GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Former President Donald Trump endorses local businessman, Tony Wied, as he runs for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. Wied alongside Alex Bruesewitz hosted an event at Legacy Hotel to announce the campaign.
- Video shows a large turnout for Tony Wied's announcement about his campaign to run for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
- Former President Donald Trump endorsed Wied as Rep. Mike Gallagher looks to resign from this seat effective April 19.
- Republican State Sen. Andre Jacque and Roger Roger, Democrat Dr. Kristin Lyerly are all in the running for Rep. Gallagher's seat.
Another conservative candidate enters into the race to fill Rep. Mike Gallagher's seat in Washington D.C. upon his resignation.
Over the weekend, former president Donald Trump said he would be endorsing Tony Wied, a local businessman from Brown county.
Wied made the announcement on "X" on Sunday about the endorsement.
An event was held at the Legacy Hotel Monday, officially kicking off Wied's campaign to represent Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
"I'm incredibly honored to have (former) president Trump's endorsement," Wied said. "It's the greatest honor of my life to have and I'm looking forward to working with president Trump to to work on the big issues that are going on in Washington right now."
Weid said the big issues include "securing the border, fiscal policy and the budget."
Representative Gallagher's resignation from his seat is effective April 19.
Tony Wied is a former gas station owner, and he's the latest candidate to announce his bid for the 2024 general election.
Shortly after Congressman Gallagher announced he would be stepping down, former State Senator Roger Roth announced his plans to run.
State Senator Roth said, "As the only veteran in this race, I know what it means to serve. My wife and I look at our country, and for the sake of our children, know we have to fight to preserve and protect what makes America great. I will win this race and help Wisconsin for Donald Trump this November."
State Senator Andre Jacque also announced his bid for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
NBC26 reached out to the state senator for a response to President Trump's endorsement for Wied, and he released a statement.
"I don’t really know anything about Tony Wied other than when I knocked on his door and he put my sign in his yard. I’m proud to be the strong conservative candidate for this seat, with the proven track record of standing up for conservative values and common sense across the board. I’m the grassroots conservative candidate in this race. The response has been fantastic and I look forward to continuing to earn people's votes with the hard work and dedication to principle I’ve always had," said Jacque.
So far, Dr. Kristin Lyerly is the lone Democrat in the race for Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
Dr. Lyerly announced her candidacy last week.
Campaign Manager Madeleince Buchholz-Kneeland said, "We welcome another MAGA extremist candidate into the race who is going to push a divisive agenda. The people of Northeast Wisconsin deserve better, because here in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, our neighbors are not red and blue, they're green and gold. Dr. Lyerly's candidacy is about bringing people together to get things done, and we're going to work across the aisle to make health care affordable, rein in the cost of living and inflation, and ensure women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions."
Northeast Wisconsin voters will decide in the November general election who will represent Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
