MAGA supports inexperienced businessman to replace Mike Gallagher

Two months after former gas station chain owner Tony Wied entered Wisconsin’s 8^th Congressional District race, MAGA supporters have sent Donald Trump Jr. and South Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to campaign for Wied.

Burgum, who is on Donald Trump’s list of potential vice president candidates, is slated to headline a fundraiser for Wied in Green Bay on June 23, according to a report from WISN 12’s Matt Smith.

North Dakota governor and potential VP pick Doug Burgum will campaign and headline a fundraiser for Tony Wied June 23rd in Green Bay. The announcement comes after Donald Trump Jr. campaigned for Wied last week in NE WI

Wied is running in GOP primary for WI’s 8th CD pic.twitter.com/UL7urIr7NX

— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) June 11, 2024

Burgum’s fundraiser announcement comes days after Donald Trump Jr. appeared at a rally for Wied in De Pere. After announcing his campaign in April, Wied also quickly gained an endorsement from Trump despite being the candidate with the least amount of political experience. Trump called on Wied’s opponent Roger Roth to drop out of the race despite his nearly two decades of experience in Wisconsin politics.

“Tony [Wied] is running against RINO Roger Roth, who is a ‘clone’ of Paul Ryan, and no friend to MAGA – He should drop out of the Race NOW,” Trump reportedly wrote on Truth Social. “As your next Congressman, Tony will work hard to Unleash American Energy, Stop Inflation, Secure our Border, Support our Military / Vets, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment.”

Roth spent four years in the Wisconsin Assembly before a failed congressional run in 2010. Roth was then elected to the state Senate in 2014, where he served for eight years, four of which he was the president of the body. Despite his staunch conservative agenda in the Wisconsin state legislature, and his Trump-backed gubernatorial ticket in 2022, Roth was labeled a RINO (Republican in Name Only) by Trump. And Trump didn’t bother to mention state Sen. André Jacques (R-De Pere), who has been in the race the longest but is trailing Roth in fundraising.

All three candidates are looking to secure the Republican nomination on Aug. 13 in a race that will determine who will replace former Rep. Mike Gallagher (R). Gallagher was seen as a “rising star” in the Republican Party but unexpectedly resigned earlier this year and left the GOP with a thin one-seat voting majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The only Democrat in the race is OBGYN Dr. Kristin Lyerly. After Wied announced his bid, Lyerly released a statement welcoming “another MAGA extremist candidate into the race who is going to push a divisive agenda.” U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) endorsed Lyerly on June 7.