Janesville School Board member Cathy Myers announces candidacy for Paul Ryan's seat

Lillian Price | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A former teacher and current Janesville School Board member announced Thursday she will run against Paul Ryan for the state's 1st Congressional District in 2018.

Cathy Myers is the third Democrat to announce a congressional bid for the House speaker's seat, with iron worker Randy Bryce kick-starting his campaign Monday.

Myers is the vice president of the Janesville School Board and in her second term as a member. Myers says her experience in board elections sets her apart from past candidates.

"Throughout his 18-year political career, Paul Ryan has never faced a challenger with a history of electoral success," Myers' campaign said in a statement.

Myers was a high school English teacher for 23 years and has been active in the community since she moved to the district in 2009. She has also received an endorsement from state Sen. Janis Ringhand (D-Evansville).

“Paul Ryan represents me in Washington and I represent his family in Janesville,” Myers said in a statement. “Voters will have a clear choice between a community leader and a career politician who seems to have forgotten his small-town roots.”

Alec Zimmerman, the GOP spokesman for the state, disagreed, saying: "Paul Ryan is a bold conservative reformer Wisconsinites know well. A fifth-generation Janesville resident, Paul not only knows what hard-working Wisconsin families need — he has a record of getting things done."

Also running against Ryan are David Yankovich, a Democratic activist from Ohio, and Republican Paul Nehlen, who lost by 68 percentage points to Ryan in last year's primary.