He said he realizes that he is a newcomer to the area, but that Kenosha is not unlike his hometown, with a large constituency of blue collar workers.

In the few weeks he has been in Kenosha, he has begun to make the rounds with fellow Democrats, planning for fundraisers and a national campaign involving social media.

Yankovich said he is also preparing to knock on “all doors” in the district this summer.

“This is an uphill battle. There’s only two times in history a speaker has ever lost,” Yankvoich said.

In 2016, Ryan won re-election with 65 percent of the vote.

Alec Zimmerman, spokesman for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, said state Democrats are in such “a state of disarray” that have resorted to recruiting outside candidates to challenge Ryan.

“While they talk a big game, it’s clear that Wisconsin Democrats aren’t ‘made in Wisconsin’ and don’t have an agenda for hard-working Wisconsin families,” he said in a statement.

Ryan could not be reached for comment.

Yankovich, however, said he plans to make a permanent home in Kenosha regardless.

“I’m planning on living here,” he said. “I’m basically putting it all on the line to stop him from hurting people and stop him from doing what he’s doing.”

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