US Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson has signed the Americans for Tax Reform Pledge to vote against higher taxes.
“I’m proud to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge because I know Wisconsin families and businesses are overtaxed,” Nicholson said in a press release. “Our nation does not have a tax revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Unlike Tammy Baldwin, I’ll fight to cut taxes to deliver financial relief and economic growth for taxpayers.”
“The American people are tired of the tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington and they are looking for solutions that create jobs, cut government spending, and get the economy going again. Signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and holding the line on taxes is the first step in that process,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, in the release.
Nicholson’s likely opponent in the Republican primary is state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Brookfield, signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge in the 2014 election and received praise from Americans for Tax Reform in June 2017 for her work to repeal the Wisconsin’s Unfair Sales Act, the state’s minimum markup law.
Whether or not a candidate signs the pledge can often be an issue, especially in a Republican primary. In the 2012 Senate race, businessman Eric Hovde refused to sign the pledge which potentially damaged his campaign. Hovde finished second to former Governor Tommy Thompson in the primary in a four-candidate race.
Hovde is often mentioned as a possible candidate for Senate in the 2018 Republican primary election but has made no formal declaration. The Associated Press reported in June Hovde closed his 2012 campaign committee but said no decision had been reached on the 2018 election.
The Americans for Tax Reform Pledge for federal candidates.
