Elections: 2006 Candidate Profiles

Wisconsin - House (1)

District Geography | Summary | History | Outlook | Polls

Paul Ryan (Republican, 4-term incumbent)

Website: www.ryanforcongress.com

Jeffrey Chapman Thomas (Democrat)

Website: www.drjeffthomasforcongress.com

District Geography:

Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District comprises the southeast corner of the state, including Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth counties, along with parts of Milwaukee, Rock, and Waukesha counties.

Summary:

Four-term Republican incumbent Paul Ryan will square off against Jeffrey Chapman Thomas for the fourth straight election. Ryan is a member of the House Ways and Means, Budget, and Joint Economic Committees. Ryan is campaigning for tax relief, making Social Security and Medicare solvent, making quality health care more accessible, making border security the top priority to solve the nation's illegal immigration problems, and supporting the Bush plan for success in Iraq.

Jeffrey Chapman Thomas, a retired orthopedic surgeon, is running a campaign trying to tie Paul Ryan to Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay. Thomas is also running to improve education, to protect Social Security from privatization, to make health care more accessible, and to create more jobs through better education and training of the district's youth.

History:

Ryan was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1998, winning the open seat previously filled by two-term Republican congressman Mark Neumann. Ryan won that race by 14 points over Democratic nominee Lydia Carol Spottswood. Ryan followed that election with two more impressive finishes - a 33-point victory in 2000, a 37-point victory in 2002, and a 33-point victory in 2004 (all over Jeffrey Chapman Thomas).

Outlook:

Ryan's consecutive string of three 30+ point victories over Thomas make him a strong favorite to win his fifth consecutive term as representative of Wisconsin's 1st District.

Polls:

None.