3 Republican Candidates Vie For Ribble’s Open Congressional Seat

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Reid Ribble’s decision not to run for another term has left northeast Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District as the state’s only open seat.

Three Republicans are competing in Tuesday’s primary for a chance in the general election, but some question if one of the candidates, Frank Lasee, actually lives in the district.

At a church festival on July 31 in Dyckesville, state Sen. Frank Lasee said he wouldn’t be running for Congress if Reid Ribble planned to run again. But, Lasee said he’s concerned about regulations, border security and the country’s debt.

“I think I’m more conservative than Reid Ribble is,” Lasee said. “I won’t go squishy in Washington. I’m a rock-solid conservative. I’ll work on these issues. I will not vote to increase our federal debt ceiling. I will not vote to increase our federal spending. Period.”

Lee Cornette, who attended the festival, said he’s leaning towards another candidate, Mike Gallagher.

“He’s not a career politician, and I’m getting sick of career politicians at all levels,” Cornette said.

At a Green Bay coffee shop, Gallagher talked about the questions surrounding Lasee’s residency.

“I live right next door, I have a condo here downtown,” Gallagher said. “So I’m happy to show it to anyone who’d want to make that an issue.”

Newspaper articles have questioned whether or not Lasee actually lives near De Pere — in the district — or in Racine. Midwest Growth PAC, which supports Gallagher, has sent mailers saying that Lasee “lies about Racine residency.”

Gallagher, who served two tours with the U.S. Marines in Iraq, said he’s focused on the deteriorating economy and how the U.S. has abandoned global leadership.

“I returned to Iraq about a year ago in a civilian capacity, and now the town that I deployed to on the Syrian border is under ISIS control,” Gallagher said. “That’s how far we’ve fallen in just seven years because we flushed all our hard-won gains down the drain.”

Reid Ribble has endorsed Gallagher, who jas raised nearly $1 million, compared to Lasse’s $300,000. The third candidate, Terry McNulty, has raised just $7,000.

McNulty is the village of Forestville board president and also has concerns about the federal government’s spending.

“We have got to have a budget,” McNulty said. “You’ve got to have a plan, what you want to do in your term, and Congress is only a two-year term, so I love the idea of biennial budgets just like we have here in Wisconsin. But you also have to have a plan to retire debt, just a balanced budget doesn’t address the debt problem.”

McNulty touts his local ties in southern Door County saying, “Nobody really has to worry about where this guy is from. I was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. I graduated from Southern Door High School.”

As to the residency issue, even if the rumors are false, they can still hurt Lasee, said David Helpap, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

“Perception tends to be reality,” Helpap said. “So if you can say, ‘He doesn’t actually live here so how can he represent your interest?’ or, ‘He doesn’t spend time in northeast Wisconsin, how can he represent your interest?’ It’s a great point.”

Lasee addressed the issue himself at the July church festival.

“I live in the district,” Lasee said. “My wife and I — because it’s our second marriage — her kids go to school in Racine, my kids go to school in De Pere. It works for us. It’s difficult. We spend a lot of time on the road, but we make it work. I serve the people of my district and I would serve the people in Congress.”

But on a beautiful Sunday afternoon it’s understandable that many people aren’t quite tuned into Tuesday’s primary. An unidentified local woman brushed off a question by saying, “I’m good, I’m not really into the whole election thing right now.”