Russ Feingold Plans Run for His Old Wisconsin Senate Seat
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Democrat Russ Feingold announced on Thursday he will run next year for the U.S. Senate seat from Wisconsin that he lost to Republican Ron Johnson in 2010.
Feingold, 62, served three six-year terms in the Senate after first being elected in 1992. He left a U.S. State Department post as special envoy to Africa’s Great Lakes region earlier this year, fueling expectations he would try to reclaim his Senate seat.
Feingold, whose accomplishments in the Senate included a campaign-finance law crafted with Republican Senator John McCain, said his desire to serve is stronger than ever.
“I love Wisconsin. I love the spirit of the people here and the beautiful state we all cherish. I know that working together we can make great things possible again,” Feingold said in a statement.
Johnson, 60, was a conservative businessman who had never run for office before defeating Feingold in 2010, a year when Wisconsin’s voters swept Republicans into the U.S. Senate, the governor’s mansion and into majorities on both sides of the state legislature.
Johnson now serves as chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
