CALEDONIA, Wis. – Randy Bryce, the Army veteran, cancer survivor, Ironworker, Social Security advocate and 2018 Democratic nominee for the First Congressional District who helped retire Paul Ryan, on Tuesday announced his candidacy to challenge incumbent millionaire Republican Rep. Bryan Steil.
Bryce launched his campaign with a video titled “Job’s Not Finished” that references his background as a union tradesman and fighter for the Middle Class – while highlighting Steil’s failure to stand up to billionaires like Elon Musk and the ongoing Trump assault on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid – using testimonials from Steil’s own constituents.
*For in-person, virtual or phone interviews with Randy Bryce, please contact press@randybryce.com. Or call (414) 364-1077.
A script for the new video appears below. Watch the video here.
Said Bryce:
“Right now, people all over Wisconsin are raising their voices against this administration’s attacks on Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits and food security – along with the totally brainless trade war that is crushing our farm and manufacturing economy. They’re also crying out against those doing nothing to stop Trump, like his puppet Bryan Steil.”
“Instead of doing his job and sticking up for Southeastern Wisconsin, Bryan Steil has been hiding from his own constituents and siding with the corruption and chaos of Donald Trump’s billionaire agenda.
“Steil runs FROM people. I’m running TO them.”
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ABOUT RANDY
Randy Bryce is a native of Southeastern Wisconsin who worked for more than two decades on some of the state’s biggest projects (Miller Park, the Harley-Davidson Museum, the Hoan Bridge resurfacing) as an Ironworker and currently works to help people with disabilities find good-paying jobs.
He was a graduate of Rufus King HIgh School in Milwaukee, and was deployed to The Honduras in the Army in the 1980s. When he returned he worked to help find housing for other veterans in need. Recruited by Democratic leaders to run for the Wisconsin Assembly and Wisconsin Senate, he was the party’s 2018 nominee to run against Paul Ryan – who eventually retired.
Since his run for Congress, Bryce has remained in the fight for the Middle Class through groups such as Social Security Works.
He lives in Caledonia and has a teenaged son.
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SCRIPT – “Jobs Not Finished”
AUDIO
Narrator: Every great story starts with a spark.
Narrator: Ours begins in 2018, when one man stood up to Washington.
Newscaster 1: “His first campaign ad has gone viral, raising over $2 million in small-dollar
donations…
Newscaster 2: “Here’s an Ironworker who raised $7 million, 25 bucks at a time.
Narrator: As career Politicians came and went…
Newscaster 3: “Paul Ryan announced he is retiring…”
Newscaster 4: “…has no spine…”
Newscaster 5: “…chased Paul Ryan out of Congress. Good riddance.”
Narrator: He refused to back down. Now, as old enemies come out of the shadows
Newscaster 6: “Workers will be paying the price for these disastrous Trump tariffs.”
Narrator: …We need him one more time.
Bernie Sanders (Via News Footage): “What Democrats lack is a vision for the future.”
Narrator: He’s not a politician. Or a billionaire.
He’s something much more rare in Congress… someone who actually works for a living.
Newscaster: “Randy Bryce has a nickname that fits an Ironworker”
Narrator:
He is…
Newscasters (Echoing, overlapping):
The Iron Stache.
Newscaster 7: “The Iron Stache himself, Randy Bryce.”
Randy: Well, I’ve never left a job unfinished.
For twenty years, II’ve helped build Wisconsin with these hands. While they shipped our jobs overseas, I stayed right here, fighting for working families.
Trump promised to bring manufacturing back. Eight years later, we’re still waiting.
VOICE MEMOS:
[real people from the 1st District]
VO: “Congressman Steil, when are you gonna actually stand up for us?”
VO: “I am very sorry that you are my Congressman.”
VO: “He’s a puppet-man!”
VO: “Randy will stand up for us.”
VO: “He really does care about people”
VO: “He will be at your side, fighting …”
Randy: We can’t afford to wait any longer. Not for jobs, or healthcare, or a damn living wage.
This isn’t about left vs. right. This is about the billionaires vs the rest of us. And we’ve got the numbers.
I’m Randy Bryce. I’m an Ironworker who got fed up of empty promises. It’s about time
someone kept their end of the bargain.
Trump talks a big game- but all he’s done is raise prices and show the world just how weak he is.
They had their chance. Now, it’s our turn. And it’s gonna take every one of us.
Because it’s simple. The job’s not finished- and we’re going to finish it together.”
