A steady stream of voters turn at Franklin City Hall in Milwaukee, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 to vote.
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In his concession speech, Nehlen referred to Ryan as the “world leader of the globalist movement”.
Ryan addressed reporters in Janesville soon after the results and presented an upbeat message, saying residents shared his desire “for political leadership that’s inclusive, not divisive”.
“I am humbled and honoured that Wisconsinites in the 1st Congressional District support my efforts to keep fighting on their behalf”.
In one July 23 incident, Nehlen supporters and mothers whose children were killed by undocumented immigrants challenged Ryan’s lack of full support for Trump’s immigration agenda.
“There is a lot of anger that Washington just isn’t working”, he said. “I think it means right here in Wisconsin, people know me very, very well”.
Paul Nehlen’s star rose after Trump praised him last week on Twitter, then later pointedly withheld his endorsement of Ryan.
He also received some notable support – former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed him, and conservative author Ann Coulter campaigned with him last weekend.
It’s a reversal from Ryan’s stance a year ago – when he’d touted the potential benefits of the Pacific Rim deal and said he hoped it would get a vote in Congress. This is absolutely igniting exactly what we wanted: “our country back”.
Ryan will be a heavy favorite, with almost $10 million and high name recognition and favorability ratings in his district.
A Free Beacon poll in May showed Ryan leading by 73 points with about 13 percent of likely primary voters undecided. Trump tweeted a thank you to Nehlan, raising his profile, for defending Trump as he faced criticism for comments he made about the family of an American soldier who died in Iraq and whose father spoke at the Democratic National Convention.
Nehlen tried to link himself to Trump’s outsider status.. Ryan chose not to appear with Trump at a Green Bay event to receive the endorsement; his aides said he was too busy with other previously scheduled events in the state. But Ryan, who had downplayed the challenge, easily handled the businessman by a 5-1 margin.
Nehlen was struggling for attention against Ryan, a popular congressman who rarely draws a primary challenger in his southeastern district. But you’ve got to have, in an economy like this, good ones so we can make it here and sell it over there instead of making it there to sell it over there.
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