz is ultimately not running, the Cygnal poll still looks to be in Wied's favor, and not merely because he has endorsements from Bruesewitz and Trump. For the poll also showed that 64 percent of respondents want a political outsider over a career politician.
The primary won't take place until August 13, but whoever ends up being the nominee is sure to win the election, given that the district was R+10 in 2022. Forecasters also consider the race to be "Solid" or "Safe Republican," the best ranking the Republican nominee can have. Gallagher, who did not face a Democratic challenger in 2022, won with 72.2 percent of the vote that year.
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