Republican field grows in race to replace Paul Ryan

MADISON — The Republican field is growing in the race to replace House Speaker Paul Ryan, but he says he won't immediately endorse anyone.

Ryan said in a speech Friday in Madison that he is deferring on making an endorsement out of respect to people still considering whether to get in before the June 1 deadline.

Kevin Steen, an applications engineer who's never run for office before, announced Thursday he is running. Also in the race is Jeremy Ryan, a liberal known as a prominent protester in Madison who ran as a Republican against Ryan in 2014 but got only 6 percent of the vote.

Another former Ryan foe, Paul Nehlen, is running after he was banned from Twitter earlier this year for racist and anti-Semitic posts. Ryan's campaign has said Nehlen is not fit to hold office.

Also registered as a Republican is political newcomer Nick Polce.

Former Ryan aide and current University of Wisconsin Regent Bryan Steil says he will announce his plans for running Sunday.