Posted on 07/21/2003 2:16:05 PM PDT by Amish
Senator aiming to unseat Feingold By DAN EGAN degan@journalsentinel.com Last Updated: July 19, 2003 Republican State Sen. Bob Welch announced Saturday he will challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold in the 2004 election.
State Sen. Bob Welch
Photo/File
Welch was trounced in his 1994 race against Sen. Herb Kohl, and he is already calling this an "underdog" campaign.
That doesn't mean he is lacking confidence.
"Taking on an entrenched, liberal incumbent may be a formidable task, but we're putting together a great and growing team that will lead us, and Wisconsin, to victory in 2004," Welch said in a statement.
The 45-year-old said that he has been touring the state gauging support for his campaign and that it has become apparent to him that Feingold, a second-term senator, is out of touch with Wisconsin voters.
"I've found that Republicans, Independents and even many Democrats across Wisconsin are very troubled by the fact that this Wisconsin U.S. Senate seat has become the national focal and organizing point for the extremist liberal opposition to President Bush and the war on terror," he said. "Grabbing national headlines and fighting with the president at every important turn does nothing to make the world safer for our children, does nothing to create a single job or lower a single tax bill and does absolutely nothing to advance any real reform that would actually impact the everyday lives of the people of Wisconsin."
Feingold's response:
"I know and respect Bob Welch," the senator said in a statement released by his office Saturday night. "Should he emerge as the Republican nominee in next year's election for U.S. Senate, I look forward to a spirited and positive campaign."
The election is still more than 15 months away, and Welch likely will have to win a primary before he gets a chance to take on Feingold, said state Republican Party communications director, Chris Lato.
"Bob Welch has been a a great public servant for a number of years in Wisconsin, and there is no doubt he is going to be a very formidable candidate. Having said that, I think it's safe to say that Bob Welch, while he is the first candidate, he is not the last candidate who will announce," Lato said. "We do fully expect there will be a Republican primary this (election). We think that is a positive thing."
One likely candidate is Brownsville businessman Tim Michels, a retired Army officer who describes himself as "pro-life, pro-gun, pro-business, anti-tax, anti-big government."
"He is absolutely planning to run," said Michels' consultant, R.J. Johnson.
Johnson said his client's lack of political experience is a plus.
"Tim Michels obviously stacks up against Feingold for a number of reasons. This guy's not a professional politician. He doesn't come from the inside. That's the kind of candidate that has the best chance against somebody like Sen. Feingold," he said.
Welch, a father of three from Redgranite and a Ripon College graduate, has served in the Legislature for more than 18 years and is a member of the influential Joint Finance Committee.
He attributed his poor showing in 1994 to Kohl's deep pockets.
He hasn't raised a dime yet for this campaign, but he said his biggest asset is his experience.
"I've been around for 18 years, and I have a lot of friends around the state," he said.
He said he isn't worried about a challenge from Michels. He isn't even thinking about him.
"I'm really focused on beating Russ Feingold," he said.
From the July 20, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"yet cheap with his own money"
He coughed up a bunch for some stadiums. Then he ran for the Senate.
I'm leaning toward Tim Michels.
The only person who could beat Feingold is Tommy Thompson. Despite his bumbling at HHS, he's extremely popular here in WI. Mark Neumann may give Feingold a good run for his money like he did in 1998.
Feingold's a dangerous Rat, however....this is the guy who ran a humorous 1992 senatorial campaign while the other two guys threw mud at each other. He doesn't have the slimyness of a Daschle or Leahy.
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