% DEMOCRATS.%>> SCOT ROSS, BILL
McCOSHEN,
% THANKS VERY MUCH.
% >> THANKS.
% >> THE LINES ARE SET IN WEST
% CENTRAL WISCONSIN.%REPUBLICAN
CANDIDATE DERRICK VAN
% ORDEN WILL FACE OFF AGAINST BRAD
% PFAFF.
% WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?
% WE TURN TO ANTHONY CHERGOSKY,
% PROFESSOR, THANKS FOR BEING
% HERE, FROM UW-LA CROSSE.
% WHY IS THE THIRD SO CLOSELY
% WATCHED?
% >> IT'S BY FAR THE MOST
% COMPETITIVE U.S. HOUSE OF
% REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT IN
% WISCONSIN AND SOME
% PROGNOSTICATION SERVICES SAY
% IT'S ONE OF THE MOST LIKELY
% DISTRICTS TO FLIP PARTY CONTROL.
% REPUBLICANS HAVE THEIR EYE ON
% THIS DISTRICT AS THEY SEEK TO
% REGAIN MAJORITY CONTROL OF THE
% HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
% >> SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE
% CANDIDATES.%HOW WOULD YOU DE
SCRIBE THEM,
% DERRICK VAN ORDEN FIRST.
% >> HE IS A STAUNCH DONALD TRUMP
% ALLY.
% SOMEONE WHO REALLY BRANDS
% HIMSELF AS BEING PART OF THE
% DONALD TRUMP MOVEMENT OF THE
% PARTY.
% HE WAS FAMOUSLY IN D.C. ON
% JANUARY 6TH, 2021.
% HE SAYS THAT HE WAS NOT INVOLVED
% IN THE RIOT, HE WAS NOT IN A
% RESTRICTED AREA.
% SOME OF THE FACTS ARE DISPUTED
% SURROUNDING THAT.
% BUT WHAT IS CLEAR, DERRICK VAN
% ORDEN IS A STAUNCH, STAUNCH
% SUPPORTER OF DONALD TRUMP AND
% THIS DISTRICT DID GO DONALD
% TRUMP'S WAY BY A SMALL MARGIN.
% THAT COULD BODE WELL FOR HIM.
% >> WHAT ABOUT BRAD PFAFF?
% >> BRAD PFAFF IS REALLY IN
% THE -- HE'S REALLY FOLLOWING IN
% THE FOOTSTEPS OF RON KIND, I
% WOULD SAY.
% RON KIND, THE LONG TIME CONGRESS
% PERSON FROM THIS DISTRICT WHO
% RAN AS A MODERATE DEMOCRAT,
% SOMEONE REALLY FOCUSED ON THOSE
% LOCAL ISSUES, SOMEONE WHO COULD
% DRAW THE KEY CROSSOVER SUPPORT
% FROM VOTERS WHO MAY VOTE
% REPUBLICAN IN OTHER RACES BUT
% VOTE FOR KIND IN THE RACE FOR
% CONGRESS.
% PFAFF IS FOCUSED ON RURAL
% ISSUES, DEMOCRATS ARE HUNGRY TO
% CONNECT WITH THE KEY RURAL
% AUDIENCE.
% >> ANY SENSE THAT THE FBI
% SEARCHES AND DEPOSITIONS AND
% INVESTIGATIONS INTO TRUMP WILL
% GIVE HIS SUPPORTERS IN THAT
% DISTRICT ANY PAUSE?
% >> I'M NOT SURE, FREDERICA.
% I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A
% STRONG RURAL URBAN DIVIDE IN
% THIS DISTRICT AND I THINK THAT'S
% THE KEY POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN
% WESTERN WISCONSIN IN THIS THIRD
% DISTRICT OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF
% YEARS.%WHERE RURAL AREAS HAVE
BECOME
% VERY STRONGLY IN THE REPUBLICAN
% CAMP, THIS COULD HAVE AN EFFECT
% ON THOSE AREAS, HOW THEY TURN
% OUT TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER.
% AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT
% DEMOCRATS ARE HIGHLY MOTIVATED
% IN THE ELECTION DUE TO DERRICK
% VAN ORDEN'S PRESENCE IN D.C. ON
% JANUARY 6TH AND HIS STRONG
% SUPPORT OF DONALD TRUMP.
% >> WHAT IN YOUR ESTIMATION ARE
% THE MAJOR ISSUES IN THE DISTRICT
% THERE?%>> WELL, DERRICK VAN O
RDEN
% FOCUSES ON NATIONAL POLITICAL
% ISSUES.%VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIA
L MEDIA AND
% REALLY FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES
% THAT ANIMATE THE REPUBLICAN BASE
% NATIONALLY.
% CULTURE WAR ISSUES, ISSUES
% RELATED TO JOE BIDEN AND WANTING
% TO DEFEAT JOE BIDEN, WANTING TO
% UNSEAT THE DEMOCRATS FOR
% MAJORITY CONTROL.
% SO HE'S REALLY IN LINE WITH THE
% NATIONAL REPUBLICAN MESSAGING.
% BRAD PFAFF, ON THE OTHER HAND,
% IS TRYING TO LOCALIZE THE RACE.
% AGRICULTURE A KEY ONE, EDUCATION
% BEING ANOTHER ONE.
% WE HAVE MANY U.W. CAMPUSES IN
% THIS DISTRICT.
% U.W. HAS A MAJOR PRESENCE IN
% THIS AREA.
% SO ALL OF THAT COULD PLAY OUT IN
% THIS CAMPAIGN IN UNPREDICTABLE
% WAYS BUT WE KNOW DERRICK VAN
% ORDEN IS MORE FOCUSED ON THE
% NATIONAL REPUBLICAN BRAND.
% BRAD PFAFF WANTS YOU TO
% DISTINGUISH YOURSELF AND FOCUS
% MORE ON THE LOCAL ISSUES.
% >> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT,
% WHICH WORKS BEST IN THAT
% DISTRICT IN YOUR ESTIMATION?
% >> FOR YEARS RON KIND HAS BEEN
% ABLE TO WIN RE-ELECTION THROUGH
% FOCUSING ON THOSE LOCAL ISSUES
% AND CREATING SOME DISTANCE
% BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THAT
% NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY BRAND.
% HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO SAY THAT
% HE'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER
% DEMOCRATS.%HE'S MORE MODERATE
THAN OTHER
% DEMOCRATS, AND THAT HE'S REALLY
% FOCUSED ON THOSE LOCAL ISSUES,
% THOSE AGRICULTURAL ISSUES, THOSE
% ISSUES RELATED TO OUR PRESENCE
% ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, FOR
% EXAMPLE.%SO I THINK BRAD PFAF
F IS TRYING
% TO REPLICATE THE RON KIND
% STRATEGY AND WE'LL SEE IF THAT
% WINS OUT OR IF THOSE NATIONAL
% FACTORS CARRY DERRICK VAN ORDEN
% TO A WIN.