Contact: Brad Bainum, bradb@wisdems.org
MADISON — Republican Party of Wisconsin-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir is today leading her GOP opponent primary Kevin Nicholson, despite Nicholson’s out-of-state billionaire megadonor Dick Uihlein spending more than $7.5 million-and-counting to buy Nicholson a Senate seat.
According to today’s Marquette University Law School poll, Vukmir has fully “wip[ed] out Nicholson’s lead” — which was 5% over Vukmir, in June, and 18% over Vukmir, according to Nicholson’s April campaign polling.
Nicholson’s crashing poll numbers and Vukmir’s corresponding surge highlight two emerging key questions:
With “Vukmir rising,” will Nicholson respect U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s wish that the weaker candidate drop out of the race, as Vukmir herself already asked Nicholson to do back in May?
Will Illinois billionaire Dick Uihlein, who’s already spent more than $7.5 million trying to buy Nicholson a Senate seat, hold his anti-Vukmir TV ad spending fire, or continue his “GOP Civil War” and risk destroying the Republican Party of Wisconsin in order to buy Nicholson a primary win?