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Republican Ryan beats Spottswood in Wisconsin's 1st district
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Paul Ryan
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(AllPolitics, November 3) -- GOP political newcomer Paul Ryan topped Kenosha City Councilwoman Lydia Spottswood to win the seat vacated by Republican Senate candidate Rep. Mark Neumann in Wisconsin's 1st congressional district.
The open seat was thought to be an opportunity for Spottswood because it has leaned slightly Democratic. A four-term veteran of the Kenosha City Council, she came within 4,260 votes of defeating Neumann two years ago in a bitter, negative race.
But Ryan, just 28, was surprisingly well-funded. Previously, he worked on Capitol Hill as a top aide to then-Rep. Sam Brownback of Kansas, and he hoped to benefit from the coattails of popular Gov. Tommy Thompson.
He built a strong grass-roots organization and campaigned on issues such as preserving Social Security. He also advocated tax cuts and a balanced budget, arguing the nation can have both with a smaller federal government.
Spottswood, 47, is a pediatric nurse by training. On the stump she stressed one of the Democrat's favorite issues this election season: reining in HMOs. She also supported tax deductibility for health insurance premiums as well as partnerships with business, industry and educational institutions.
In her campaign ads, Spottswood worked to raise doubts about her rival, whose age does not appear on his official campaign biography. "Negative campaigns. We just can't trust Paul Ryan," said one Spottswood commercial.
The congressional district, encompassing both farmland and union halls in the southeastern corner Wisconsin, was thought to offer opportunity for a Democrat because of the good showing there by Bill Clinton in the past two presidential elections. Clinton won it by six points in 1992 and by a dozen points four years later.
The Associated Press and political analyst Stuart Rothenberg contributed to this report.
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