On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wis.) easily beat his Republican primary challenger, a water filtration company executive who received national attention after being praised by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.
With 86.5 percent of precincts reporting, Ryan has 84.2 percent of the vote, compared to challenger Paul Nehlen with 15.8 percent. Last week, Trump thanked Nehlen on Twitter for defending him amid his war of words with a Gold Star family; ultimately, Trump endorsed Ryan. Nehlen was backed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and conservative commentator Ann Coulter, and ran to the right of Ryan, The Associated Press reports; he also said if Ryan wouldn't debate him, he should at least arm wrestle him.
Ryan, first elected in 1998, out-raised Nehlen by a 17 to 1 ratio, but to ensure he didn't lose to a little known challenger like former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor had in 2014, Ryan spent Monday appearing on several Wisconsin radio shows and made two campaign stops. "People here, they know me well," Ryan said Tuesday night during a press conference in Janesville, Wisconsin. "They know I believe to serve is to work to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. They share my desire for political leadership that is inclusive, not divisive. They look at the horizon and they look for hope, not for fear."
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