Conservative group FreedomWorks to focus on 3 House races in Wisconsin
Bill Glauber
Training activists and parceling out endorsements, the conservative group FreedomWorks plans to play a role in three key House races in Wisconsin.
The group is kicking off its effort Saturday with a training session in Milwaukee.
Noah Wall, FreedomWorks' vice president for advocacy, said the organization is honing in on House races in 10 states in the 2020 campaign cycle, including Pennsylvania and Ohio. Its aim is to help Republicans retake the House.
"This is an important region, very much in play," he said.
The group's 2020 policy platform includes free markets, rolling back regulations, strengthening the country's borders and implementing criminal justice reform.
Wall said the group plans to endorse in House GOP primaries in Wisconsin, with two key battles shaping up in the 5th and 7th Districts.
In the 5th, a Republican stronghold, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald is running to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who is retiring at the end of his term.
Fitzgerald hasn't drawn a GOP challenger yet, but state Sen. Chris Kapenga is considering a run. If Kapenga does enter the race, a FreedomWorks endorsement would provide a boost.
In the 7th, where Republican Sean Duffy retired from Congress and a special election is on tap, the two main GOP contenders are state Sen. Tom Tiffany and political newcomer Jason Church.
In the 3rd, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Kind doesn't yet have a Republican challenger. But in a district where President Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by four points in 2016, the seat is a priority for GOP campaign officials.
FreedomWorks would then provide on-the-ground support for a GOP candidate through door-knocking and peer-to-peer texting.
In other political news, Ben Voelkel, a top aide to U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, announced he won't be running in the House GOP primary in the 5th.
"We need principled leadership in Congress to protect and grow freedom for all Americans, and while this is not the right time for me to run, I am confident that the voters of the 5th Congressional District will have a good choice in 2020," he said.