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GOP Candidate’s Brother Also Donated to Democratic Sen. Baldwin

Kevin Nicholson comes from a Democratic family

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., is one of the more vulnerable incumbents running for re-election. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., is one of the more vulnerable incumbents running for re-election. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

GOP candidate Kevin Nicholson’s brother has donated to his Democratic opponent, Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, campaign finance documents show. Nicholson’s parents also donated to Baldwin. 

Nicholson, a former Democrat, has acknowledged that he has a “different worldview” than his parents. 

Nicholson’s brother Scott donated the maximum $2,700 for the primary to Baldwin’s campaign on Dec. 31, according to Federal Elections Commission documents. 

Scott Nicholson was a registered Democrat in New York in 2016, according to voter registration data. He did not return a request for comment. Nicholson’s parents also donated the maximum amounts allowed to Baldwin’s Senate campaign. 

Nicholson responded Monday to a request for comment about his brother’s donation with a similar statement circulated after news broke of his parents’ donations.

“My parents have a different worldview than I do, and it is not surprising that they would support a candidate like Tammy Baldwin who shares their perspective,” Nicholson said. “I’m a conservative today not because I was born one, but because of the experience I earned as a Marine in combat, my experience as a husband and father, my choice to be a Christian, the schools I chose to attend and the decision to pursue the career that I have.”

Nicholson will first have to win the Aug. 14 primary to challenge Baldwin. He is competing with state Sen. Leah Vukmir for the GOP nomination. Eric Hovde, a wealthy businessman who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2012, has also reportedly been weighing a run. 

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Tilt Democratic

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