>> The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original
production. >> Winning candidates to be
the next governor are pounding the snowy pavement
and coping with stressful times.
Farmers find strength in connection.
I'm Frederica Freyberg. Tonight on "Here& Now", we
continue our interviews with candidates for
governor. Tonight we speak with the first of many
challengers in the Democratic primary.
[MUSIC] Then a story of tragedy and
hope. As farmer suicides have increased over the
years. Increasingly, they're asking for help.
It's "Here& Now" for December 12th.
>> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.
>> As we continue our interviews with the
candidates running in the Wisconsin primary election
for governor, we start with current Lieutenant Governor
Sarah Rodriguez "Here& Now" senior political reporter
Zach Schultz with Moore Rodriguez.
>> Thanks for joining us. >> Thank you so much for
having me. know who you are that well,
tell us who you are and why you're running for governor.
>> So I am the current lieutenant governor here in
Wisconsin, but I have spent most of my career in health
care. I'm actually a nurse by background, and I've
worked in so many different roles within health care,
whether it's night shifts in the E.R. all the way to
being an executive within a health care system, and one
of my roles as lieutenant governor is that I get to
go to all 72 counties, and I have done that every
single year that I have been lieutenant governor.
And when I talk to people there, they're telling me
the same thing, that they are doing everything right,
but they're feeling squeezed. And whether
that's accessible, affordable health care,
child care, we keep raising our taxes to pay for our
public schools. I mean, these are the things that
people are talking to me about, and these are the
things that I would like to be able to address as
governor. that drives you as a
candidate, or perhaps a lane within the Democratic
Party that may define you? >> I think that I have so
much experience within health care, which is a
complicated space, and we've seen what's happening
now in Washington, where they're taking away the
subsidies for the people who are going to get
their insurance on the exchange. These are small
business owners, these are farmers. These are people
who are trying to make a living, and their premiums
are going to double, maybe even triple in Wisconsin.
And so having somebody who has that expertise in
healthcare to be able to do that here in Wisconsin and
actually make a demonstrable difference in
people's lives, that's something that I'm really
excited about. >> How much money do you
think you're going to need to raise in order to be
successful in this primary? know, I've been talking
about this with so many different people, and it is
going to be millions of dollars to be able to be
successful in the primary. But I've got support all
over the state. I've got endorsements in all 72
counties. I got the first statewide union endorsement,
it's AFSCME, it's the public workers, municipal
municipality workers, and was just really proud and
honored to be able to get that endorsement and
excited about all the support that I'm seeing all
across the state. >> When it comes to a
competitive primary. How do you personally define the
difference between negative campaigning versus defining
differences between candidates?
>> Well, we're all going to have to make our arguments
to the voters. We're all going to have to say what
we're bringing to the table and what type of
experiences we have that are going to make us good
governors. And I would say for myself, I'm one of the
only candidates. I am the only candidate in the race
who's actually been able to flip a district from red to
blue. I did that when I was in the assembly. I'm also
somebody who has extensive private industry experience
elected office. That's a good balance between those
two things. I know what it's like to work shift
work. I know what it's like to be an executive within a
what it's like to be an elected official. You're
going to need all those skills to make sure that
you have a governor who's going to be ready on day
one. at all these candidates
should be thinking more in terms of which candidate
maybe has an issue they most closely align to, or
is it about electability? >> I think it's both. I
think you can look at the issues for all the
different candidates and values, but then we also
have to look to the general to see who's going to be
able to get across the finish line in November.
>> Most of the candidates in this race have
connections to either Madison or Milwaukee. What
are you doing to reach the rest of the state? Rural
areas, exurban areas? live in Waukesha County.
And so that is not that is very different than
Milwaukee County. But what I am doing in the primary
is I am again going to all 72 counties. We are doing
listening sessions all across the state because I
firmly believe you can't lead unless you listen. And
so that's how I'm doing my outreach. I'm going to
continue to do that tour all across the state,
hearing what people want in their governor, hearing
what's going on in their communities, because all
politics is local and we need to be able to listen
to our constituents. >> What impact do you think
Donald Trump will have on this election?
chaos in Washington right now. And I think when we're
looking at who could possibly be the Republican
governor candidate, that's Tom Tiffany there is very
little daylight between him and Trump. And so if that
chaos in Washington could absolutely trickle down
into into Wisconsin, if somebody is going to be
electing Tom Tiffany as governor.
>> Thank you so much for having me.
you'll get to know those running in the August
primary for governor. Last week, you heard from two
Republicans in the race. Up next, Zach sits down with
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
>> David Crowley, thanks for joining us.
>> So happy to be here. Thank you for having me.
>> So for voters who don't elevator pitch, introduce
running? husband. I'm a father. I'm
the Milwaukee County executive and a lifelong
Wisconsinites. And I was born and raised in the city
of Milwaukee. And I know there's so much that our
entire state has to offer. And so I'm running for
in the state, I believe in its people. But more
importantly, I know how to deliver results. And I know
that there are a lot of people who are dealing with
the affordability crisis. And, you know, there are
many families who are getting less, even if
they're making more and more money today. And so
with life getting more expensive and families
getting Streu's, it doesn't mean that we can't help
Wisconsinites out. And that's why I'm running for
governor to be a governor for all of us.
>> Is there a single issue that drives you, or perhaps
a lane within the Democratic Party that
defines you? affordability crisis
because things are rising in costs, whether we're
talking housing, whether we're talking groceries,
we're seeing utilities and people are seeing the rise
in inflation under this current administration, and
they want somebody who's going to be there for them,
not just the governor who's going to listen, but who's
built solutions from the ground up, who's going to
make sure that people are at the table who are
directly impacted by the sure that they can be a
part of the decision making. At the same time.
>> How much money do you need to raise in order to
be competitive and win this primary?
to tell you that it's unfortunate how much money
is being spent in elections that we have been breaking
many, many different records when it comes down
to campaign spending. We've seen that in the two
Supreme Court races here locally. But I also don't
think that we should play behind the eight ball. And
so I'm going to continue to fundraise here locally to
make sure that we have enough resources to get us
over, not just the primary election, but to get us
through the general as well. >> When it comes to a
primary like this, what is the line for you personally
between negative campaigning against a
member of your own party versus defining maybe some
flaws or some issue differences between you and
an opponent? >> You know, these
elections are opportunities for the electorate to know
who each person is. And so we're going to just stick
to the facts, stick to the things that, you know, we
have done on this, on this campaign trail, what I have
done as Milwaukee County Executive. This isn't about
mudslinging. This is really about focusing on how we
are going to deliver results for those that we
represent. No matter if you live in an urban, suburban
or rural area, this is about how to make sure that
we're going to make life easier for those families,
for those individuals, for those workers every single
day. And that's what we're going to focus on, because
that's what matters. That's not a Republican or
about the Wisconsin agenda. >> So for voters who only
care about winning, of seeing their party win, do
you think they should be focusing more on the issues
that candidates represent >> Well, we got to focus on
on both. We got to focus on the issues that are
affecting communities all across this entire state.
But we also need someone who has experience. You
know, I bring a very unique executive leadership,
spending seven years in the state Capitol, but also
serving as the county executive for the past five
years. And so I'm the only candidate in this race that
has experience in the legislature, but actually
running a government, balancing billion dollar
budgets and really tackling the issues head on. So I
think it's a it's a combination of both, but
it's about how do we outside of our comfort zone,
go all across the entire state of Wisconsin to let
voters know what we're putting on the table?
>> Most of the Democrats in this race have connections
either to Madison or Milwaukee. How do you reach
the rest of the state? Rural Wisconsin Outstate
>> Well, I think it's no secret. I'm uniquely
positioned to bring out more Democratic votes out
of Milwaukee County than any other candidate in this
race, especially winning with 85% of the vote. With
my last reelection just in 2024. But it's about
showing up. Folks want a governor who's going to
listen, who's going to be there for them, and make
sure that they're at the table when it comes down to
figuring out those solutions. And I'm the only
candidate who has to, that has a proven track record
that I can deliver on the things that we're talking
campaign trail in 2023, you know, I worked together to
build a coalition all across the state of
Wisconsin, building stakeholders, government
business leaders to pass act 12, which allowed for
more money to come from Madison, to go to every
local municipality, no matter its size, so they
can invest in things that matter for them. Things
like fire, police, housing, transportation, the quality
of life issues that matter to those local residents.
And I'm going to continue to do that as the next
governor of Wisconsin. >> What impact do you think
Donald Trump will have on this primary, first of all,
and on the election in general?
know, no matter who is in the highest office in the
land, whether that's a Democratic Joe Biden or
President Donald Trump, they're going to put their
thumb on this scale. But I think it's extremely
important that it's not just about fighting back
against many of these dangerous policies that
we're seeing coming out of Washington, D.C. it's about
what vision, what agenda? As Democrats are we going
to put on the table? I know that I'm frustrated with
who's occupying the white House like many others, but
also as a healthy level of frustration with Democrats
and Republicans not being able to put an agenda on
the table, not bringing a cohesive message to really
energize the base and put something put an
alternative out there. And we're going to do this on
this campaign, making sure that folks understand that
this is going to be a new campaign, whether you're a
Democrat, Republican or independent, or don't care
about politics in general. There's room on this
campaign for you. >> All right. David Crowley,
thanks for your time. >> Thank you so much. Thank
you for having me. >> Another of the total of
seven Democrats running for governor, State Senator
Kelda Roys tells us about her experience and
candidacy in this interview with Zac Schultz.
>> Kelda. Roys, thanks for joining us.
Zach. elevator pitch, introduce
yourself and say, why are you running for governor?
>> I'm running for governor because Wisconsin needs
higher wages, lower costs and more freedom. We face a
huge threat from the Trump administration, and we need
a governor who is willing to stand up to the bullies
and billionaires and fight to protect Wisconsinites
same time, we also have an incredible opportunity to
actually elect a governor who is able to govern and
pass laws with a new, fairer legislature.
>> Is there a single issue that drives you, or perhaps
a lane within the Democratic Party that may
define you? >> I think it's all about
making it possible for working people to have the
freedom to thrive in this have seen their wages
stagnate or even go down. Meanwhile, the cost of
living are skyrocketing. Everything from housing to
healthcare, childcare and utilities is going up. We
have to make Wisconsin a place where people can
afford to live and have a good life.
need to raise to be competitive and win this
primary? And will that leave any room for the
general election after that? >> Yeah, I'm very confident
that we're going to have a good pot of money that's
been raised by the Democratic Party and
national partners for whomever our nominee is. I
think the primary, it depends on who all is
running, but I'm confident I'm going to have the
resources needed to run a strong campaign and prevail.
>> When it comes to a competitive primary, you're
no stranger to those. your view, between negative
campaigning against a versus defining differences
between candidates? >> Well, I think primaries
are really important opportunity for voters to
vet the candidates and see what their experience is,
see how they perform under pressure. There's going to
be a huge spotlight on Wisconsin. This is an
incredibly important high stakes race in one of the
most pivotal states in the country. And it is
essential that we have a governor who not only is
able to stand up to the Trump administration when
needed, but also capable of actually making the change
that we need in this narrow window of opportunity that
we're going to have. >> When primary voters are
looking at these candidates, should they be thinking in
terms of which issue they most closely relate to, a
candidate or simply electability?
>> Well, I think each voter is going to decide for him
or herself what matters. And I ask everyone in
Wisconsin for your vote on August 11th and November
3rd. But I really want to make the argument that
whatever the issue that you care about is, the most
important thing is having a governor who can win and
who can actually get things done. I have spent over 20
years working in and around state government in a
variety of capacities as a legislator in the Senate
and the Assembly, as the only candidate running that
served on the Joint Finance Committee, small business
owner, mom, attorney and I have been able to get
meaningful legislation passed on a whole variety
of issues through every split. Those skills are
going to be essential for our next governor. If we
want to actually make change in this state.
>> All of the Democrats running for office have
connections either to Madison or Milwaukee. What
is your job in terms of introducing yourself to the
rest of the state, especially rural Wisconsin,
that may not recognize your name?
spent my career traveling around the state and
building relationships and trying to build democratic
power. And I'm actually from Taylor County. I was
born in Marshfield, grew up in a one room schoolhouse
in rural Taylor County, north of highway 29. I'm
the only candidate that had a pet goat as a child, and
so it's been really fun for me to travel around the
state, areas where I have deep family roots or other
connections that I've built throughout my career,
reconnect with people and meet new people, and the
reception has been really strong.
impact of Donald Trump will be on this election?
>> I think that people in Wisconsin are feeling angry
and hopeless about the economic situation, the
chaos and the corruption that we are seeing by this
administration is unprecedented, and we're
also seeing him shredding our Constitution and the
and as a patriotic American, I think that what Trump is
doing is totally unacceptable, and we need
to have strong governors who are willing to stand up
and hold him accountable, you know, private
paramilitary force that he's building with ICE. We
can have secure borders without violating people's
rights and destroying the things that make this
country good. >> Kelda Roys, thanks for
your time. >> Great to be with you.
Thank you. >> Wisconsin health
new federal guidance on hepatitis B vaccinations
for newborns and maintaining current
guidance that babies should get the shot within 24
hours of birth. State Department of Health
Services Chief Medical Officer Doctor Ryan
Westergaard shared more. >> Guidance from Wisconsin
Department of Health Services is unchanged,
actually, and that is that all children should get
vaccinated with three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine,
and the first dose should be given in the first 24
hours of life. This is a standard that has been
going on for a very long time, and has been very
successful in reducing the prevalence of hepatitis B
in Americans, and we're very concerned that if that
were to change that we would lose ground, that
there would be more hepatitis B among infants.
And that's very dangerous because hepatitis B can
cause lifelong chronic liver disease and result in
cancer and cirrhosis and problems that we have the
ability to prevent. >> How are patients and
families to kind of make sense of childhood or even
Covid vaccine schedules when the federal advisers
are guiding one thing and the state is coming back in
and saying no, maintain our current guidance.
>> Our hope is that we can put the best available
science out there, communicate clearly on what
we think the science says, understand that people will
have questions. Encourage people to ask those
questions of their clinician for whom with
whom they have a relationship, and when the
science is available and those conversations happen,
we're confident that people can make the right decision.
And in this case, the evidence is pretty clear
that hepatitis B vaccination for all
children is is the safest approach and the most
effective approach to preventing this particular
virus. >> In other health related
news, the number of farmers facing significant mental
health challenges has been increasing for decades. But
"Here& Now"? Reporter Steven Potter has this
story about the efforts of state funded programs and
the growth in volunteer groups stepping up to meet
the need and help farmers. As a warning, the following
story does discuss suicide. >> He was always the the
happy guy who had a good story to share, and
everybody's like, I never would have thought your dad
would have done this. >> Growing up in
northwestern Wisconsin, where her family has raised
cows and grown crops on the same stretch of land since
the 1880s, Jennifer Webster remembers her father as a
proud farmer. >> I think my dad chose to
farm because he truly enjoyed it. He enjoyed
being a steward of the land. >> She says. The work was
difficult but rewarding. >> Especially like when you
plant the crop, you see it through to the growing
season and then you harvest it. And he really enjoyed
to to see all of his hard work pay off.
>> But over the years things changed.
>> He had had a rough spring just with how the
farming economy was going. He had mentioned to my mom
that farming wasn't fun anymore a couple of months
before he had died. >> And then her father,
Bryan Webster, made one last decision that would
send shockwaves through his family and the local
farming community. >> He died by suicide,
actually, on our farm in August of 2023.
>> While no one expected he would take his own life,
her father did have known problems with his mental
health problems he was trying to solve.
>> He was actually seeking medical care for depression.
He was on medication and actually was going to go to
therapy. But for whatever reason, he couldn't find a
solution to to different things that were bothering
him. alone in the grief of
losing a farmer and loved one to suicide. According
to the federal centers for Disease Control. Suicide in
rural parts of America increased 46% from 2000 to
2020. That's nearly twice the suicide rate of urban
areas. More specifically, according to the National
Rural Health Association, farmers and agriculture
workers have a suicide rate that's 3.5 times higher
than the general population. Several individuals,
organizations and government agencies are
trying to make sense of these heightened suicide
statistics. One of them is Karen Endres, who runs the
Farmer Wellness Program for the State of Wisconsin Farm
Center. >> When farmers don't take
care of their emotional wellness, it becomes very
challenging. They're isolating. They also
overwork, and it gets to be very stressful. The number
one stressor for farmers is time management. There's
just not enough time in the day to get everything done
that we need to get done to take care of our land, as
well as take care of our livestock.
as a dairy farmer, Endres says that agricultural work
is full of uncertainty. >> We don't have a lot of
stability, so that is a very large stressor for
farmers is the market conditions. And in the
world we are today when we just we don't have control
over trade agreements and other things, and that can
add a lot of pressure when you don't know what your
income will be. >> Webster adds that there
are several other stressors, like severe weather and
sick animals. >> You kind of have to be
able to adjust. >> But she says some
farmers are not able to adjust and can't cope with
the pressure. so they kind of crawl into
a hole. Because farmers are very prideful, they think
that they can manage it. We're finding more and more
farmers are experiencing depression because they're
keeping it all bottled up. So it's really hard to
really be able to express those and put your pride
aside and say, and raise your hand and say, I'm
struggling. >> There are state run
programs designed specifically for farmers
struggling with their mental health.
>> We connect farmers to either in-person or
telehealth visits with licensed clinical social
workers, counselors throughout our state that
are interested in working with farmers.
>> Endres says. A 24 over seven mental health
helpline, as well as online support groups and therapy
vouchers offered through the state's Farmer Wellness
Program, have seen a spike in interest over the last
few years. increase in the volume of
calls, whether that's more people being aware of the
program or increased stress on our farms. But it's all
of us out there. We're dealing in some very heavy
times right now. >> Overall, the 24 over
seven farmer helpline has seen nearly 750 calls this
year, and the therapy voucher system has grown
from about 200 vouchers issued in 2021 to 500
vouchers issued this year. Farmers are also becoming
more willing to share with each other.
groups were up over 50% in attendance last year. We
created a new group last year just to fill the
demand of people wanting to connect, wanting to talk.
>> Aside from the cost of a therapist and the
and getting an appointment, there's another barrier
from seeking help with their mental health. And
that's the stigma behind admitting that they need
help in the first place. >> They work really long
hours, and a lot of them are just you're raised to
be very independent and self-reliant.
Southwest Health Behavioral Services in Grant County,
says that her client base of farmers and their
problems continues to grow. >> The biggest ones I
probably see are like the depression and anxiety. And
then also, again, kind of starting to use substances
to help cope because they don't know where else to
turn. >> But once farmers do get
some help, things begin to improve.
>> Just helping to kind of get over that stigma or
that that kind of sense of, I'm really hesitant to do
this. You can tell, like they're starting to take
care of themselves a little bit more, or they're
starting to feel like spirits are up a little
more. >> We're all working
together to try to help farmers understand that
it's okay not to be okay. >> Families like the
Websters know that nothing will bring their loved ones
back, but they can try to help other farmers from
sinking so deep into depression and hopelessness
that they end their own lives. And that's where
organizations like the Farmer Angel Network come
in. is an organization that
focuses around farmer to farmer suicide prevention.
We are an organization that, in western Wisconsin that
really promotes fellowship and encouraging
conversations in our community around farm
mental health. the network, Webster and
others have raised awareness about the
struggles farmers face by hosting community events
like picnics and educating health care providers.
Their goal is to make farmers feel seen,
recognized, and appreciated. >> One other thing we do is
we do what I call random acts of kindness. So we
give gift cards to farmers where, especially if you're
a dairy farmer, going out for dinner with your family
can be really challenging. >> As she and her brothers
and mother Steil at the Webster Farm know that help
is needed now more than ever.
>> We definitely want to be able to give them a sense
of hope that that that their life is, is worth
living. Their farm is worth, is worth the fight. And
just giving them a sense of of hope and opportunity and
providing resources for them to help them cope.
>> Reporting from Pierce County. I'm Steven Potter
for "Here& Now". >> I want to talk to you.
>> If you or someone you know is in crisis and need
immediate mental health help, call the 988
Wisconsin Lifeline. For more on this and other
issues facing Wisconsin, visit our website at PBS
Wisconsin and then click on the news tab. That's our
program for tonight, I'm Frederica Freyberg.
[MUSIC] >> Funding for "Here& Now"
is provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin.