- Tony Weed, the former owner of the Dino Stop gas station chain, has secured the support of former President Donald Trump in his bid to win the Wisconsin state House seat currently held by Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher.
- Weed is expected to join state Sen. Andre Jacques and former state Sen. Roger Ross in the competitive Republican primary. Alex Brucewicz, a pro-Trump political consultant, was also expected to run, but recently decided not to run.
- Mr. Gallagher’s district, which includes Green Bay, Appleton and much of rural northeastern Wisconsin, votes reliably Republican, making the winner of the primary the front-runner in the general election.
The former owner of a chain of dinosaur-themed gas stations in northeastern Wisconsin was expected to announce Monday that he would run for Congress in the heavily Republican district after receiving an endorsement from Donald Trump over the weekend.
Tony Weed, who owned six Dino Stop gas stations and convenience stores, is expected to join the race for the 8th Congressional District seat vacated by the sudden early retirement of Congressman Mike Gallagher. was. Two other Republicans and one Democrat have already announced their candidacy.
The primary election is August 13th.
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Weed attended a Trump rally in Green Bay last week. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obtained a photo of a document titled “Tony Weed for Congress — WI08” that contains Weed’s biographical information.
President Trump posted support for Weed on social media on Sunday, even though he has not yet officially entered the race. Weed plans to do just that at an event in Green Bay on Monday night.
“After selling his highly successful oil and gas business, Tony Weed has decided to run for Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District,” President Trump wrote on his social media platforms, using Weed’s last name. I wrote it with the wrong spelling.
Weed sold its Dino Stop chain to a Denver-based company in 2022.
President Trump has called on Republican Roger Ross, a former state senator from Appleton, to withdraw from the race. Ross declined to do so when asked in 2022 if he would support Trump’s 2024 presidential bid, but he supported Trump in his latest bid for the House of Representatives. did.
United States – August 31: Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) speaks during a House Republican press conference on the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, Tuesday, August 31, 2021, in the Rayburn Room on Capitol Hill. Speak at (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
“Tony is running against RINO Roger Ross, a ‘clone’ of Paul Ryan and no friend of MAGA. He should be out of the race now,” Trump wrote. “As Congressman-elect, Tony will work hard to unleash America’s energy, stop inflation, secure our borders, support our military and veterans, and protect the Second Amendment, which is always under siege. .”
In a statement Monday, Mr. Ross highlighted his accomplishments in the Wisconsin Air National Guard and said he recommitted himself to Mr. Trump.
“As the only veteran in this race, I know what it means to serve,” Ross said. “My wife and I love this country, and we know that for our children, we must fight to preserve and protect America’s greatness. I will win this election and in November, Donald Trump・I will contribute to Mr. Trump’s victory in Wisconsin.
Ross has received support from conservatives such as former Republican Gov. Scott Walker and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
State Sen. Andre Jacques of De Pere is also running as a Republican. Dr. Christine Leary, also from De Pere, is the only announced Democratic candidate.
Another Republican and Trump supporter, Republican consultant Alex Brucewicz, was also considering a run. Brusewitz said in a text message Monday that he had been planning to run until he met Wied.
“I really encouraged him to make a running plan,” Brusewitz said. “I believe he’s a 10/10 candidate.”
Mr. Brusewitz said he would serve as an adviser to Mr. Weed’s campaign.
Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District is solidly Republican, but Democrats have vowed to make it competitive.
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Trump won the district by a 16-point margin, despite losing the state to President Joe Biden by less than a point in 2020. Mr. Gallagher was re-elected three times by margins of 25 points or more. The district includes the cities of Appleton and Green Bay in Door County and covers much of the rural area north of Marinette.
