On Janesville's Main Street, just steps from House Speaker Paul Ryan's office, opinions about Ryan's decision to not seek reelection were easy to find.
"I think it's great because it'll give someone else a chance," said Joann Trainor, of Janesville.
"We're so appreciative of all he's done for us," said Andrew Iverson, Janesville resident and chair of the Rock County GOP. "So it's very bittersweet."
Ryan said his decision to not run for another term was largely based on a desire to spend more time with his wife and family.
"If the choice is either employment or his children, his children should come first," said one Janesville voter.
Don Swisher, a lifelong Janesville resident, wants the area's next congressional representative to focus on improving Rock County's economy.
"The GM plant here closed, and we still don't see anybody working with us to try and get some other business in there," Swisher said.
Tim Bremel, who hosts a two-hour talk show on Janesville's WCLO radio, concurred that the economy remains an important issue for the area's voters.
"We've got a lot of people working in this state, and we're fully recovered around here as far as unemployment goes, but people are not making they money they used to make," Bremel said. "That means they're injecting that money into the economy, and that's a big issue for some people."
He said phone lines at the radio station were buzzing Wednesday following Ryan's announcement.
Bremel added that Ryan's 2012 run for Vice President, as well as his election to the Speakership, put a bright spotlight on the City of Janesville.
"If you just take a step back, you realize that for this little, Midwestern town, we've been the focus of a lot of national news coverage relating to Congressman, and now, Speaker, Ryan," he said.
