Russ Feingold will skip Democratic presidential debate in Milwaukee

MADISON — Russ Feingold is skipping the Democratic presidential debate in his home state of Wisconsin.

Feingold will not be attending Thursday's debate in Milwaukee between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Instead, Feingold's spokesman Michael Tyler tells The Associated Press the Democratic Senate candidate will watch the debate at home in Middleton with his wife.

The debate will attract state and national Democratic political leaders to Milwaukee. Wisconsin's Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin plans to be in the spin room after the debate to advocate for Clinton.

Feingold's Republican opponent Sen. Ron Johnson attended the GOP presidential debate held in Milwaukee in November and was in the spin room afterward discussing his race and taking questions from reporters.