Scott Fitzgerald wins Republican nomination in Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District


Wisconsin state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) defeated Clifford DeTemple to win the Republican nomination in Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District. As of 9:00 p.m. Central Time, Fitzgerald had received 78% of the vote to DeTemple’s 22%.

Incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner (R), who was first elected to the House in 1978 and is the second-most senior member of the U.S. House, did not run for re-election. He and former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) endorsed Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald said he was an early supporter of President Donald Trump’s and would be an effective ally to the president in Congress. DeTemple, a Coast Guard veteran and small business owner, said he would bring a new perspective to Washington.

Election forecasters say the Fifth District, which is located to the west and northwest of Milwaukee, is a safe Republican district.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House will be up for election on November 3, 2020. As of August 2020, Democrats have a 232-198 advantage over Republicans. There is one Libertarian member and four vacancies.