Paul Ryan to campaign for 25 vulnerable House Republicans

Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is hitting the campaign trail in the final weeks before the midterms to stump for more than two dozen vulnerable Republicans.

In an effort to fend off a potential blue wave on Nov. 6, Ryan plans to crisscross the country to campaign for 25 endangered Republicans in a dozen states.

{mosads}The campaign blitz includes some of the most vulnerable GOP lawmakers this election cycle, including Reps. Kevin Yoder (Kan.), Erik Paulsen (Minn.) and Jason Lewis (Minn.) — three incumbents locked in tight races rated as “lean Democratic” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

Ryan, who is retiring from Congress in early January, will stump for a trio of members from the far-right House Freedom Caucus, a group that has long been a thorn in the side of leadership.

He will also make a push for Republican candidate Bryan Steil, who is running to fill Ryan’s open seat in Wisconsin. Steil is in a competitive race against ironworker Randy Bryce (D).

USA Today first reported Ryan’s upcoming campaign efforts.

“Speaker Ryan said in his announcement in April that he was going to ‘run through the tape’ and he’s making good on that promise with this ambitious schedule over the final three weeks in the lead-up to Election Day,” Kevin Seifert, executive director of Team Ryan, said in a statement.

Ryan, who has continued to raise massive amounts of money despite his impending retirement, will attend a mix of fundraisers, rallies and business tours during his final election sprint, according to USA Today.

The GOP is fighting to hang on to dozens of vulnerable seats this cycle. Democrats need to flip at least 23 House seats to win back the House, and the president’s party historically loses roughly 30 seats in the midterms.