Tony Wied Wins Race For 8th Congressional District

Republican Tony Wied has defeated Democrat Kristin Lyerly on Tuesday night in the race to represent Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District.

The Associated Press called the race for Wied at about 10:54 p.m. He had received 154,162 votes, or 60.6 percent, compared to Lyerly’s 100,303 votes, or 39.4 percent, with about 62.8 percent of precincts reporting.

At about 10:30 p.m., Wied’s campaign issued a statement claiming victory even though the Associated Press hadn’t yet called the race.

“I’m overwhelmed by the support shown to our campaign from the people of Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. I want to thank the voters in Northeast Wisconsin for giving me this opportunity. Only in America can you go from complete political outsider to representing Wisconsin families in Congress,” he said in the statement. “Now it’s time to bring some Wisconsin commonsense to Washington to lower everyday costs, secure the southern border, and reign in out-of-control government spending. Let’s get to work!”

The 8th Congressional District includes northeastern Wisconsin, including the cities of Green Bay and Appleton. The seat is currently vacant. The Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t run for a fifth term and he resigned his seat in April 2024.

The Republican Wied is a local business owner who won a three-way contest to capture the GOP nomination earlier this year. He was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and has touted himself as an “America First businessman and political outsider.” Wied was raised in Green Bay, now lives in De Pere and has always lived in Brown County. He owned a chain of Dino Stop gas stations, which he sold in 2022. Wied has a wife, Angela, and four sons.

Democrat Lyerly, a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, who has practiced in Green Bay, Oconto, Marinette and Sheboygan. CBS News reported that Lyerly was one of the plaintiffs in a Wisconsin lawsuit that allowed abortions to remain legal after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with her M.D. and a master’s degree in public health. She is the mother of four children.