Sen. ScottFitzgerald (R-Juneau)
Several Republicans are considering a run against Democratic U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin in 2018, and other GOP leader argues it would be “foolish” for the party to get involved in a primary fight that makes it harder for the winner to run against her.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) is among those thinking about challenging Baldwin next year. Although, the Juneau Republican says he’s largely waiting to see if Congressman Sean Duffy (R-WI) decides to enter the race. “I think just think that Congressman Duffy is well positioned – so he’s kind of driving the train right now,” Fitzgerald said Thursday, during a wispolitics.com event in Madison.
Fitzgerald says his concern is that a seven-way primary for the seat would weaken the GOP field, as candidates would be competing against each other for resources and trying to get their message out. He worries that could make it easier for Baldwin to sit back and get re-elected. “I just think it would be foolish for Republicans in Wisconsin to not get their act together and make a serious run against Senator Baldwin…I think she is vulnerable.”
If Duffy opts to stay out of the race, Fitzgerald says Republicans will need to “get together and figure out what our game plan is.”
Fitzgerald submitted resume to Trump team
Fitzgerald also said Thursday that he submitted his resume and biography to President Donald Trump’s transition team last fall, although he has never heard anything back from them about a possible job in the administration. “Shortly after the elections were over, the Trump team called me and said ‘hey, we’re putting together some resumes from Wisconsin and we’d like you to submit one,” so I did that.”
Fitzgerald said there were no particular areas of the federal government where was interested in working, although he said he did joke with officials in the administration about being ambassador to Ireland. “I didn’t even know what the process was. I still don’t fully understand it,” he said.