This Just In: This week in politics: Congressional race shifts to general election

Dan Plutchak | August 24, 2016

This week in politics is an occasional roundup of news about local races. Send your tips and scoops to the editor at [email protected]. The general election is Nov. 8.

Despite losing the Aug. 9 congressional primary to Janesville Republican and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, businessman Paul Nehlen of Delavan Township will stay engaged in the presidential race leading up to the Nov. 8 general election.

At a news conference Monday, Nehlen announced he is launching Citizen Revolt PAC, a grassroots political operation to support Donald Trump, according to a news release from his campaign organization.

"Millions of hard-working Americans have had enough of the Hillary Clinton dynasty, and they've had enough of career politicians colluding to keep outsiders like Donald Trump -- who echoes their thoughts -- out of power," Nehlen said in the news release. "We're launching Citizen Revolt PAC to amplify the voices of every working American who has had enough of party leadership and who is ready to put out to pasture the political dynasties running American politics."

Citizen Revolt PAC will raise into the seven figures ahead of November's election and will spend every available dime on communications and ground operations in key swing states in an effort to elect Trump, according to Nehlen.

PAC operations will include TV, radio, digital, mail messaging and ground operations in target states. Field operations will be comprised of a robust door-to-door effort aimed at galvanizing voters to vote Republican, he said.

Before he gets too involved in his super PAC however, Nehlen will have to clear up the legal issues surrounding his Election Day tweet of a photo of his ballot. State law prohibits showing others an image of a ballot, although judges in other states have struck down such laws. Town of Delavan police currently are looking into the matter, according to media reports.

Democrat Ryan Solen of Mount Pleasant now takes up the mantle of Ryan's No. 1 opponent after defeating Tom Breu of Janesville in the Democratic primary.

Solen has been pushing Ryan for a debate, but so far has been met with silence.

Don't expect much else soon from Ryan, however. He rarely publicly acknowledges his campaign opponents, a longtime strategy.

However, after passing on a debate with Democrat Rob Zerban in 2012 when he was running for vice president, Ryan did debate Zerban two years ago.

Ryan and Solen have a willing moderator in Tim Bremel, host of "Your Talk Show" on WCLO AM-1230, according to Solen. WCLO also is a Bliss media company, which owns CSI Media, publisher of this newspaper.

In other Trump news, Diane Hendricks of Beloit, chairwoman of Hendricks Holding Co., was named earlier this month to Trump's team of economic advisers. Liz Uihlein, president of Uline Corp., based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, also was named to the team.

The women have been supporters of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Hendricks gave $5 million to a super PAC supporting his presidential candidacy. Also named to the advisory team are Darlene Jordan, Betsy McCaughey, Brooke Rollins, Carla Sands, Anthony Scaramucci, Judy Shelton and Kathleen Hartnett White.

In the race for the 31st Assembly District, which includes most of eastern Rock County and western Walworth County, Democrat Clinton Anderson announced this week that he has been endorsed by the Sierra Club.

Anderson, 22, of Beloit, is challenging Republican incumbent Amy Loudenbeck of Clinton for the seat.

"Clinton Anderson is the Sierra Club's choice for Assembly District 31," Dave Blouin, state political committee chair of the Sierra Club, was quoted as saying in a news release.

Anderson completed his associate degree this summer at the University of Wisconsin-Rock County and plans to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the fall.

Dan Plutchak is editor of CSI Media news, which publishes Walworth County Sunday.