Bice: GOP Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson on his Dem parents: 'We're not in contact'

The political divide between Republican Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson and his Democratic parents is much greater than we thought. 

Nicholson's parents, Michael and Donna, each gave the maximum $2,700 donation in December to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic incumbent whom Nicholson is trying to unseat.

In a Wednesday interview on the national show "Fox & Friends," Nicholson said he was not surprised by their Baldwin contributions given that they have a different worldview than he does. Nicholson is facing off against state Sen. Leah Vukmir of Brookfield in the GOP primary in August. 

Fox reporter Ainsley Earhardt then asked, "Are you getting along with your parents? What are they saying about (their donations to Sen. Baldwin)?" 

"It's unfortunate," Nicholson responded. "We're not in contact with my parents. That's a decision they made on the basis of their politics."

The response seemed to surprise Earhardt. 

But Nicholson went on to say that he had many family members, including aunts, uncles and cousins, who are fully supportive of his campaign. "There's a lot of love in our family — we appreciate that," he said. 

Asked to elaborate later on Wednesday, Nicholson spokesman Brandon Moody said, "The interview speaks for itself."

More:Parents of GOP Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson gave max donations to Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin

More:Bice: Kevin Nicholson’s mother donates to Democrats — and that includes Tammy Baldwin

Nicholson's parents, who live in Mequon, have been longtime Democrats, with his mother donating to liberal groups and Democratic candidates around the country, including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, former U.S. Sens. Al Franken of Minnesota and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

She had previously given Baldwin $441.

Nicholson readily acknowledges that he grew up as a Democrat and even served as the president of the College Democrats of America in 2000.

But Nicholson, a Delafield businessman and U.S. Marine veteran, has said his life experiences, including his time in military and his family life, convinced him to switch party affiliations. 

There has been some dispute over when he became a Republican; he has said the change occurred over several years. 

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice or on Facebook at fb.me/daniel.bice.