MILWAUKEE (AP) – Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders? The question is much more than a ballot choice for Democrat Russ Feingold, whose hopes of reclaiming the Senate seat he held for 18 years rests with Wisconsin voters heavily invested in the presidential nomination fight.
As Sanders and Clinton slug it out, Feingold is trying to stay on the sidelines. He is not taking sides – at least publicly – in the Democratic primary and will skip their debate in his home state on Thursday. Feingold wants to avoid alienating Democrats, especially young voters, and keep them united behind his quest to win his way back to the Senate.
Feingold was ousted in 2010 by Republican Ron Johnson. Their rematch is one of the most closely watched Senate races this year, and a seat Democrats hope they can win as they try to reclaim the majority.
Johnson also has not endorsed anyone in the muddled Republican presidential race, dodging the endorsement question despite being repeatedly asked to take a stand on sometimes inflammatory comments made by Donald Trump. Johnson has said he will back whoever is the nominee.
Just as there may be little incentive for Johnson to pick a Republican in that unsettled field, there’s also little reason for Feingold to side with either Sanders or Clinton with Wisconsin’s primary almost two months away on April 5.