Republicans continue to search for a candidate to challenge incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s (D-WI) bid for a third term next year.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee, have spent this year recruiting the most electable candidates in must-win swing states to retake the majority next year. Democrats currently control the Senate by a 51-49 margin, meaning Republicans only need to net two seats to win back control.
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Both men have said their path to victory relies on wins in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, four states with Democratic incumbents up for reelection.
Not regularly mentioned at this stage of the game is Wisconsin, where Baldwin’s progressive credentials could make her a vulnerable target. Despite being one of the most left-wing members of the Senate, Baldwin is viewed as a formidable candidate, buoyed by an impressive fundraising prowess and a reputation for running an office that prioritizes constituent services.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the party’s Senate campaign arm, is heavily invested this cycle in protecting incumbents like Baldwin. With Republicans lacking a serious candidate as of mid-August, her race won’t require major resources just yet.
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Senate Republicans’ top choice, passed on a run in June, citing his work as chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Daines said last month that it would have been “political malpractice” not to try and recruit the 39-year-old former Marine into the race.
“Mike's a very talented congressman. Smart guy, class act,” Daines told CBS News. “We never thought we had a real strong shot at getting Mike to run for the United States Senate, but it was important to have a serious conversation.”
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI), the other obvious NRSC recruit, also opted to run for reelection in the House. Tiffany confirmed he was mulling a bid earlier this year after web crawlers flagged web domain name purchases for "thomastiffanyforsenate.com" and "tomtiffany4senate.com."
Reps. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI), Glenn Grotham (R-WI), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), the Badger State’s four remaining GOP congressmen, also declined the chance at a Senate bid this cycle. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan passed on a run too.
Eric Hovde and Scott Mayer, two Wisconsin-based businessmen with the ability to self-fund their own campaigns, make up the remaining potential candidates being recruited to the contest by the NRSC.
Hovde, a real estate developer who dropped millions into his failed 2012 Senate bid, told the Washington Examiner last month that he is in no rush to decide. As he mulls it over, he's begun vetting consultants and appearing at GOP events.
“You know, it's not an easy decision," Hovde said of throwing his hat in the ring. "It's a major commitment of your life, of your resources, and all the rest, but I’m taking a hard, serious look at it."
Mayer, meanwhile, says he’ll make a decision by Labor Day.
There's also former Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke, a conservative firebrand with close ties to former President Donald Trump. The controversial sheriff, who has also said he's mulling a bid, would likely struggle to get support from Senate GOP brass.
Daines rejected the idea that anything had gone wrong in the candidate recruitment process while discussing the state of play in Wisconsin last month, telling CBS that the “jury’s still out.”
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“Stay tuned in Wisconsin. We're engaged with a couple other candidates there,” Daines said at the time, later adding, “Wisconsin can be a very competitive race. We’re encouraged there.”
Reached by the Washington Examiner, NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell said in a statement, “We will have a strong candidate in Wisconsin that highlights Tammy Baldwin’s record as a far-left rubber stamp for Joe Biden.”