But under increasing pressure from establishment republicans, Trump ultimately endorsed Ryan.
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The Wisconsin primary also features a Democratic contest between U.S. Senate candidates Russ Feingold, and Scott Harbach.
Nehlen took a populist tack in the campaign, railing against Ryan as a tool of corporate interests and donors whose immigration and trade policies harm American workers.
Trump initially refused to support Ryan, but after his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, backed Ryan, Trump followed suit on Friday. “A lot of it has just been grid lock and people are exhausted of that, they really are they want to see a difference they want to see something change”, said Solen.
“I am humbled and honoured that Wisconsinites in the 1st Congressional District support my efforts to keep fighting on their behalf”, Ryan said in a statement.
House Speaker Paul Ryan says he’s not surprised by his large primary win and it doesn’t mean that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is doomed in November.
But Nehlen, 47, did win the backing of some prominent conservative figures including former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Indeed Trump himself struggled to make an impact in Wisconsin, where he was soundly beaten by Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries.
With more than 65% of votes counted in the first congressional district, Mr Ryan had almost 84% of the vote with his rival Paul Nehlen trailing on 16%. “We got the votes we were hoping and expecting to get all along. So in our shared mission, to make America great again, I support and endorse our speaker of the House, Paul Ryan”. Solen is an Iraq war veteran who lives in Mount Pleasant.
Nehlen leapt to national attention when he earned praise from Trump last week.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Voters will need photo identification.
Thanks largely to Trump, an expected walkover for the country’s highest-ranking Republican officeholder became one to watch on Tuesday. But the race caught fire last week when Trump praised Nehlen on Twitter and said he wasn’t ready to endorse Ryan.
In a sign of the tension between the politicians, Trump told the newspaper he was “not quite there yet” – almost the same phrase Ryan had used about Trump. Trump relented just three days later, but the burst of publicity was priceless for Nehlen.
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Ryan spent significantly on TV ads and enjoyed the support of party leaders, GOP elected officials and talk radio hosts, a major force in Republican politics in southeastern Wisconsin.
