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I'm state senator, Kel DeRoyce,

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and I'm running for governor to

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raise wages, lower costs,

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have the best public schools in the

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nation, and to protect our rights

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and freedoms.

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I'm here today to talk about my

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plan for health care in Wisconsin,

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my vision, to bring us closer

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to universal, affordable health

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care coverage for every single

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Wisconsinite.

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As I travel around the state, I

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hear about a lot of different

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issues. But one thing that comes up

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every single time is the

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way in which So many Wisconsinites

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do not have access to affordable

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healthcare.

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Even if they do have insurance, it

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costs way too much and

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the premiums are skyrocketing.

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It doesn't cover what it should.

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People and providers are spending

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time arguing with insurance

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companies and.

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We cannot continue like this.

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Our country spends more per capita

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than any other country on

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healthcare, and yet we have some

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of the worst outcomes in the world,

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right, in terms of our longevity,

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our level of illness,

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our infant and maternal mortality

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rates.

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We're not getting what we're paying

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for.

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My plan is very different than what

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my friends in this Democratic

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primary are offering because it

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takes something that is actually

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working well in healthcare in

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Wisconsin.

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And that's the coverage that I

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receive as a state employee.

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I have high quality,

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comprehensive insurance.

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We have several nonprofit

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provider-owned insurers

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that provide health coverage

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to state employees, and

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there are also some private

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insurance companies as well.

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But it is very predictable

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because we are part of a really

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large pool.

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And what that means is I know

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that if my kid gets sick, I

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can take my kid to the doctor.

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And it's not gonna result

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in a huge bill.

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I know that if I were to have a

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bad diagnosis or be in a car

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accident, that it's gonna bankrupt

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my family.

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And that kind of health security is

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something that every single

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Wisconsinite, no matter who you are,

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where you're from, or who you

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work for, absolutely deserves.

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My plan, Keldacare,

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will allow anyone in Wisconsin,

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an individual or an employer,

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to buy in at cost.

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To the very same coverage that state

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employees get.

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Now, to be clear, this is not a

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taxpayer funded plan,

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right? You will have to pay the

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cost.

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And if you're an employer,

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you're probably gonna find that

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being a part of the state plan is

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cheaper, provides better coverage,

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and takes away from that time

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tax of having to constantly

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be looking for more

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affordable health insurance options.

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I talked to Kyle, a teacher

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up in Superior, Wisconsin, who said

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that. This year,

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their insurance premiums for

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the school district were going up

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38%.

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38%. So guess what?

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Not only is no teacher

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in Superior gonna be getting a raise

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this year, they'll all functionally

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be getting pay cut.

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I talked to an owner of a mid-size

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manufacturing company in Merrill,

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who said that it used to be

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a matter of pride for her, that she

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was able to cover the health

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insurance costs, all the premium

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costs for her employees.

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And over the past 20 years.

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That percentage that she's been able

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to cover has gone down and down and

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now she's looking at how

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can I even offer coverage?

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Maybe everyone's just gonna have to

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go on the ACA.

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This is a problem that we can solve

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with public policy by

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letting people buy in at cost.

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And let me lay out some of the

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benefits to taxpayers for this.

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Number one, when you have a larger

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pool, you can spread the

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administrative costs of that program

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over a broader number of people and

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that will bring down the cost for

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taxpayers.

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Number two, a big reason

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that premiums keep going up and up

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and up in health insurance is

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uncompensated and undercompensated

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care, because people don't have

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insurance or their insurance isn't

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good enough to cover things.

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And this is why I have a

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friend who is an emergency room

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doctor. She tells me every single

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day there is somebody in the

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emergency room who says, do I

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really need to be here because I

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don't think I can afford it?

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That cost, that care

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is being provided, but the cost is

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not being warned.

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By the uninsured patient, generally,

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because they don't have the money.

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If they had money, they'd have

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insurance.

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It is being borne by the

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providers, the system, and all of us

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who have private insurance,

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and so that's going in to increase

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our premiums.

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When we expand access to coverage,

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we can reduce that uncompensated

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care and slow the

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growth of premiums that we have

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experienced.

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Perhaps most importantly,

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here we are in Milwaukee at a

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federally qualified health center

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throughout Wisconsin.

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We have a severe provider shortage.

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We have rural hospitals and clinics

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closing their doors.

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We have critical access hospitals

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in jeopardy of closing and leaving

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millions of Wisconsinites without

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access to care that they need.

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In large part, because of

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uncompensated care.

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My plan, because the

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state health insurance plans

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reimburse providers at

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a reasonable rate, so

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not less than the cost of care, but

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the actual cost of providing the

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care we can help keep those

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critically provider doors

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open for Wisconsinites in

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communities like Milwaukee,

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up in Ashland where I was this

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weekend, throughout the state.

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Now, this is not the only piece of

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my healthcare plan. I also have

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detailed plans for how we're gonna

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invest in mental health and

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behavioral health, how we gonna

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protect access to reproductive

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rights and reproductive freedom, so

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that politicians are never between

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you and your doctor, and how we can

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lower the cost of prescription

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drugs.

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And increase the pipeline of

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providers here in Wisconsin.

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But the ad that my campaign

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released today really

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focuses on the fact that we

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need affordable access to

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high quality health insurance.

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And that's what I'm gonna deliver

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with Keldicare as governor.

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I would be happy to take any

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questions.

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Senator Boyce, Republicans are

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going after your latest ad,

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saying that it escalates the

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rhetoric by saying that the European

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insurance companies are trying to

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kill us.

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What's your response to that?

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Well, I would just say, look at the

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data. You know, we're a state

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that should have expanded badger

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care and covered at least 80,000

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more Wisconsinites over the last 15

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years. I wonder how many

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Wisconsinites in that time

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who would have been eligible for the

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expanded badger coverage are dead

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because they did not have access to

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that care.

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I think about the women who

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have died post-DOBS because

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they were turned away and they had

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to bleed out or go septic instead

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of receiving access to abortion

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care. I think about...

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The substandard care that we have

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been providing as a state to

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women of color and babies of color

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pre and postpartum because Robin

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Voss was blocking the

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extended coverage for postpart care

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for low-income women.

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There is a very, very real cost,

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not just financial, but human,

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when we deny people access to health

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care. And that is why throughout my

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political career I have been always

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dedicated to getting more people

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access. To high quality health care

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and health insurance coverage every

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single year.

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But in the midst of political

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violence that we've seen in

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assassination attempts is saying

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Republicans are trying to kill us

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appropriately, which during a

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campaign like this...

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Well, I think the line is it's

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almost like they're trying to kill

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us, and this is language that I

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have heard again and again from

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patients around the state and from

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the doctors who are trying

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desperately to care for them and

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saying, these patients

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are not able to get the care.

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They are dying because they don't

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have access to it.

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Do you think healthcare is the area

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where you can stand out in what's

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become a very jumbled democratic

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primary?

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I think health care is absolutely

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top of mind for voters, both for

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this primary election and for the

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general. I think that there are many

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areas where I stand apart

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from my friends in this primary.

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Health care is certainly one,

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but I also think public education

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is another one.

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I am the candidate that has put a

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stake in the ground and has a plan

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to bring the private voucher

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scheme that is diverting billions

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of dollars from our public schools

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into the pockets of unaccountable

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privatizers to bring that program to

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a responsible end.

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I'm also the candidate.

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That has a more than two decades

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long track record of actually

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passing laws in the toughest

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of political environments and really

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delivering progressive change for

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people.

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In light of the news regarding

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Sarah Rodriguez and her campaign

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finance issues,

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have you been talking with Missy

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00:08:36,450 --> 00:08:37,788
Hughes, have you been to David

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Crowley to try to get them to change

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their enforcement to you?

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I have heard from and

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of course have reached out to

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hundreds of folks around the state

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and I'm proud to say that

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I have earned the support of many

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many people who initially were

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supporting other candidates

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00:08:52,210 --> 00:08:54,209
including Missy and

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David and Sarah.

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You know this is the work that all

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campaigns and candidates should be

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00:08:58,890 --> 00:09:00,249
constantly doing.

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It is ABC always be campaigning

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and working to earn people's support

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00:09:04,010 --> 00:09:06,169
and votes. I do think that

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the dynamics have shifted markedly

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00:09:07,950 --> 00:09:09,109
in this race.

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We've always known that this was

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going to be a very late breaking

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primary, that there

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00:09:14,930 --> 00:09:16,269
is really, we're not going to really

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know anything until August

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00:09:18,090 --> 00:09:20,049
11th because so many

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people are still not paying

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00:09:21,330 --> 00:09:23,109
attention and don't in fact even

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know that there's an election going

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on.

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And that Because

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there are not huge resources that

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any candidate has, there has been

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00:09:30,770 --> 00:09:32,369
very little communication.

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00:09:32,370 --> 00:09:34,229
You know, we announced four weeks

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00:09:34,230 --> 00:09:36,089
ago that we were putting

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00:09:36,090 --> 00:09:38,029
forth a statewide ad

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00:09:38,030 --> 00:09:40,569
buy of half a million dollars.

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00:09:40,570 --> 00:09:42,509
That's been up for four weeks.

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We announced earlier this week, now

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00:09:43,770 --> 00:09:46,069
we've got another ad buy focused on

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the Milwaukee media market up on

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broadcast.

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So we are all in, we are making

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00:09:50,210 --> 00:09:51,569
those investments because we believe

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that this is the moment when people

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00:09:53,470 --> 00:09:54,589
are gonna start paying attention.

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And I am the candidate.

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00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:58,959
That folks all across the

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Democratic Party,

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00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:02,319
from folks on the left and young

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00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:03,879
people who feel like politics has

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00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:06,459
failed them to moderate

345
00:10:06,460 --> 00:10:08,359
sort of normie Democrats to

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00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,199
those disaffected Trump voters,

347
00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,039
can find in me a

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00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,679
candidate who is responsible,

349
00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:16,579
who listens, and who is focused on

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00:10:16,580 --> 00:10:18,019
the issues that matter most to

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Wisconsin.

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00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,079
So no direct conversations with

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00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,279
Crowley or with Hughes.

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00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:23,229
Not, no.

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00:10:23,230 --> 00:10:25,049
How would you describe the

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00:10:25,050 --> 00:10:26,809
state of the race as we sit here at

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00:10:26,810 --> 00:10:28,169
this moment?

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I would describe it as

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00:10:30,190 --> 00:10:31,769
completely wide open and up in the

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00:10:31,770 --> 00:10:32,669
air.

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00:10:32,670 --> 00:10:33,989
I still think that Mandela Barnes

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00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:35,869
has a significant advantage because

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00:10:35,870 --> 00:10:37,749
of his name ID, and that

364
00:10:37,750 --> 00:10:39,789
makes sense because, you

365
00:10:39,790 --> 00:10:41,849
know, I think close to $70 million

366
00:10:41,850 --> 00:10:43,709
was spent trying to elect him to the

367
00:10:43,710 --> 00:10:45,329
United States Senate four years ago,

368
00:10:45,330 --> 00:10:47,189
and so people do know his

369
00:10:47,190 --> 00:10:49,009
name. But we also know from our

370
00:10:49,010 --> 00:10:50,409
polling that that support is very,

371
00:10:50,410 --> 00:10:52,549
very soft, and most Democrats

372
00:10:52,550 --> 00:10:54,429
want somebody else to be able to

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00:10:54,430 --> 00:10:55,430
carry the banner.

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00:10:56,010 --> 00:10:57,529
The job of governor is a very

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00:10:57,530 --> 00:10:59,109
serious one, and this is a once in a

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00:10:59,110 --> 00:11:00,649
generation opportunity.

377
00:11:00,650 --> 00:11:02,469
We need a candidate at the top of

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00:11:02,470 --> 00:11:04,529
the ticket who will not only

379
00:11:04,530 --> 00:11:06,089
beat Tom Tiffany, but help us

380
00:11:06,090 --> 00:11:08,229
deliver a democratic assembly

381
00:11:08,230 --> 00:11:09,289
and Senate.

382
00:11:09,290 --> 00:11:10,429
And most importantly, we need

383
00:11:10,430 --> 00:11:11,829
somebody who's actually capable of

384
00:11:11,830 --> 00:11:13,389
doing the job of governing.

385
00:11:13,390 --> 00:11:14,809
What's your July campaign finance

386
00:11:14,810 --> 00:11:16,279
report gonna show?

387
00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:18,399
I already released a report

388
00:11:18,400 --> 00:11:20,359
basically outlining the fact that I

389
00:11:20,360 --> 00:11:22,339
have raised $1.2

390
00:11:22,340 --> 00:11:23,980
million in this campaign.

391
00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,819
I have spent a

392
00:11:26,820 --> 00:11:28,599
good number of that on the early

393
00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:29,819
investment in media that I've

394
00:11:29,820 --> 00:11:30,820
already

395
00:11:31,939 --> 00:11:33,659
outlined in press releases and that

396
00:11:33,660 --> 00:11:35,459
people have seen on their screens.

397
00:11:35,460 --> 00:11:36,699
So I'm probably not going to have as

398
00:11:36,700 --> 00:11:38,139
high of cash on hand as some of the

399
00:11:38,140 --> 00:11:39,699
other candidates.

400
00:11:39,700 --> 00:11:41,559
But I can assure you that the

401
00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:43,679
numbers that I put out in my

402
00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:45,079
campaign finance report and file

403
00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:47,169
with the state. Will be accurate and

404
00:11:47,170 --> 00:11:48,529
that voters can trust the numbers

405
00:11:48,530 --> 00:11:49,530
that I put in there.

406
00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:52,179
Questions?

407
00:11:52,180 --> 00:11:54,439
Are the errors in Rodriguez's

408
00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:55,519
campaign of finance reports

409
00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:56,679
disqualifying you in your mind

410
00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:57,700
should she drop out of the race?

411
00:11:58,970 --> 00:12:00,549
It's not for me to tell anybody else

412
00:12:00,550 --> 00:12:01,689
how to run their race.

413
00:12:01,690 --> 00:12:03,289
I can tell you that when I looked at

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00:12:03,290 --> 00:12:05,189
those finance reports in January, it

415
00:12:05,190 --> 00:12:06,969
didn't take me but five minutes to

416
00:12:06,970 --> 00:12:07,969
immediately say, hey, there's

417
00:12:07,970 --> 00:12:08,849
something wrong here.

418
00:12:08,850 --> 00:12:09,969
There's so many duplicates.

419
00:12:09,970 --> 00:12:11,129
What's going on?

420
00:12:12,310 --> 00:12:14,669
And as a candidate for

421
00:12:14,670 --> 00:12:16,889
office, I have run five campaigns.

422
00:12:16,890 --> 00:12:18,589
I ran a statewide nonprofit

423
00:12:18,590 --> 00:12:20,709
organization for four years.

424
00:12:20,710 --> 00:12:22,529
I have ran a small business for

425
00:12:22,530 --> 00:12:24,189
13 years through boom and bust

426
00:12:24,190 --> 00:12:25,429
times, and I have on the Joint

427
00:12:25,430 --> 00:12:27,209
Finance Committee in the State

428
00:12:27,210 --> 00:12:28,210
Senate.

429
00:12:28,670 --> 00:12:30,709
I cannot imagine

430
00:12:30,710 --> 00:12:33,369
having no

431
00:12:33,370 --> 00:12:35,749
financial procedures in place where

432
00:12:35,750 --> 00:12:37,349
you could end up with such a massive

433
00:12:37,350 --> 00:12:39,289
discrepancy and not

434
00:12:39,290 --> 00:12:40,809
be looking at the bank balance and

435
00:12:40,810 --> 00:12:42,469
reconciling that with the numbers

436
00:12:42,470 --> 00:12:43,549
that you're getting.

437
00:12:43,550 --> 00:12:45,389
It is simply

438
00:12:45,390 --> 00:12:47,329
unimaginable that you would have

439
00:12:47,330 --> 00:12:49,449
no idea that

440
00:12:49,450 --> 00:12:50,929
you were basically inflating your

441
00:12:50,930 --> 00:12:52,769
fundraising numbers,

442
00:12:52,770 --> 00:12:54,349
almost doubling them in

443
00:12:54,350 --> 00:12:55,729
representations that were being made

444
00:12:55,730 --> 00:12:57,549
to donors. To me that is, there is

445
00:12:57,550 --> 00:12:59,029
no way that that that should be able

446
00:12:59,030 --> 00:13:01,009
to happen. You know every day how

447
00:13:01,010 --> 00:13:02,329
much money you raise, how much you

448
00:13:02,330 --> 00:13:04,589
spend, and you should be reconciling

449
00:13:04,590 --> 00:13:05,849
those internal books with what's

450
00:13:05,850 --> 00:13:07,319
actually in your checking account.

451
00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,559
You mentioned Mando Barnes earlier.

452
00:13:09,560 --> 00:13:11,059
Do you think that Barnes or

453
00:13:11,060 --> 00:13:12,879
Francesca Hawn could beat Tiffany in

454
00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:13,880
November?

455
00:13:14,660 --> 00:13:16,099
I think that's up to us in

456
00:13:16,100 --> 00:13:16,919
Wisconsin.

457
00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:18,879
I think we cannot

458
00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:20,599
allow Tom Tiffany to be governor.

459
00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:21,980
There is no question about that.

460
00:13:23,380 --> 00:13:24,539
Since I was in high school I've

461
00:13:24,540 --> 00:13:25,999
never sat on an election cycle and I

462
00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,559
will not be sitting out this one,

463
00:13:27,560 --> 00:13:28,919
regardless of whether I am the

464
00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:29,999
nominee. I do think that I am

465
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,919
strongest candidate to beat Tom

466
00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:32,839
Tiffany.

467
00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:34,139
I think I am a strongest candidate,

468
00:13:34,140 --> 00:13:36,059
to help give us our best chance of

469
00:13:36,060 --> 00:13:36,939
flipping that legislature

470
00:13:36,940 --> 00:13:37,839
Democratic.

471
00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:39,759
And I am by far the candidate with

472
00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:41,399
the experience to actually govern

473
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:42,319
the state on day one.

474
00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,249
And by the way, That is not just

475
00:13:44,250 --> 00:13:45,889
an opinion that I hold.

476
00:13:45,890 --> 00:13:47,369
That is also borne out by the fact

477
00:13:47,370 --> 00:13:48,729
that I have, by far, the most

478
00:13:48,730 --> 00:13:50,229
endorsements of elected and former

479
00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:52,069
elected officials from every

480
00:13:52,070 --> 00:13:53,169
corner of the state.

481
00:13:53,170 --> 00:13:54,849
I actually have more endorsements

482
00:13:54,850 --> 00:13:56,769
from Milwaukee County than any of

483
00:13:56,770 --> 00:13:57,829
the other candidates.

484
00:13:57,830 --> 00:13:59,189
I have the biggest endorsement in

485
00:13:59,190 --> 00:14:00,529
the race, which is WEAC, our state

486
00:14:00,530 --> 00:14:02,449
teacher's union, and the backing of

487
00:14:02,450 --> 00:14:03,729
former Lieutenant Governor Barbara

488
00:14:03,730 --> 00:14:05,069
Lawton.

489
00:14:05,070 --> 00:14:06,409
So folks who are paying attention

490
00:14:06,410 --> 00:14:08,089
and who really know what's at stake

491
00:14:08,090 --> 00:14:08,889
here.

492
00:14:08,890 --> 00:14:10,509
Have already made their choice.

493
00:14:10,510 --> 00:14:12,029
And they've said that Calderoy's is

494
00:14:12,030 --> 00:14:13,270
our strongest choice.

495
00:14:14,710 --> 00:14:16,609
In the field to himself

496
00:14:16,610 --> 00:14:18,749
and multiple ads portraying

497
00:14:18,750 --> 00:14:20,389
himself as a friendly guy at the

498
00:14:20,390 --> 00:14:22,209
bar, a neighbor next door.

499
00:14:22,210 --> 00:14:23,769
Is that too big of a hill to

500
00:14:23,770 --> 00:14:25,629
overcome after this primary is

501
00:14:25,630 --> 00:14:27,529
settled? What kind of ads will have

502
00:14:27,530 --> 00:14:29,449
to be aired in order to contrast

503
00:14:29,450 --> 00:14:31,999
that with his record that you're

504
00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:32,959
Absolutely not.

505
00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:33,979
I think it's really important that

506
00:14:33,980 --> 00:14:35,359
Wisconsinites know the truth about

507
00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:36,839
Tom Tiffany. Listen, I like old

508
00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:37,679
fashions.

509
00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:39,199
I've got four daughters and a son.

510
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,139
I like going to the nutcracker with

511
00:14:41,140 --> 00:14:43,139
them. That is not what qualifies

512
00:14:43,140 --> 00:14:44,379
me to be governor.

513
00:14:44,380 --> 00:14:45,979
What qualifies to be Governor is

514
00:14:45,980 --> 00:14:47,919
that unlike Tom Tiffany, who is

515
00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:49,779
a rubber stamp for Donald Trump,

516
00:14:49,780 --> 00:14:51,819
I am an independent thinker who has

517
00:14:51,820 --> 00:14:53,419
strong democratic values but has

518
00:14:53,420 --> 00:14:55,659
also worked across the aisle year

519
00:14:55,660 --> 00:14:56,959
after year to get things done and

520
00:14:56,960 --> 00:14:58,279
actually deliver for people.

521
00:14:58,280 --> 00:15:00,139
He wants a national abortion ban.

522
00:15:00,140 --> 00:15:01,969
I believe that

523
00:15:01,970 --> 00:15:03,789
You and your body and your health,

524
00:15:03,790 --> 00:15:05,629
those decisions belong only to you

525
00:15:05,630 --> 00:15:06,729
and not to your neighborhood

526
00:15:06,730 --> 00:15:07,889
politician.

527
00:15:07,890 --> 00:15:10,249
Tom Tiffany is an election denier.

528
00:15:10,250 --> 00:15:12,109
I believe in free and fair elections

529
00:15:12,110 --> 00:15:13,549
and fair maps.

530
00:15:13,550 --> 00:15:15,609
Tom Tiffany supported Donald

531
00:15:15,610 --> 00:15:17,349
Trump's illegal tariffs that are

532
00:15:17,350 --> 00:15:18,829
bankrupting our farmers and our

533
00:15:18,830 --> 00:15:20,109
small businesses and raising our

534
00:15:20,110 --> 00:15:22,149
prices at the grocery store.

535
00:15:22,150 --> 00:15:24,229
I've taken action again and again to

536
00:15:24,230 --> 00:15:25,589
stand up to bullies and billionaires

537
00:15:25,590 --> 00:15:26,889
like Donald Trump.

538
00:15:26,890 --> 00:15:29,069
I will deliver for Wisconsinites.

539
00:15:29,070 --> 00:15:30,709
Tom Tiffany only cares about doing

540
00:15:30,710 --> 00:15:32,639
whatever Donald Trump wants.

541
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:33,569
Thanks, guys, appreciate it.

542
00:15:33,570 --> 00:15:34,570
Thank you so much.