Dick Leinenkugel has not officially entered the race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Russ Feingold.
However, Leinenkugel immediately starting taking hits from the left and the right after WisPolitics reported this week that he plans to announce in the new few weeks that he will run in the Republican primary for Senate after serving the past 18 months as Commerce Secretary in Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle’s administration.
GOP Senate candidate Terrence Wall got in a shot in a press release welcoming Leinenkugel to the race by noting Wisconsin’s unemployment doubled while he has been Commerce Secretary. Wall also tied Leinenkugel to Doyle tax increases and the state’s no-bid contract for a Spanish company to build high-speed rail cars for Wisconsin.
The Democratic Party, meanwhile, noted Leinenkugel headlined a fundraiser for Democratic state Rep. Andy Jorgensen just four months ago and questioned if the GOP would welcome “a cheerleader for the stimulus that they oppose.”
Meanwhile, a former aide to Tommy Thompson said Leinenkugel’s decision to get into the race will not impact whether the former guv gets in himself after months of weighing a bid. Businessman Ron Johnson, president of Pacur in Oshkosh, said he also is still weighing whether to join the GOP field and said Leinenkugel’s decision will not impact him, either.
– WisPolitics.com
