OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) — Republican US Senator Ron Johnson will seek a third term in office, reneging on his commitment to two terms made during previous campaigns.
In a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, Johnson, 66, laid out his reasoning, saying that while he’d prefer to retire, he thinks the the country is in “too much peril” for him to stop at two terms.
“Countless people have encouraged me to run, saying they rely on me to be their voice, to speak plain and obvious truths other elected leaders shirk from expressing ― truths the elite in government, mainstream media and Big Tech don’t want you to hear,” Johnson wrote.
The race is expected to be competitive. Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes; Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry; state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski; Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson; and Steven Olikara, founder and chief executive of the nonprofit Millennial Action Project are all running for the Democratic nomination. Several elected Republicans were waiting on Johnson’s decision before making decisions of their own on whether or not to make a senate bid. Former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy announced last week that he was not running. Former Marine Kevin Nicholson, who lost a Republican primary for Senate in 2018, has said he would run for governor, instead of senate, if Johnson sought reelection.
