Speaker Paul Ryan Easily Fends Off Challenger in Wisconsin Primary

With 28 percent of precincts reporting, Ryan had a 70-point lead over Nehlen.

Speaking Tuesday night after winning his primary bid for re-election, Ryan admitted he had not heard the audio of Trump’s controversial remarks, but was informed of the comment and said, “I hope he clears it up very quickly”.

Nehlen, 47, had portrayed Ryan as as a “soulless globalist” on issues such as trade and immigration, and accused him of “repeated betrayal” of Trump. “The outcome is exactly what we were hoping for”. Nehlen also attacked Ryan on his support for global trade agreements.

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%.

All the huge primary win means, Ryan insisted, is that he’s really well-liked in the congressional district where he was born and raised and has won election to represent since 1998.

Nehlen, who attempted to paint Ryan as a career politician and part of the GOP establishment, modeled his campaign after Republican nominee Donald Trump.

But the odds had remained long that Ryan would lose, even in this year’s volatile political environment.

But it wasn’t until the waning days of the primary campaign when Trump inserted himself into the race that most of the country started paying attention.

No House speaker in modern political history had lost a primary, and Ryan was keen to avoid the fate that befell House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 primary, when his political career ended due to a tea party challenger.

Trump offered praise to Nehlen, immediately lifting the businessman out of obscurity, and initially refused to back Ryan.

Ryan had other advantages, including widespread popularity in the district.

Ryan, Ayotte and McCain had criticised Trump’s feud with the family of Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004 and was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery.

Joanne Simenson was backing Nehlen because she says Ryan is a big spender, just like everyone else in Congress. “That’s the beginning of a fight we’re ready to get started”.

Ryan will now face Democrat Ryan Solen in the November election, who defeated Tom Breu in the Democratic primary.

Ryan had downplayed the primary challenge and rarely, if at all, engaged with Nehlen.