MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The Latest on Wisconsin Senate race (all times local):
2:20 p.m.
Republican Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson says if elected, he will serve no more than two terms.
Nicholson is a former Marine who launched his campaign on Wednesday. He is the first Republican to get into the race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Another potential Republican candidate Leah Vukmir (VOOK-meer) is questioning Nicholson’s conservative credentials. He was the former head of College Democrats of America.
Nicholson says his track record is putting his life on the line for his country and dealing with problems as a Marine and businessman that are “enormous in scale.”
Several other Republicans are considering getting into the race but have yet to announce.
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10 a.m.
Republican state Sen. Leah Vukmir (VOOK-meer) says she has a proven conservative track record, but she doesn’t know if GOP Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson does.
Nicholson announced his candidacy Wednesday. Vukmir says his announcement doesn’t change her plans and she will make her decision known in the coming weeks. Vukmir says she is focused on continued state budget talks and a possible deal for electronics giant Foxconn to build a factory in the state.
Vukmir says she is hearing from people who “want a real conservative and real conservative leadership in the Senate.” She says people know her conservative past but “I’m not familiar with Kevin’s conservative track record at this point, other than him saying he’s a conservative.”
Nicholson was a former head of College Democrats and voted in the Democratic presidential primary.
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8:35 a.m.
Republican Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson is going after Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin in a video announcing his candidacy.
Nicholson launched his campaign Wednesday with a video touting his experience as a Marine, while also criticizing Baldwin as “liberal, divisive and honestly, just embarrassing.”
Wisconsin Democratic Party spokeswoman Gillian Drummond says that Nicholson is only out for himself and can’t be trusted. She says he’s “in the pocket of an out-of-state billionaire whose money he’ll rely on to bankroll his campaign.”
Uline Corp. founder Richard Uihlein, who lives in Illinois, has given $2 million to a political action committee created to back Nicholson.
Other potential Republican Senate candidates did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
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7:59 a.m.
A former Marine and former Democrat has become the first Republican to get into the race to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin next year.
Republican Kevin Nicholson of Delafield launched his campaign on Wednesday with a video that casts himself as a “conservative outsider” and emphasizes his military service.
Nicholson was expected to get into the race.
Other Republicans considering getting into the race include state Sen. Leah Vukmir, Madison businessman Eric Hovde and state Rep. Dale Kooyenga.
Nicholson was national president of the College Democrats of America but he says his migration to the Republican Party was complete by 2007.
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