Republicans in Wisconsin are lining up to challenge incumbent Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin in next year’s election. One of the most talked about candidates is Kevin Nicholson.
Nicholson. a conservative outsider and former combat Marine who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service, seems to have won the coveted endorsement of strategist Steve Bannon.
In an article from Breitbart titled the “League of Extraordinary Candidates”, Nicholson was mentioned as “pulling ahead” in the primary against establishment-backed state Sen. Leah Vukmir.
And The Daily Beast reported that Nicholson has landed as Bannon’s favored candidate in Wisconsin as well, saying that Bannon was looking to boost “conservatives such as Wisconsin businessman and Marine veteran Kevin Nicholson” in the 2018 elections.
Bannon’s endorsement has proven to be a valuable asset to any Republican looking to stand out in a crowded primary field.
Most recently, Bannon threw his support behind former Alabama Supreme Court judge Roy Moore in the special election primary to permanently fill the seat vacated by now Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Moore ended up winning the Republican primary against appointed Senator Luther Strange, who had the backing of the GOP establishment.
Bannon-approved candidates have also seen a surge in notoriety for challenging sitting GOP Senators as well. Bannon has pushed for candidates like Kelli Ward to challenge incumbent Senator Jeff Flake, and polls show her already putting up a serious challenge and even beating the establishment Senator with a year still to go.
For his part, Nicholson already has some big-name supporters behind him. The Club for Growth endorsed Nicholson in August, as did former UN Ambassador John Bolton. This puts Nicholson in a good spot as primary season starts to ramp up.