Thread by @MollyBeck

BREAKING: @KevinMNicholson launches campaign for governor. nicholsonforwisconsin.com

@KevinMNicholson Just as Nicholson launches his campaign, his Republican primary opponent @RebeccaforReal says she has the endorsement of the Wisconsin Family Action PAC, a pro-life group

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal “Rebecca Kleefisch doesn’t just talk; she backs up what she says with action," said Julaine Appling, director of the anti-abortion group.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal Nicholson, a U.S. Marine veteran, in a statement says "I joined the Marine Corps in the middle of two wars because I believe America is worth fighting for. And now, I’m fighting for Wisconsin’s future."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal Nicholson tells @RegJoeShow he is running, in part, because the one victory the "Republican machine" has had in the last several statewide elections was Supreme Court justice Brian Hagedorn, "so you take that for what you want."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow Conservatives have criticized Hagedorn since his election for siding with liberal justices in some high-profile cases.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow Nicholson on Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos telling him not to run. "That's like taking political advice from Scooby-Doo."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow Nicholson, a Republican, is taking shot after shot at Vos, Kleefisch and the state GOP.

"The machine is not going to fix the problems that we're talking about," he says.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow .@DanODonnellShow asks @KevinMNicholson if the guv race is a "consolation prize" for Nicholson, who waited to decide to get in until after it became clear U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson would seek another term.

Nicholson says supporters told him he was better suited for governor.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow Nicholson compares Vos to Scooby-Doo again.

"That's like taking political advice from Scooby-Doo except Scooby Doo actually gets the guy in the end."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow (Today is the day I learned Scooby-Doo has a hyphen in his name.)

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow .@SenRonJohnson was asked about Nicholson's comments today: "What I see as I travel around the state and talk to the party faithful, they don't seem very establishment to me. They seem more like a bunch of rabble rousers like myself."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow @SenRonJohnson "What I would encourage candidates to do is try and win that endorsement of the party. And then recognize if you can't do that your chances of winning the primary are quite slim. And a divisive primary is going to reduce our chance of winning the governorship," Johnson said.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow @SenRonJohnson Johnson made these comments to @BillGlauber and other reporters today in the Town of Brookfield.

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow @SenRonJohnson @BillGlauber .@RebeccaforReal on WISN-AM: "The problem here is if we as Republicans do Tony Evers' job for him, he doesn't have to spend a lick of his money, because instead we have chosen to fight amongst ourselves."

@KevinMNicholson @RebeccaforReal @RegJoeShow @DanODonnellShow @SenRonJohnson @BillGlauber "We cannot spend the next eight months trying to fight each other. Because this is his dream scenario right now. And, frankly, I think we've got to unify -- we have to band together," Kleefisch said.