GOP's Roger Roth announces candidacy hours after Mike Gallagher said he's not seeking re-election

WASHINGTON – Just hours after Wisconsin GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher said he would not seek reelection in the House this November, one Republican had already announced a campaign to replace him.

Former state Sen. Roger Roth, an Appleton Republican who ran for lieutenant governor in 2022, said Saturday he would run for the seat and called for "bold, new leadership to restore the America we love." He called himself a "proven conservative fighter."

"We must solidify our border and strengthen our national security, our economy, and our traditional values," Roth said in a statement. "Our federal government is failing us. It is our duty to preserve and protect our great nation now and for our future."

Other Republicans also expressed interested in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District seat.

The Trump-aligned GOP consultant Alex Bruesewitz tweeted that he is now taking "a VERY STRONG LOOK" at running. And state Sen. Andre Jacque, a Republican from De Pere, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that making a run for the seat is "certainly something I’ll take a hard look at.”

Gallagher's sudden announcement leaves open his safely-Republican northeastern Wisconsin district. Republicans have about a 16-point edge in the largely rural seat that stretches from Appleton and Green Bay, through Door County and north to Marinette. Gallagher had won each reelection handily, by no fewer than 25 points.

Congressional candidates must file their paperwork to run in Wisconsin by June 1 in order to be on the ballot for the primary, set for Aug. 13.

Democrats failed to field a candidate to run in the 8th District in 2022. Kristin Lyerly, a De Pere OB-GYN who has been active in Democrats' efforts to restore abortion access in Wisconsin, is considering a run this year. The state party on Saturday said Wisconsin Democrats "look forward to competing in the 8th and bringing some stability and competence back to the House."

Now, Republicans are beginning to make their own decisions.

Roth, who served as state Senate president from 2017-21, used his campaign announcement to attack President Joe Biden and endorse former President Donald Trump, something he declined to do during his 2022 run for lieutenant governor. He mentioned the border, the economy and "weak foreign policy" as key issues.

"We have seen what failure looks like and we know the first step is getting our economy back on track, securing peace and prosperity for generations to come means defeating Joe Biden and the Democrats," Roth said. "As goes Northeast Wisconsin, so does the state."

Roth ran for lieutenant governor alongside GOP gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels in 2022. He previously ran for the 8th District in 2010 but was defeated in the GOP primary by former Rep. Reid Ribble.

Meanwhile, Bruesewitz, 26, told the Journal Sentinel he is considering "very closely" making a bid for the seat after Gallagher's announcement. Bruesewitz, who currently lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, had repeatedly attacked Gallagher on social media following Gallagher's vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this week.

"Obviously running for Congress is a big thing," said Bruesewitz, adding that he's currently focused on reelecting Trump. "I'm a young man, but our country is in trouble right now."

Bruesewitz told the Journal Sentinel he grew up in Ripon and said his grandmother lives in Appleton. He said he has "tremendous relationships with business leaders" in the district. He graduated from high school in Ripon, eventually moved to Milwaukee and left Wisconsin four years ago.

He said he's been asked to run by multiple members of Congress and people in Trump's orbit but declined to specify who encouraged him. He said he thinks he'd clear the field if he entered the race.

Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser currently under investigation for calling for the deaths of two Democratic lawmakers, wrote on X Wednesday that Bruesewitz "would have the full support of the MAGA movement" if he ran. And the Republican Party of Oconto County said it would also support Bruesewitz.

Bruesewitz said he'll be in the Fox Valley later this month "meeting with local grassroots leaders and patriots and more than likely doing a very big event there."

Jacque, the Republican state senator from De Pere, said that while he has not yet discussed it with his family, he is closely considering a run of his own.

“I’ve had a lot of folks reaching out to me since the news broke encouraging me to run, which is humbling," Jacque said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former legislator Roger Roth announces run for Mike Gallagher seat