Randy Bryce : Paul Ryan challenger's launch video goes viral
Randy Bryce
Randy Bryce  -- a Democratic organizer and union iron worker who's never held elected office -- gained national attention with a viral video that debuted last month announcing  his  congressional bid. The video  which pitches Bryce as a "working man" and focuses on health care  racked up nearly a half-million views in the less than two weeks it's been online and drew attention from left leaning activists and national media.
"Let's trade places   Paul Ryan " Bryce  said in the ad. "You can come work the iron  and I'll go to DC. "
"I've just had enough. People are fed up "  Bryce  said in a phone interview. "It's just a really crooked place in Washington  DC."
Even with the attention the video has attracted   Bryce 's odds of unseating the Wisconsin Republican at this point appear extremely low. While polling for congressional districts is historically scarce and unreliable  Ryan has never lost a race. In fact  he's never won with less than by double-digit margins. He bested his opponent by nearly 35 points in 2016. Ryan has also been a prolific fundraiser  raising millions not only for himself but to preserve his party's control of the House
When asked to respond to  Bryce 's announcement video  Ryan campaign spokesman Zack Roday said   "Bryce  is a liberal agitator in Wisconsin. He is not a political novice; he is a three time failed candidate who has been repeatedly rejected by southern Wisconsin voters for his far left positions."
It is true that  Bryce  doesn't have a great record of success in running for office.  His  two campaigns to serve in the state legislature were unsuccessful  as was  his  2013 bid for the Racine County Board of Education.
The fundraising arm for House Republicans also made note of this point. The National Republican Campaign Committee said  Bryce 's "petty attacks against Paul Ryan will be rejected by voters in the same fashion that his three former failed campaigns have been."
But after a spring where Republicans in Congress struggled to find enough support to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a GOP alternative  perhaps it's no surprise that  Bryce 's video  which centers on  his  own difficult experiences with health care  took off online.
"It's just a cruel way to govern "  Bryce  told CNN in reference to the latest Senate Republican health bill.
Set to an emotional soundtrack   Bryce 's announcement video opens with a clip of Trump touting Ryan's work on the Republican health care plan. Then it moves to Ryan talking about the bill. Panoramic shots of "southeastern Wisconsin" -- where Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District is located -- fill the screen.
The ad features  Bryce 's mother who talks about  her  fight with multiple sclerosis and how the GOP health plan would affect  her .
Though  she  has been able to get treatment   Bryce  described the helplessness  he 's felt in dealing with  her  condition.
"There were some times when I'm in a room next to  her   and  she 's in a room just screaming in pain  you know  and I'm like  'I can't do anything. I don't know what to do. I can't help  her .' "
Bryce himself  has faced difficult medical conditions. When  he  left the Army after serving abroad in Honduras   he  was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He  didn't have insurance at the time  but considers  himself  lucky because  he  was able to get care through an experimental treatment at a nearby medical school.
 He  beat the cancer  but  his  mom continues to struggle with MS  and  his  father -- who was not in the ad -- lives in an assisted living facility with Alzheimer's.
Bryce's son  Ben  also drew mentions in the video and at the first campaign rally.  Bryce  calls  him  "a miracle" because doctors had told  Bryce  that  he  likely wouldn't be able to have children as a result of  his  prostate cancer.
[TGT]  gained national attention with a viral video that debuted last month announcing   [TGT]   congressional bid. The video  which pitches Bryce as a "working man" and focuses on health care  racked up nearly a half-million views in the less than two weeks it's been online and drew attention from left leaning activists and national media.
"Let's trade places   Paul Ryan " Bryce  said in the ad. "You can come work the iron  and I'll go to DC. "
"I've just had enough. People are fed up "  Bryce  said in a phone interview. "It's just a really crooked place in Washington  DC."
Even with the attention the video has attracted   Bryce 's odds of unseating the Wisconsin Republican at this point appear extremely low. While polling for congressional districts is historically scarce and unreliable  Ryan has never lost a race. In fact  he's never won with less than by double-digit margins. He bested his opponent by nearly 35 points in 2016. Ryan has also been a prolific fundraiser  raising millions not only for himself but to preserve his party's control of the House
When asked to respond to  Bryce 's announcement video  Ryan campaign spokesman Zack Roday said   "Bryce  is a liberal agitator in Wisconsin. He is not a political novice; he is a three time failed candidate who has been repeatedly rejected by southern Wisconsin voters for his far left positions."
It is true that  Bryce  doesn't have a great record of success in running for office.  His  two campaigns to serve in the state legislature were unsuccessful  as was  his  2013 bid for the Racine County Board of Education.
The fundraising arm for House Republicans also made note of this point. The National Republican Campaign Committee said  Bryce 's "petty attacks against Paul Ryan will be rejected by voters in the same fashion that his three former failed campaigns have been."
But after a spring where Republicans in Congress struggled to find enough support to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with a GOP alternative  perhaps it's no surprise that  Bryce 's video  which centers on  his  own difficult experiences with health care  took off online.
"It's just a cruel way to govern "  Bryce  told CNN in reference to the latest Senate Republican health bill.
Set to an emotional soundtrack   Bryce 's announcement video opens with a clip of Trump touting Ryan's work on the Republican health care plan. Then it moves to Ryan talking about the bill. Panoramic shots of "southeastern Wisconsin" -- where Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District is located -- fill the screen.
The ad features  Bryce 's mother who talks about  her  fight with multiple sclerosis and how the GOP health plan would affect  her .
Though  she  has been able to get treatment   Bryce  described the helplessness  he 's felt in dealing with  her  condition.
"There were some times when I'm in a room next to  her   and  she 's in a room just screaming in pain  you know  and I'm like  'I can't do anything. I don't know what to do. I can't help  her .' "
Bryce himself  has faced difficult medical conditions. When  he  left the Army after serving abroad in Honduras   he  was diagnosed with prostate cancer.  He  didn't have insurance at the time  but considers  himself  lucky because  he  was able to get care through an experimental treatment at a nearby medical school.
 He  beat the cancer  but  his  mom continues to struggle with MS  and  his  father -- who was not in the ad -- lives in an assisted living facility with Alzheimer's.
Bryce's son  Ben  also drew mentions in the video and at the first campaign rally.  Bryce  calls  him  "a miracle" because doctors had told  Bryce  that  he  likely wouldn't be able to have children as a result of  his  prostate cancer.