The Wisconsin U.S. Senate race in 2022 is one of the Democratic Party's top targets, reports Politico. Along with ones in other states, including in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Both of those are currently held by moderate Republicans who plan to retire instead of running for re-election.
Wisconsin's 2022 seat (another U.S. Senate seat is slated for a 2024 race) could be in the same category. It's currently held by Republican Ron Johnson, who has continued to become polarizing in the state. Johnson previously pledged to retire at the close of the current term.
But he's since changed his status to undecided. Whether he does or doesn't run again, the Democratic primary field is already filling out with more quite possibly on the way.
Ron Kind could enter the race
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, U.S. Representative Ron Kind could become a Senate candidate. "I'm sure we'll be taking a look at that," Kind said in part.
Kind has represented Wisconsin's 3rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives for well over 20 years. He was first elected in 1996 after the incumbent moderate Republican Steve Gunderson chose not to run again. During his career, Kind has also become well-known as a moderate. On multiple occasions, he's selected as chair of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of centrist Democrats.
For a time, Kind held one of the most prominent posts in the House. He was chief deputy whip of the House Democratic Caucus before resigning from the position. It was over his opposition to California Representative Nancy Pelosi as leader of the caucus. Kind has also repeatedly voted against Pelosi for speaker of the House.
Before joining Congress himself, Kind was a staffer for U.S.
Senator William Proxmire. He graduated with honors from Harvard, where he was a member of the football team. Later obtaining a master's degree from the London School of Economics. As well as a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. Kind would go on to work for the law firm Quarles & Brady. He left to become assistant district attorney of La Crosse County in west-central Wisconsin.
Sarah Godlewski 'seriously considering' running for the seat
While Ron Kind is a longtime veteran of elected politics, Sarah Godlewski is a relative newcomer. She's the current state treasurer of Wisconsin, elected in 2018. It's the first elected office that Godlewski has held, though she's been politically active in other roles. Including Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign.
In the 2018 Democratic primary, Godlewski won over a field including former Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass. Her main opponent in the general election was Republican Travis Hartwig, who she defeated. Incumbent Republican Matt Adamczyk didn't run for re-election. Instead of choosing to run for the Wisconsin State Assembly unsuccessfully.
Godlewski has been a member of the faculty at George Mason University, where she graduated from. She would also graduate from the University of Pennsylvania.
