Primary pits newcomer vs. state Senate leader
5th District winner will face Palzewicz on Nov. 3
MADISON – Longtime Republican state Senate leader Scott Fitzgerald will battle against fellow Republican Cliff DeTemple in the August primary for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The two will face off in the Aug. 11 GOP primary to represent Wisconsin’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Jefferson and Washington counties, along with parts of Dodge, Milwaukee, Walworth and Waukesha counties.
The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election against Democrat Tom Palzewicz, who lost the 2018 election for the same seat to Republican incumbent Jim Sensenbrenner.
Sensenbrenner, who was first elected in 1978 and is the second longestserving member in the U.S. House of Representatives, announced in September he would not run for a 22nd term.
The outgoing congressman recently endorsed Fitzgerald for his seat in the House, to which Fitzgerald said he was “beyond humbled and deeply grateful.”
Sensenbrenner’s departure leaves the representation of his deeply conservative district up in the air ahead of November’s presidential election.
Fitzgerald, an early backer of President Donald Trump, said he would remain Senate majority leader during his run. His connection to Trump may be advantageous in some parts of the district, but it could also turn off some voters in the Milwaukee suburbs.
“I entered this race because I wanted to bring the common-sense, conservative reforms that we’ve championed here in Wisconsin to Washington,” Fitzgerald said in an email to the Journal Sentinel.
“I haven’t just talked about conservative principles, I’ve lived them and I’ve helped to make them a reality in the
Badger State.”
Fitzgerald said he would work to ensure economic growth and continue to foster an environment in which Wisconsin’s businesses, manufacturers and farmers can thrive if he were elected to Congress. Additionally, he said access to high quality, affordable health care remains a pertinent issue in the state.
“I’ve owned a business, raised a family and helped run a small farm right here in the Fifth (District),” Fitzgerald said. “I understand Wisconsin values, and I’ve fought for them in the state Legislature. I’m ready to fight for them in Congress.”
DeTemple told the Journal Sentinel he knows the federal government better than his opponent, with 18 years as a Milwaukee small business owner and 33 years in the military reserve under his belt.
“I’ve got experience in Washington, D.C. — I’ve seen millions and billions of dollars spent,” DeTemple said. “I want to go to Congress and make sure that money is being spent correctly.”
DeTemple said he decided to run because of his 11-year old daughter and the fear she would grow up in “a socialist country.”
His time in office would be focused on getting rid of “spend down” — when federal agencies spend money at the end of a budget year in fear of a reduced budget the next year — implementing term limits, defunding Planned Parenthood and protecting gun rights.
“I put who I am out in writing. My yard signs say I’m Republican; (Fitzgerald’s) do not,” DeTemple said. “I’m proAmerica and nobody else puts that out there.”