>> THANK YOU.>> NEXT TUESDAY, V
OTERS IN 26
% COUNTIES IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
% WILL GO TO THE POLLS FOR THE
% SECOND TIME DURING THE COVID-19
% HEALTH CRISIS.
% THIS TIME, IT'S THE 7TH
% CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SPECIAL
% ELECTION TO REPLACE SEAN DUFFY,
% WHO RESIGNED LAST YEAR.
% "HERE & NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
% REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ TELLS US
% THE RACE IS IMPACTED BY BOTH THE
% CORONAVIRUS AND THE SHIFTING
% ALLEGIANCE OF VOTERS IN THAT
% DISTRICT.
% >> FOR THE LAST DECADE,
% WISCONSIN'S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL
% HAS BEEN A SAFE SEAT FOR SEAN
% DUFFY.
% HE NEVER FACED MUCH OF A
% CHALLENGE IN FIVE RACES.
% AFTER REDISTRICTING HE NEVER
% RECEIVED LESS THAN 60% OF THE
% VOTE.
% BUT FOR 40 YEARS BEFORE THAT,
% WISCONSIN'S 7TH WAS BLUE, HOME
% TO DEMOCRATIC DAVE OBEY.
% SO WHAT HAPPENED?
% AND WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT
% TUESDAY'S SPECIAL ELECTION
% BETWEEN REPUBLICAN TOM TIFFANY
% AND DEMOCRATIC TRICIA ZUNKER.
% >> WELL, THERE'S A LITTLE THING
% CALLED GERRYMANDERING THAT
% OCCURRED IN 2010.
% >> MOST BLAME THE REDISTRICTING
% PLAN WHICH REMOVED PORTAGE
% COUNTY AND ADDED IN MORE OF
% WESTERN WISCONSIN, WHICH
% TYPICALLY VOTES MORE REPUBLICAN.
% >> BUT THE MAIN THING THAT'S
% CHANGED IS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY.
% I TALKED TO SO MANY PEOPLE WHO
% ARE JOHN F. KENNEDY DEMOCRATS
% WHO ARE LIKE I DON'T RECOGNIZE
% MY COUNTY ANYMORE.
% >> REPUBLICANS SAY RURAL VOTERS
% DON'T FEEL AT
% HOME IN A MULTICULTURAL
% DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
% MOST CONCEPTS HOLD SOME TRUTH,
% BUT NEITHER TELLS THE WHOLE
% STORY.
% RURAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
% NATION HAVE BEEN SHIFTING AWAY
% FROM DEMOCRATS FOR THE LAST
% DECADE.
% BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO
% SEE DEMOCRAT RON KIND IN WESTERN
% WISCONSIN, WHICH IS ALMOST AS
% RURAL AS THE 7TH.
% AND WHILE DEMOCRATIC CERTAINLY
% MADE THE 7TH MORE REPUBLICAN,
% THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN DUFFY'S
% VICTORY.
% OBEY NEVER LOST ONE OF THESE
% COUNTIES FROM 2002 TO '08.
% BUT FROM 2010 TO '18 THE VOTERS
% MOVED TOWARD THE REPUBLICANS BY
% 169%.
% IN FACT, MARATHON COUNTY SHIFTED
% BY 295%, A 22,000-VOTE SWING
% FROM DEMOCRATS TO REPUBLICANS.
% >> I GUESS A COUPLE OF THINGS
% HAPPENED.
% >> KATIE ROSENBERG IS THE
% NEWLY-ELECTED MAYOR OF WAUSAU.
% >> YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF
% POPULATION SHIFTING.
% YOU'RE SEEING OUR POPULATIONS
% GET A LOT OLDER.
% >> THE SHIFT IN THE 7TH STARTED
% HAPPENING LONG BEFORE SEAN
% DUFFY.
% >> YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN
% SEEING SOME OF THE CULTURAL
% CHANGES MOVING ALONG DURING DAVE
% OBEY'S TIME.
% BUT HE WASN'T SEEING A LOT OF
% SERIOUS CHALLENGES.
% >> WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THE POWER
% OF INCUMBENCY.
% THE SAME HAPPENED WITH DUFFY.
% HE FACED UNKNOWN DEMOCRATIC
% OPPONENTS.
% >> THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL IS
% HUGE, CURRENTLY SPANNING 26
% COUNTIES AND THREE DIFFERENT
% TELEVISION MARKETS.
% POLITICAL NEWCOMERS FACE A HUGE
% CHALLENGE IN GETTING THEIR NAME
% OUT THERE AND RAISING MONEY.
% AND ONCE YOU'RE IN OFFICE, YOU
% CAN CEMENT YOUR NAME IN VOTERS'
% MINDS.
% >> ONCE YOU ESTABLISH
% IN-DISTRICT OFFICES, THEY HAVE A
% DIRECT CONDUIT.
% IT'S THAT NAME RECOGNITION OVER
% AND OVER AGAIN.
% >> WHICH IS WHY THIS SPECIAL
% ELECTION IS SO IMPORTANT.
% THE HISTORY OF THE 7TH SAYS THE
% WINNER MAY HOLD THIS SEAT FOR A
% LONG TIME.
% I'M ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE &
% NOW."
% >> THAT IS OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS