Feingold won’t run; Baldwin leads poll
Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced Friday (August 19) that he will not seek the seat being vacated by Senator Herb Kohl, removing what has been considered the only real obstacle to a run by Rep. Tammy Baldwin.
Feingold made his announcement in an e-mail to supporters. The email, published Friday by The Captital Times of Madison, says he “may” choose to run for public office again “someday,” but that he will not run in 2012.
Baldwin has indicated she is very likely to run and is expected to make an announcement soon. Her candidacy will make her the first openly gay person to run for the U.S. Senate –a landmark that has many LGBT groups ready to rally support for her.
A Public Policy Poll released August 17 showed Baldwin is a favorite over two other potential candidates for the Democratic nomination –U.S. Rep. Ron Kind and former Rep. Steve Kagen. Thirty-one percent of 387 Democratic primary voters in Wisconsin said they’d support Baldwin to replace Kohl if Feingold declined to run. Kagen earned only 22 percent, and Kind garnered only 15 percent.
Although it would be great to have an openly gay US Senator, I don’t think I’d vote for her. She has expressed zero interest in stopping illegal immigration to this country. She’s 100% in favor of an open border with Mexico and of making people who have ABSOLUTELY no entitlement to be here citizens.