Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson launches GOP Wisconsin Senate bid against Tammy Baldwin

Pitching himself as a "strong fiscal conservative," U.S. Marine veteran and Delafield businessman Kevin Nicholson jumped into the race Wednesday to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin next year.

Nicholson, a former Democrat turned Republican, effectively kick-started the GOP primary process.

Other Republicans mulling the race include Madison businessman Eric Hovde, state Sen. Leah Vukmir of Brookfield, state Rep. Dale Kooyenga of Brookfield and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau.

"Bottom line, I made the decision to run because I believe that the problems our country is facing are huge and they're growing exponentially," Nicholson told the Journal Sentinel.

He said he will seek to bring an "outsider's perspective" to provide "honest solutions and answers" to the country's problems.

A video announcing Nicholson's candidacy focused on his Marine career fighting in two wars and earning a Bronze Star. The 39-year-old works for ghSMART, a management consultant firm.

The video also tackled head-on Nicholson's former affiliation with the Democratic Party. He was president of the College Democrats of America and spoke at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. Records show he registered as a Democrat in North Carolina in 2005. And he may have voted in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary, though he disputes that.

"I was a Democrat," Nicholson said in the video. "I used to do nothing and know everything." But he indicated his political outlook changed through life experiences that included his wartime service, business career and raising three children with his wife, Jessie.

"After you've been hit in the face with that much reality, you cannot help but become a strong conservative," he said.

Nicholson said he was "strongly pro life," and the video detailed his support for the Second Amendment, term limits and school choice.

"Tammy Baldwin is a disaster on national security," Nicholson said. "She's dead wrong on the economy. She's liberal, divisive and honestly just embarrassing. To me, Baldwin represents everything wrong about Washington."

Gillian Drummond, of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, said: "Kevin Nicholson is only out for himself and he’s already lied to voters about basic questions on his past — so why would they trust him with their future? Worse, Kevin’s in the pocket of an out-of-state billionaire whose money he’ll rely on to bankroll his campaign. We can’t count on Kevin to be honest or stand up for Wisconsin."

GOP mega-donor Richard Uihlein  has contributed $3.5 million to Solutions for Wisconsin, a super PAC that endorsed Nicholson. Uihlein, who lives in Lake Forest, Ill., is founder of the Pleasant Prairie-based Uline company.

Asked about several current issues, Nicholson said he supported the GOP plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

He also backed President Donald Trump's decision announced Wednesday that the United States will no longer "accept or allow" transgender people in the military.

"The key thing that he said that I agree with completely is that he defers to generals who made what sounds like pretty strongly worded advice on what they thought was the best course for the military," he said.

Other GOP candidates may soon jump into the race.

Vukmir told the Journal Sentinel that she has heard "from people across Wisconsin that we need real conservative leadership in the U.S. Senate, someone with a proven conservative track record." She added that she remains focused on her job in the state Senate and "you can expect to hear from me in the coming weeks regarding future plans."

Hovde, who finished second to Tommy Thompson in the 2012 GOP Senate primary, said he is focused on seeing that his youngest daughter goes off to college at the end of August.

"My wife and I will then sit down in September and try to make this decision," he said.