With a major U.S. Senate primary just days away, Wisconsin politics were hurled onto the national scene Saturday morning, as likely GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney announced Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his running mate for the November general election.

Patch is covering all angles of the story - national and, of course, local - as it develops and as Wisconsin communities react to the choice.

You may click the headlines below to navigate to each story.

Thousands expected at rally featuring Mitt Romney, his new running mate, Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP U.S. Senate candidate at the Waukesha County Expo Center.

This is Patch's main story on the announcement, breaking just after Romney announced his choice via a smartphone app. It was updated to include excerpts from Ryan's acceptance speech in Norfolk, Va.

After the announcement, Patch surveyed its GOP political influencers on Romney's choice. They overwhelmingly believe that Ryan's budget plan will become a major focus of the campaign going forward.

Here are some local reactions on Romney's VP choice. Most were positive, but some, including Ryan's Democratic congressional opponent Rob Zerban, believe the move is about career politicking.

Here's a gallery we pulled together with photos of Ryan working in Wisconsin over the past year.

Here's the text of Ryan's speech as prepared before the official announcement with Romney in Norfolk, Va. In it, Ryan says Romney has the "courage to tell you the truth."

Who is Paul Ryan? Here's a report on his political history, characterized by a quick rise onto the national political scene.

Late Friday night and early Saturday morning social media blew up with reports Mitt Romney would name Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his VP candidate. Here's some of that reaction.

Here's Patch's first report on the VP pick in the early hours of Saturday morning, as media reports all began to point to Paul Ryan.