Wisconsin GOP gubernatorial candidate Kevin Nicholson opted to suspend his campaign for the position, roughly six months after entering the race.
When detailing the reason for his decision, Nicholson said the only way forward was for his campaign to launch negative attacks against his opponents, which he refused.
“Over the past week, I have assessed the state of the primary race and it has become clear to me and my team the only path forward for our campaign is attacking the other candidates in the race on the airways and run a very negative campaign. While our team has the capability to do that, that is not something that I want to do – nor do I believe that it would be good for the party to do so. This election is too important for our state and movement,” Nicholson said.
The former candidate added that he would not endorse any of the remaining candidates before the primary election.
Polling consistently placed Nicholson in a distant third, trailing former Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and businessman Tim Michels.
Michels, who has jumped to the front of the race after receiving former President Trump’s endorsement, congratulated Nicholson on a hard-fought campaign:
“As I’ve said repeatedly on the trail, I respect Kevin Nicholson. I respect his service to our nation as a Marine and his work with No Better Friend Corp. This race was better for him being in it, working as hard as he did, and pushing his outsider message about the need to shake up the Madison machine. I will work hard to earn the support of his supporters, as I continue to grow our coalition. It is imperative we defeat Tony Evers this fall and that’s our continued focus.”
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kevin Nicholson” by Kevin Nicholson.
