Paul Ryan's Democratic challenger is a veteran, an iron-worker, union organizer, cancer survivor and Berniecrat

Randy Bryce wants to challenge Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan for the First District of Wisconsin, where Ryan beat his most recent Democratic challenger by 35 points.


Bryce is a pretty amazing challenger for Ryan: he's an ironworker and "a cancer survivor, Army veteran, political coordinator for his union, and member of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce's board of directors."


He raised $100,000 the day he announced.

Bryce is a Sanders supporter who's squaring off against David Yankovich — another Sanders supporter — for the Democratic nomination in Wisconsin's First.

His inaugural campaign ad is amazing.

It's hard to imagine how the Democrats could craft a better two-minute argument for white workers in the Midwest to return to their political roots. Within its first five seconds, the spot connects both Paul Ryan and Donald Trump to the House's heinously unpopular health-care bill. Then it immediately illustrates the human consequences of that bill, as Bryce's mother gives a heartrending testimonial to the nightmare of multiple sclerosis — and how the GOP is exacerbating it, by threatening to make her medications impossible to afford.

From there, Bryce maneuvers iron while extolling the virtues of hard work; laughs with a multiracial group of working-class friends; touts his lifelong ties to southern Wisconsin; argues that working people need more seats at the table in Washington; ties support for the safety net to good old-fashioned communitarian values; and closes with a line sure to launch a thousand fire emoji — "Let's trade places. Paul Ryan, you can come work the iron, and I'll go to D.C."

An all this while sporting an enviable mustache.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Bryce, himself, was engineered by top-notch Democratic consultants. The ironworker is a cancer survivor, Army veteran, political coordinator for his union, and member of the Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of Commerce's board of directors. His memorable Twitter handle — @IronStache — evinces a savviness for social media.

An Ironworker With a Great Mustache Is Coming for Paul Ryan's House Seat

[Eric Levitz/New York Magazine]

Dem who launched bid against Paul Ryan raises 100k in first day of campaign
[Max Greenwood/The Hill]

(via Naked Capitalism