Tonight, a WISN 12 commitment
2026 election special.
An unprecedented race for
Wisconsin governor, state
Democrats in a hell store.
What does that say about you
as a leader?
Money troubles, scandal,
upheaval.
You want to just kind of...
All right, Rodriguez just
dropped out.
Five candidates remain in a
fractured Democrat field,
just days from the primary to
decide who will take on
likely Republican nominee,
Tom Tiffany.
Tonight, their first and only
televised debate.
At a critical juncture in
Wisconsin history,
former Lieutenant Governor
Mandela Barnes.
We've been all across
Wisconsin taking the fight
directly to Tom Tiffany.
Former Tony Evers cabinet
member Joel Brennan.
I am in this race and I am
committed to continuing in
this race because Wisconsin
values are at risk.
Milwaukee County Executive
David Crowley.
Wisconsin, you deserve a
current Democratic candidate.
And that's exactly why I am
re-intering in this race.
State Representative Francesca
Hong.
I am the only candidate in
this race who takes income
and power inequality seriously
as the most urgent crisis of
our times.
State Senator Kilda Royce.
That was not the time to move
backwards and be in mortise
array.
And now live from the campus
of Marquette University in
downtown Milwaukee.
Tonight's moderators,
WISN 12 political director
Matt Smith.
And up front co-host,
12 news anchor,
Sharon Jordan.
Good evening, everyone,
and welcome.
We are live tonight from the
Marquette University campus.
We thank our audience across
Wisconsin for joining us for
the first and only
televised debate between the
Democratic candidates and
the primary for Wisconsin
Governor.
Mandela Barnes.
Joel Brennan.
David Crowley.
Francesca Hong.
And Kilda Royce.
We thank you all for being
here with us tonight.
The top vote getter in the
August primary will take on
the likely Republican
nominee, Tom Tiffany in
November.
With Tony Evers not seeking
reelection, it is the first
wide open race for governor
since 2010.
First tonight, a few ground
rules.
This is a debate, but we'll be
having a conversation.
We'll be discussing some of the
key issues facing Wisconsin.
Candidates are asked to state
their positions, stay on topic,
and to be concise.
The candidates may speak to
each other, but we will manage
the time on any given topic and
move the conversation along, if
necessary.
At the end, each candidate will
make a brief closing statement,
and it's fair to say that this
race has been chaotic over the
last few weeks, so let's get
right to it.
Mr.
Crowley, three weeks ago, you
dropped out of this race saying
you couldn't see a path to
victory 11 days ago that we
could not see a path to
victory 11 days ago that we
could not see a path to
victory 11 days ago.
Mr.
Crowley, you dropped out of this
race saying you couldn't see a
path to victory 11 days ago that
we could not see a path to
victory 11 days ago the primary
upended when Sarah Rodriguez
dropped out, and you made the
unprecedented move of re-entering
the race with an immediate
endorsement from Governor Tony
Evers.
Since then, you have been linked
to a social media account that
includes offensive posts.
You've said you didn't write
any of those, and some have
accused you of being the latest
prop for the Democratic
establishment.
So, are you, and why should voters
now trust your judgement and
ability to win?
Well, first and foremost, thank
you for having us, but I was
never born into the United
States.
But I was never born into the
United States.
But I was never born into the
United States.
And I was never born into the
establishment.
I was actually born into
struggle.
I grew up in the 5-3-2-6 zip code
where I had to work extremely
hard for everything that I have.
And so, I'm not here to protect
the establishment.
I'm here to deliver real results
for Wisconsinites all over our
state.
And, you know, I like to make
decisions based off of the data,
based off of facts.
And we learned every since that
day that a lot of things have
changed, and we were going off
of false data.
And so, we know that the states
are too high this upcoming
election.
And that's why I got back in the
state.
You know, we're going off of
false data.
And so, we know that the states
are too high this upcoming
election.
And that's why I got back into
this race.
And I'm honored to not only have
the endorsement of Governor
Tony Evers, but labor unions and
leaders all across the state who
believe in my leadership.
And I'm looking forward to
delivering for all of Wisconsin.
Ms.
Fong, you are the Democratic
Socialists who is leaving in all
of the polls.
Yet some Democrats are attempting
to stop you from winning,
fearful that you cannot beat
Republican Tom Tiffany.
Just this weekend, the co-chair
of the Democratic Socialists of
America, which you are a
member, reaffirmed the DSA's
position of abolishing the
Senate, prisons, and
replacing the presidency and
the Supreme Court as we know it.
Do you fully back the DSA
platform, and why should primary
voters trust your judgment and
your ability to win statewide?
Well, first, thank you so much
to the team at WISN,
the Marquette University, for
hosting this important debate.
I do not support the full
platform of the national DSA,
and I am not endorsed by DSA
National.
What Democratic Socialism is is a
form of government that puts
working-class people first, that
puts work first.
The policies that we have been
working on, permanent affordability,
has broad bipartisan support in
every corner of the state.
Well, things like fully funding
our public schools, ensuring that
we are doing right by our kids
and cutting property taxes,
taxing the ultra-wealthy and
megacorporations, ensuring that
we can invest in free childcare,
and that everyone has access to
affordable housing.
And we are the only campaign
to support a moratorium on AI
data centers, and we have found
broad bipartisan support.
I am looking forward to helping
the Democrats become the big
tent party that they've aimed to
be for many years.
Mr. Barnes, you were once seen as
the clear front runner in this
race.
You previously lost a statewide
election for U.S.
Senate when the field cleared for
you.
In fact, last year, the Milwaukee
Courier said, we need a candidate
who can unite the state and win.
Mandela Barnes already showed us
he can't.
And Governor Tony Evers recently
endorsed David Crowley over you.
So why should primary voters now
trust you that you can win
statewide this time?
Well, thanks so much for the
question and thanks so much for
having me.
There's not a single person on
this stage who's united all
shades of blue of the
Democratic Party as I have before.
Now, that race in 2022 is the
closest U.S.
Senate race in the state in over
100 years.
It was the closest challenge to
any incumbent across the entire
country.
No incumbent lost statewide.
Now, while D.C.
insiders like Chuck Schumer
didn't see the race as
winnable, Republican billionaire
certainly did.
They spent over 50 million
dollars to defeat me and I only
lost by one point.
26,000 votes.
Now, I can tell you, having been
the only person on this stage
who's actually won statewide in
2018, when we kicked Scott
Walker out of office for good,
that race was also decided by
one point.
Now, I've been on both sides of
the coin and you learn a whole
lot more when you lose.
When you win, you think you did
everything right.
But when you come up that
short, you have a whole lot of
time to think about it.
You learn about the devastating
impact of big money and
politics.
You also learn about how low
Republicans can get.
And I can tell you, right now we
have the resources and we have
the support to get it done.
And on the terms of Governor
Evers, I have zero interest in
upholding the status quo.
I have zero interest in being
the establishment candidate.
That is the difference right
here on the stage.
Because I am pushing the envelope
to make sure that we are as bold
as we can possibly be in the
Donald Trump era.
Because that's what people have
been calling for.
And that's what I want to do.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I want to do that.
I really appreciate you.
I want to do that.
That's what people have been
calling for Democrats to be
all along.
We have not truly.
Mr. Brinnan and Chris Royce
have been on the single
play since the start of this
race, at this point, our
primary voters wasting their
vote on a vote for you.
Mr. Brinnan.
Here's what I would tell you is
that I don't think primary
voters have been paying much
attention until the last two
weeks, and all the upheaval
that you have seen.
This is what I find when I
am going out around the state
by polls that was done here by my alma mater at Marquette
because about half the people at this point
haven't made a decision.
And so that is a lane that's opening up.
The challenge that I have had from day one
is not that anybody thinks I'm unqualified for the office.
I have served as the top appointed governor Evers.
We created the largest budget surplus in state history.
We increased the rainy day fund.
We got millions of dollars out to family farms,
to small businesses, to renters who needed it during COVID.
So all of that stuff puts me in good stead.
The challenge I have had is that people don't know me
as well as they know some other candidates around the state.
And so what I have found in recent days
is that the disruption, the upheaval,
somebody putting their thumb on the scale,
it has gotten people much more engaged
and much more interested in this race.
And day by day, I am feeling that momentum.
And I'm feeling people who want somebody who can beat
Tom Tiffany in the fall and who can hit the ground running
on day one.
And I will put my qualifications on those issues
up against anybody in this race.
Mr. Brendan, thank you.
Ms. Royce, you are continuing to poll in a single digit as well.
At this point, our primary voters
wasting their vote on a vote for you.
If you want the best public schools in the nation
for your children, if you want to open up the state's
health care plan so that everyone can buy in
and we could lower costs for all Wisconsinites,
if you want a candidate who is gonna stand up
and fight Donald Trump and bring an end
to this authoritarian regime, then you should vote for me.
I am the candidate in this race
that brings the most experience in and around state government
with 10 years of service in the legislature
and the only one who served on the state budget committee.
I've also been an executive in the private
and nonprofit sectors and for over 20 years,
I've been the candidate that has turned progressive ideas
like the kind that all of us have on this stage into law.
That kind of experience is absolutely essential.
And voters need to think about not just who can beat
Tom Tiffany, although that is important,
not just who can deliver a democratic legislature,
although that is vitally important,
but who can actually do the job on day one?
And I am proud to have earned by far the most endorsements
of any candidate in this race,
including the most endorsements in Milwaukee County,
the most largest labor union endorsement
with We Act, the state teachers union
and the endorsement of former Lieutenant Governor Barbara
Lawton.
Thank you all.
Last week, a Madison police officer shot and killed a man.
Tonight, the investigation and the protests continue.
Governor Tony Evers has called for transparency
and accountability and urged for peaceful protests.
Ms. Hong, in the hours following the shooting,
standing alongside protesters, you said,
quote, the state sanctioned violence was an execution.
Would you make those immediate declarations as governor,
even though an investigation had not yet started?
No, the governor has the largest microphone in the state
and there comes deep responsibility with that.
But what we saw in videos and what I had talked to folks
who had witnessed that,
I think what we saw, it was clearly the type of violence
where no one's life should have been taken.
My thoughts are with Corey Ruiz and his family.
And I hope that the accountability and transparency
that both the governor and Evers and I have called for,
the independent investigation,
the investment in body cameras,
we want local governments to be able to invest in public safety,
to be serious about public safety.
And I plan to be a partner in that.
You have also called to defund and abolish police before,
while saying your ideal world is one without prisons.
Would you sign a bill or budget
that cuts funding for police departments?
No.
No, why not?
The governor cannot defund police
and I'm not here to govern by slogan.
I'm here to make sure that I am the governor
that is most serious about public safety.
And that means investing in the things that we know
prevent crime and getting resources to victims
and ensuring that the people who are incarcerated
and the folks who are working in our prisons
are able to live a life of dignity and work with dignity.
I think it's important that we invest in communities,
including our public schools,
out of school programs and mental health resources
and attacking the opioid epidemic.
These are things that are proven to prevent crime.
And this is what will help to make sure
that we have a government that is serious about public safety.
Mr. Barnes, you have previously shown support
for reducing police funding and abolishing ICE.
Following the Madison shooting,
you said you were deeply disturbed and pained.
Would you sign a bill or budget
that cuts funding for police departments?
First of all, we should all be very disturbed
by what we saw in those images, what we saw in the video.
And we should fight as hard as we possibly can
as a state, as a people, as a society
to make sure that never happens again.
And body cameras, of course, are the norm.
It should be the norm.
And I wish that the Madison police department
did have those body cameras.
So, of course, I would not sign a budget that reduced funding
because, obviously, that police department
needs the funding to have body cameras.
Ms. Royce, after the Madison shooting,
you said we do not have to accept this as inevitable.
We can create a more fair, safe world.
Would you sign a bill or budget
that cuts funding for police departments?
No, but I think we need to actually fund local communities
so that we can do evidence-based programs
that actually reduce and prevent crime.
At the end of the day, I'm a mom and step-momma five.
I want my kids and every kid to be safe in our communities.
And I want law enforcement officers to be safe in our communities.
That means that we have to invest in proven strategies
that actually do that, unlike what Republicans, like Tom Tiffany,
have done, which has cut funding to local governments
and take away local control so that communities don't have
the resources to be able to actually solve
these problems effectively.
I am really proud, as the only attorney on this stage,
to be someone that has fought for and passed criminal justice
reforms to make us more safe and more just.
I have taken on racial disparities in areas from health
to criminal justice.
And I believe that Wisconsin can be a place where everyone
has the freedom to thrive, but not if we aren't
willing to tackle these really tough issues.
Mr. Brendan, after the shooting in Madison,
you are also calling for a full DOJ investigation.
Would you sign a bill or a budget that cuts funding
for police departments?
Of course I wouldn't.
And I think, as others have said here,
there has been a generation of disinvestment
and a broken system between the state,
the broken partnership between state and local governments.
So we need to make sure that we're robustly funding that.
It has been demonstrated, this 115-year-old contract
that we have had between state and local government
worked pretty well for the first 80 years.
And then the Republicans just turned off
the spigot and stopped funding local governments.
So we need to make sure we do that.
On the larger issue of criminal justice reform,
we need to look a little bit to our neighbors to the West.
In Minnesota, they spend about $215 per capita
on criminal justice in that state.
They're about the same size.
They have about the same crime rate.
We have about three times as many people incarcerated.
In Wisconsin, we spend about $315 per capita on that.
As a long-term target, spending that $600 million difference
that they spend on other things in Minnesota,
spending those on early childhood, on K-12 education,
on other programs in Wisconsin.
That would be the kind of investment over the long term
that would put us in better stead
and keep us from having fewer of these incidents
because they should outrage all of us.
But there are ways that we can make a difference on those
by spending our money differently.
Mr. Brennan, thank you.
Mr. Crowley, without first seeing any video,
you said that you were horrified by the reports
of the shooting and immediately pointed
to other police shootings in Kenosha and Minneapolis.
Did you rush to judgment with your comments
and would you sign a bill or budget
that cuts funding for police departments?
No, I did not rush to judgment with my comments.
My thoughts and prayers are not just with Corey
and his family and friends,
but with the entire Madison community
and everybody who's been affected
and re-traumatized by this.
Again, we have seen these types of incidents happening
here locally with Jacob Blake,
as well as George Floyd in Minnesota.
And so it's extremely important that we have transparency.
We cannot defund the police.
We should be investing in public safety
and that doesn't mean more money to police officers.
That's like investing in systems
like the community violence interruption.
Milwaukee County, we have been a leader
in actually helping to reduce violent crime here
in Milwaukee County.
Working directly hand in hand with not just police departments
but also community organizations.
And so we have to focus on not just investing upstream
but making sure we wrap around services around families
that don't have to go down a road of criminality
in the first place.
Madison police currently do not have police body cameras.
Raise your hand if as governor you would sign legislation
requiring all police and sheriff's departments
in Wisconsin to have body cameras.
All of you.
All candidates.
Let's move on to the economy.
Tonight Wisconsinites overwhelmingly say inflation
and the cost of living is the most important issue
ahead of this election.
The failed tax relief deal negotiated by governor Tony Evers
and Republican leaders would have delivered rebate checks
to Wisconsinites, directed money to local schools
to lower property taxes, increased special education funding
and eliminated taxes on tips and overtime.
It failed in the state Senate.
I'd like you to raise your hand if as governor
you would have signed that deal into law if it passed.
If it passed, would you have signed it into law?
One, Mr. Crowley.
Ms. Royce you were one of the 15 Democratic senators
who helped kill the deal, why?
Because at the end of the day,
my job is to be a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars
and this would have created a $2.9 billion deficit
down the road which our schools
and our healthcare system and our local governments
cannot afford.
It also would have spent the surplus
before it had even materialized.
Look at what is happening with the economy.
When we are spending money that we do not yet have
and spending it in ways that do not actually help us
solve the long-term problem of getting more money
into our public schools, giving property tax relief
to property taxpayers and making sure
that we have a more fair just tax system,
all we are doing is throwing that money away
on a political gimmick that was frankly cooked up
by Robin Voss as he sees the blue wave coming
and wanted to do anything that he could
to either protect his members from losing their seats
and run away from their terrible record on public education
which Tom Tiffany is partially responsible for.
Quickly that projected deficit factored in zero economic growth.
Would you consider zero economic growth?
Would that be part of a Royce administration
if you cite that deficit?
I'm looking at having a president who is hell-bent
on making things as expensive
and challenging for families across the state
and a congressman running for governor
who has done nothing but rubber stamp tramps agenda 100%.
Thank you, Mr. Crawley, you're the only one
who raised your hand to sign the deal.
Why would you have signed it into law?
Well, I would have signed it into law
because we would have gotten a bipartisan deal
that actually done.
I think folks understand here in the state of Wisconsin,
when you have divided government,
it can be a bit chaotic.
Were there things in this bill that I did not like?
Absolutely.
I love the fact that we were going to give relief
and to our schools and property tax relief
and there are other things in this bill that I didn't like.
At the end of the day,
we know that there are many Wisconsin families
who are desperate.
We should be focusing on how we lift them up
and not playing politics.
And so I would have signed that bill
because that means it would have passed with bipartisanship.
Congressman Tom Tiffany is campaigning on the fact
that he would return the entire surplus, he says,
to taxpayers.
Ms. Hong, would you return the surplus to taxpayers
or how would you spend the projected $2.5 billion?
Those are the taxpayers' dollars,
but investment is what we need.
Thinking about our shared future, our kids,
it is an investment when we invest in public schools
and ensuring that we are cutting property taxes
but doing right for our kids.
Our campaign is about permanent affordability
and putting all of those surplus dollars
back into the taxpayers' money.
I think that it would be irresponsible.
And the reason why that surplus deal was so problematic
is that those who are on fixed income
would not have received that check.
Folks who are lower income would have received less.
I think it's important to think about some of the working
class families across our state that deserve real relief,
durable relief, and that deal was not it.
We should mention you did vote against that in the assembly.
Quickly, what would you spend the surplus on?
Public education and health care.
Mr. Brennan, would you return it to the taxpayers
or would you spend it and how would you spend it?
Well, I think Tom Tiffany and the Republicans
have already shown their hands about how they'd return it
to the taxpayers.
There are three sections in the studio audience here tonight.
If the poor people and the people on fixed income
and Social Security were sitting over here,
they would get nothing.
The rest of us who are doing OK would get the $300 and $600.
And by the way, if you want a stimulating effect
by putting money into the economy,
you put it in the hands of people who are going to spend it.
And so that was part of the deal.
The thing that I would have exercised in all of this
is caution, because we live in a Trump economy.
I put together, as the Secretary of Administration,
two budgets for Governor Evers.
And we need to make sure that we are doing everything possible
to be cautious in this time of Trump.
The way that I would spend it, one, it would be cautious.
But the first thing that I would spend,
the first $100 million, which I will do in January,
will go into childcare and early childhood education.
It is a system that is broken.
A billion dollars of productivity
sits on the sidelines every year, especially from women,
mainly from women who can't find affordable, accessible,
or high quality childcare.
It is a K-12 and workforce issue.
That's the first place I'd spend $100 million.
Then I would restart the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund
with another $100 million.
It's like, those are the types of things that we can do
that's bipartisan effort.
Those are bipartisan things that have been successful.
The Knowles Nelson Stewardship Fund, 90% of us
live within a mile of a project that's been enhanced
by that over the last 40 years.
It's as bipartisan as it gets.
And it now, as of July 1, doesn't exist anymore.
Those are the types of things that we should be investing in.
Thank you.
Mr. Barnes, would you send it back to taxpayers
or spend it and how would you spend it?
Well, let's first talk about how we got here.
Now, the reason there is a surplus
is because Republicans in the legislature
have failed the people of Wisconsin.
Our school districts are going to referendum
every single year just to keep the lights on.
And we also see gaps in health care
because we are one of 10 states that has yet to expand
our Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.
We are in a world of trouble.
And Robin Voss has never been a good negotiating partner.
So no, I certainly wouldn't have signed the deal.
But the way we give more money back to people,
the way we actually return money to folks
is by taxing the wealthy, taxing the billionaires,
taxing these corporations that have been getting over on us,
making money hand over fist
while communities continue to starve for resources.
This is how we can most effectively return money back
to folks.
And on the issue of affordability,
the best way to get the affordability gap
is to put more money in the pockets of hardworking people.
Our minimum wage is still $7.25.
Since costs have gone up, wages have not.
But returning that money to the people,
that means making the right investments in public education,
making the investments in health care,
taxing the wealthy and implementing a working class tax cut
for folks who work hard every single day
and don't get the benefits the corporations get.
So quickly, what are you doing with the surplus?
Well, with the surplus, like I said,
it just reinvesting back into education.
And also now, and also because of Trump's big ugly bill,
there's gonna be some stresses
when it comes to expanding badger care,
which I still support.
It is the right thing to do for us.
So many folks are steering down.
Medical debt, medical bankruptcy.
We're gonna move money into health care.
We're gonna move on to taxes.
We did bring up taxes, so let's move on to taxes.
You all in some degree have used phrases
like making the wealthy pay their fair share
and discussed raising taxes on the rich
to fund your priorities.
Wisconsin already has the second highest top income tax
rate in the Midwest at 7.65%.
So we wanna know what all of you define as rich.
So Mr. Barnes, under your plan,
what is the specific income level
where taxes would go up
and what percentage would that top tax bracket pay?
Yeah, so I think that incomes over a million dollars
should be taxed a little bit higher.
Even if it's temporary,
the fact is we are in a real crisis right now.
And our necessities have not been seeing the resources,
have not been seeing the funding.
Again, there's no reason these school districts
should be going to referendum every single year
just to fund basic services.
And if we increase that tax rate by less than 1%, 0.9%,
we do a great deal to be able to provide
much more funding to our school districts
and also help close the share revenue.
Is that what you're proposing?
0.8 or 0.9%.
Well, I'm saying this is all of,
I'm happy to negotiate.
This is what we need to negotiate,
but this is the arena where I'm in right now.
Ms. Hong, the income level that you would raise taxes
and how much?
Those who are making the millionth and one dollar,
I think that the billion as well
to increase that to 0.9%.
It is incredibly disappointing
that some of our lowest income earners
are paying a higher tax rate
than some of our highest income earners.
We need to return to a progressive income tax rate.
It is how we build sustainable revenue
and ensure that we're able to actually increase
our tax base across the state
as more working class people are gonna be attracted
to coming to Wisconsin to live, work, and play here.
I think that the legislation that I introduced
that would tax the billionaire
and add a millionaire tax bracket
would lower property taxes by up to 44%.
And we could put that funding into special education funding,
which we have neglected to actually honor the budget amount
and we must bring that back up to 90% reimbursement.
And the percentage for those millionaires?
I would increase that by about 1%.
Well, you would increase that to about, so about 8.65.
Correct.
Mr. Crowley, your income level
and how much would you tax them?
Well, let's be very clear.
There's just not the income tax,
but there's also the property taxes
that are also extremely high in the state of Wisconsin.
We'll talk about that next.
Okay, well, when we talk about income taxes,
what we really need to be focusing on is
how do we actually fix this system moving forward?
What we need to do is take a holistic view
of our taxes here in the state of Wisconsin.
The last time that we took a holistic view
of how we spend our money and bringing revenues was in 1986
when Governor Tommy Thompson was actually governor.
And so we need to bring academics.
We need to bring labor.
We need to bring business owners
and community members to the table.
And let's actually have a real discussion
about the entire system.
I don't think that we should be just focusing
on how we can increase taxes,
just particular for a certain income on earners
when we haven't looked at the entire system.
When it comes down to those who are making hand over fist,
we absolutely need to tax the ultra wealthy,
but we need to be smart about
how we're doing things long-term.
Do you have an income level or a percentage for that?
Well, I think we always gotta look at those
who are making more than a million dollars a war.
Absolutely.
And do you know how high you'd like to tax them?
No, I think that we have to look
at the entire system holistically.
Ms. Royce, your income level and percentage,
you would tax them looking to raise taxes.
I agree with my colleagues that anyone who's earning
over a million dollars a year
should pay a slightly higher tax rate.
But we also need to look at the corporate tax giveaways
that have run rampant over the last 15 years
of Republican rule.
We have rolled out the red carpet for Foxconn,
the AI data center tax breaks are estimated
to cost us two billion dollars.
All that at a time when we are spending zero dollars
on early childhood education,
when our public schools have been starved to resources,
jacking up people's property taxes
just to help our kids keep teachers in the classroom.
So as a small business owner, it offends me
that the largest businesses in the state
are not only not paying their fair share of taxes,
but they're often getting public resources.
These are going to big polluters, big corporations,
out-of-state corporations.
They're not tied to job creation,
and we need to not just tax the wealthy,
but make sure that big corporations pay their fair share too.
Do you have a specific percentage in mind?
I think it's concurrent with what the,
my colleagues have talked about.
Mr. Biden.
I'm going to find that I have general agreement
that people making over a million dollars
should pay a little bit more,
and we could talk about what that is.
But I also think that there are other things,
the manufacturing and agricultural tax credit,
which is generally not paid to farmers,
and which has continued to increase
the tune of about 400 million dollars.
I would like to continue,
we're talking about raising taxes on the rich.
One of the real successes of Tony Evers
is making sure that we have had middle class tax cuts
and ensuring that we can continue to do that.
Now, the other thing about this, however,
is that I like to win,
and we are losing right now to Ohio,
we're losing to Michigan, we're losing to Minnesota,
when it comes to economic development.
And so if we're truly going to get to the Wisconsin
that we need, if we're going to increase our population,
if we're going to increase what we're getting
out of our government,
it's going to come from economic growth.
And I think we need to make sure
that we are aggressive in those things.
You know, you don't need to tell me about Foxconn.
I spent the first year of the Evers administration
trying to figure out how do we get out
of that $3 million obligation.
Ultimately, we brought that down to $80 million,
and we were able to invest and treat them
like virtually every other company,
and then be able to invest in main street businesses.
So this is not just about how do we raise revenue,
it's how do we raise revenue by taxes,
it's how do we raise revenue through growth,
and making sure that we are growing our own
and investing in economic development in our state.
Real quick before we move on,
what if all the millionaires leave the state
and go to a state nearest that has a flat tax rate
or a lower tax rate than all of these plans collapse, correct?
I think that's why this needs to be a holistic strategy.
You know, there's a whole bunch of ways
in which people don't trust government
and don't trust Democrats.
And we better be in a position where we can demonstrate
to them that when we're spending these things,
they're also getting some benefit on it.
So if all we're talking about is raising taxes,
and if this is all gonna be about
how do we make sure that we are, you know,
doing that to people penalizing,
if it's just gonna be penalties,
then we are going to start to lose.
We need to make sure we're growing with everybody.
Ms. Hong, do they leave the state?
You know, discussing that hypothetical is a little bit,
I'm confused about that.
However, let's look at all the other policies
that we have talked about,
that we have been fighting for with our campaign
when there is free childcare,
when there is fully funded public schools,
when we see some of these corporate loopholes
in corporate welfare come to an end,
when we have investment in rural roads,
when there's legalization of cannabis,
I think that we can improve the quality of life
for millionaires and ensure that they too,
will be able to live, work, and thrive here in our state.
Let's talk about property taxes.
This past year, Wisconsinites saw the highest property tax
increase in three decades.
School property tax levies increase on average nearly 8%.
Raise your hand if you as governor
would commit to an across-the-board property tax decrease.
All candidates agreeing to a across-the-board
property tax decrease.
We'll start with you, Mr. Barnes.
How would you make that happen?
Well, first of all, we have to get school funding
off of the property tax rolls.
That's the biggest thing.
The reason we have seen these historic property tax increases
is again, because communities all across the state
of Wisconsin have voted to raise their own property taxes,
just to keep the doors open.
It is a very irresponsible way to fund education,
to fund our future, to prioritize our children.
When I talked about Robin Voss not being
a good negotiating partner,
when I talked about the priorities in Wisconsin,
missing the mark, this is how we end up with the surplus,
because our schools don't have the funding
and the resources that they need.
So what we need to immediately do
is get to the state's constitutional commitment,
the two-thirds funding.
We have to make sure our schools are fully funded.
When our schools are fully funded,
that burden doesn't fall on the property tax rolls.
And then gradually, over time,
we'll be able to decrease property taxes.
We are there right now at two-thirds roughly?
We are not.
We're not there yet.
We're not there yet.
We're not there yet.
Mr. Britton, how do you make an across-the-board
property tax increase happen?
It was mentioned a little bit by Mandela,
but this spring, when we all celebrated Chris Taylor's win,
that same night, 72 school districts
went to referendum, 60 of them for operations,
just to keep the lights on,
not to build a new middle school,
not to build a new science classroom.
That is as big a condemnation
as we can get in Wisconsin.
And so I would immediately scrap that funding formula,
which is under lawsuit right now,
but it's probably gonna take three years
for that to work its way through the courts.
Our kids don't have three more years to wait.
I would create a child-centric formula
where every kid has value regardless of where you live.
You add on for special needs.
You add on for urban rural poverty.
You add on for English language learners.
Like, that's how most other states have done this.
And if you do that and you recommit to that two thirds
from the state, immediately that brings down
property taxes for people.
And it gives kids and teachers and parents
what they need in the classroom.
This is where we have failed.
That student, the school funding formula
has been around since 1993, didn't work then,
and it doesn't work now.
So that's the first thing that we've got to do
that would meet the needs of kids,
but stop hitting property taxpayers against kids.
Ms. Hong, how do you bring property taxes
down across the board?
As I mentioned that we have already introduced legislation
that would add a tax to the millionaire
and increase the millionaire tax bracket
as well as a billionaire tax.
You know, this would help us fund special education
while lowering property taxes by up to 44%.
It is essential that we return to two thirds funding
and make sure that we are bringing a responsible
end to the voucher program.
This is a program that currently,
the state is spending over $1.2 billion.
And I think that it is not just public school funding
that is raising property taxes.
Robin Vossen, the Republican led legislature
has been decreasing shared revenue
and it is a deep inadequate funding
for our local governments.
And they too have had to go to referenda
and many are increasing property taxes.
So increasing the levies and giving our local governments
the ability to raise more revenue.
I think that this is how we're gonna make sure
that communities can invest in the things that
and the programs that they absolutely deserve.
And we're gonna get to education and vouchers here
in just a second, Ms. Roy.
So I do wanna ask about property taxes.
How do you bring property taxes down across the board?
The most important thing that we can do
is appropriately fund our local governments
and our public schools at the state level.
That means getting to the two thirds funding commitment
that was made but has never been met.
But it also means fixing the way
that those dollars are distributed
because right now it's deeply inequitable.
My family moved to rural Taylor County.
That's where I was a little girl.
And they moved because of the quality
of the public education system here in Wisconsin, 47 years ago.
Now, raising my kids in Dane County,
I can see that we have been short-changing our kids
and that is not okay with me.
So we do need more state resources
to end this divisive cycle of referendums
that are pitting neighbors against one another,
grandparents against their grandkids' schools.
I also am the only candidate in this race
that actually has a plan, not just a wish,
but an actual plan to bring that private voucher scheme
to a responsible end because the actual number
is closer to $1.8 billion in each budget
that is going directly out of the coffers
of our local school districts into these private schemes.
And they are unaccountable
and they can discriminate against kids.
And none of us as taxpayers should find that acceptable.
Mr. Crowley, how do you bring property taxes down across the board?
Property taxes are extremely high here in the state
of Wisconsin.
It's not just affecting the senior who's on a fixed income.
It's also affecting that young person
who may want to buy a home
and everybody's getting squeezed in every direction.
And it's not just affecting homeowners.
It's also affecting renters as well
because when property tax go up,
landlords quite frankly pass those down
to those renters as well.
And so we have to tackle property taxes
by one investing in our education system,
increasing the reimbursement rates as well
for special education because our school districts
shouldn't have to choose between mandated services
and whether or not they're going to have teachers.
But as the only elected official who runs county government
representing 19 different municipalities
close to a million people,
we have a lot of state mandated services.
And with those state mandated services,
those resources don't come down the pipeline.
And so it's extremely important that we work at the state
to make sure that local governments
are getting enough resources to invest
in things like public safety
because the state of Wisconsin is near the bottom
or dead last when it comes down to investments and such.
We brought a voucher.
So let's talk about vouchers.
Right now about 30,000 Milwaukee children
attend private schools using taxpayer funded vouchers.
Milwaukee was the first school choice program in the nation
to help families who felt failed by the public school system
and still do so today.
The program has since expanded statewide
as we've heard some of you are calling
to end the voucher program.
Mr. Crowley, do you support eliminating
or reducing vouchers in the city of Milwaukee?
Look, I am a proud MPS graduate.
Went to Milwaukee Public Schools
all through my daughter's school to public schools.
So I believe in the power of our public education.
I think to say that we're going to fully eliminate
the voucher system overnight really doesn't take into account
the impact towards our family, towards our teachers
and quite frankly, toward the public school system.
You know, we've talked about how we went to referendum
to make sure our public schools have what they need.
And if we're going to referendum
for the current capacity of students that they have now,
how will we be able to bring on those students
and make sure that we have great public schools moving forward?
And so I don't think the question is
whether or not we should have vouchers.
The question should be how do we continue
to invest in our public schools
to make sure that they are the school of choice?
So would you sign a bill that eliminated
or reduced vouchers in Milwaukee?
To eliminate or reduce vouchers?
No, but I don't believe in expanding vouchers
in the state of Wisconsin.
Mr. Barnes, you're proposing a multi-year sunset
of the program as you've described it.
What does that look like specifically
in the city of Milwaukee?
Well, let's first talk about the reason
why parents feel failed by public schools.
This all goes back to the lack of funding.
This goes back to the state not meeting
its two thirds funding requirement.
And schools have been starved of resources.
So it will only be natural for parents to feel that way.
I am also a proud Milwaukee public school graduate,
but I know having gone to a school
that was starved of resources,
what that impact meant on a lot of my classmates.
And I was very fortunate to know
where I was gonna go home at night.
I was very fortunate to not have to worry
about where my next meal came from.
But that's not the reality
that far too many of our students face.
And when we're talking about education,
we truly have to talk about the societal factors
that impact how our students do or do not learn.
If we have these exorbitant rates of child poverty,
it is gonna impact the way that they learn.
And as I have talked about vouchers,
the main line is accountability
because we have seen horror stories
where voucher operators closed doors overnight.
These operators moved to Florida on the public dime.
And so we have to first get the bad actors out of the system.
Now, I believe public dollars belong in public schools.
And if you receive a dime of public money
as a private school operator,
you should have to operate by a uniform set of standards.
That means public governance,
that means public accountability, public scrutiny.
And if you cannot meet those standards,
you should be taken out of the system.
I can tell you.
But do vouchers go down
or are they eliminated in the city Milwaukee?
Well, I think that the income caps being lifted
is a travesty because that is what makes it a scheme.
This no longer becomes a program
for lower income parents to put their children
or private school.
So there could be less vouchers in Milwaukee.
It becomes a handout.
And we can no longer, there's no justification
for expansion of vouchers or lifting the caps
if we have not fully funded public schools.
So yes, I was on a bill that reduced them
because we have seen so much chaos with this system.
We have seen, and look, a lot of students,
and this is not an overnight thing by any means,
but we do have to get serious
about the delivery of education.
Specifically here in Milwaukee,
but we also have to get serious
about the societal issues
that continue to plague our systems.
We always have the conversation
about education, but never about poverty.
Thank you, Mr. Barnes.
Ms. Royce, at what point in your plan
do vouchers go away for tens of millions
of children in Milwaukee,
tens of thousands of children in Milwaukee?
No student in Milwaukee already seen
who is currently enrolled in a voucher program
and is happy there will be displaced
and they will be allowed to continue their education
until they graduate as will their siblings.
However, all programs that take public money
need to be subject to the same rules
and regulations that public schools are.
Right now, you can do corporal punishment
in a voucher school.
You don't have to have licensed teachers
that undergo background checks.
You can discriminate against teachers
and against students, including cherry-picking students
and saying, no, we don't want a student with a disability.
I think that's totally unacceptable as a taxpayer
and certainly as a parent.
Every single child deserves a high quality public education.
And what we have with the statewide expansion
is essentially a program that has subsidized
the private choices of wealthy parents,
the vast majority of students in the statewide expansion.
We're already in private school at their parents expense
before taxpayers started picking up the tab.
I believe that public dollars belong in public schools.
And if you take even one dollar of public money,
you need to be subject to accountability.
And yes, over time I am gonna bring
the private voucher scheme to an end
as we increase the quality and the capacity
of our public schools.
Because the most important thing to me as a parent
and what I hope my legacy will be as governor
is to restore Wisconsin in our rightful place
as the best public education state in the nation.
So a three-year-old child, for example,
in the city of Milwaukee would not qualify
for a voucher under your plan?
Correct, unless they were enrolled in a 3K program
or if their sibling was already in one.
Thank you.
And Mr. Brennan, do you support ending or dialing back
the state's voucher program
and specifically what does that look like for Milwaukee?
Yeah, and I do support some putting back the cap on
for the statewide program, which has come off.
I think that we've already talked about
some of the accountability.
There's a transparency issue.
We should pass a state law that says
on your property tax bill, you can see how much the city,
the county, the public schools
and how much vouchers are costing.
Like all of those things are important.
I'm a proud parent.
My kids went to Milwaukee Public Schools for about 22 years.
But let me add a dose of reality here.
There is not going to be a bill that passes
in the legislature that is put on the governor's desk
right now to end vouchers in Milwaukee.
You know why?
Because there are representatives in Milwaukee
who represent the city of Milwaukee
for whom more than half of the people who live there
are sending their kids to private schools.
Like we have to live in the real world.
This is an issue that is dividing Democrats
because in Milwaukee, what parents deserve
is a great option.
And I want to make sure our public schools
are better than any bar none.
We have the largest achievement gap in the country
right here in my hometown.
That's not acceptable.
So the results aren't what we want.
We need to hold everybody accountable.
You know who doesn't like accountability?
Lousy schools.
No matter what kind of school they are.
So we need to make sure we are holding ourselves accountable.
But we need to also make sure that we are living
in the real world here.
Because I wouldn't put legislators in a position
where they're going to have to tell parents
that they can't say that this is the school of the country.
But let's say a bill not to your desk.
Would you sign a bill that reduced vouchers
in the city of Milwaukee?
I wouldn't right now.
Because I think we need to make sure
that we are doing right by everybody in the city of Milwaukee.
There are changes to be made.
The largest recipient of vouchers in the state,
$44 million to a virtual school.
Thank you, Mr. Ryan.
Those are the types of things we can change.
Ms. Hall, you are calling for a responsible transition
away from the quote, unfair voucher program.
Does that include fully eliminating vouchers in Milwaukee?
No, I'm a very proud daughter of immigrants,
a single mom where my son is going
to the same public school district
that I came through in my hometown of Madison.
I believe that public dollars not only belong
in public schools, but one of the reasons
that privatization has grown across the country
is that it's public institutions of education
that are one of our last remaining democratic institutions.
And if we don't have strong public schools,
we can't have a strong democracy.
Our plan would ensure property tax transparency.
I was in Luxembourg, Wisconsin at the Dairy Breakfast
talking to a gentleman who had no idea
about the voucher program.
And when he found out that the statewide program
is where some of the public dollars
were going into private schools, he was shocked.
Ending that statewide program
and implementing property tax transparency
and then moving to Milwaukee and Racine
and looking at accountability and transparency measures
that is uniform across what public schools
are having to be audited for
and the different regulations
that public schools are responsible for.
And I will say, I introduced the Healthy School Meals
for All Legislation and that is a bill
that would include all students in K through 12.
It includes vouchers and it includes private schools,
schools for the visually impaired.
And this is a type of bill that not only helps
to reduce costs for families,
but would help all students across the state.
So it's just to the point of fully eliminating vouchers
in Milwaukee, your plan?
It has to be a responsible program and process
where we work directly with the families
and the different schools where the voucher program,
depending on how expansive it is in the school,
but it would need to come to an end and I can see,
I don't want to put a firm number on it,
but I do believe that again,
public dollars coming in public schools,
understanding that we have built this system
where it's deeply inequitable
and I think that it's important
that we put in the responsibilities
of working with our partners
to end their program in Milwaukee.
Eventually a full end in the city of Milwaukee.
I believe that that is what bringing a responsible
end to the voucher program is, Matt.
Thank you.
Let's talk about data centers
and Marquette's latest poll,
76% of Wisconsinites say they believe the costs
outweigh the benefits and that includes
a majority of Democrats, independents and Republicans.
You've all outlined varying plans
on how you would approach the boom in data centers
from new regulations to construction moratoriums.
State lawmakers recently attempted to pass
a series of regulations,
but they failed to pass the full legislature.
If lawmakers can't agree
and if you believe in local control,
what really can you do as governor, Mr. Crowley?
Well, one, we need to,
it's unfortunate that the legislature actually left session
without actually putting any guardrails in place.
And so as governor, we need to make sure
that we're protecting ourselves
from the data centers that are currently here.
I do have the same concerns
that many folks have across the state,
but I think a moratorium,
a short-term moratorium doesn't address
the long-term concerns that we have.
And so as governor, we will make sure
that we hold these data centers accountable,
that they pay for the energy use,
they pay for the grid upgrades,
and they bring the Beyonce approach,
bringing your own new clean energy.
We need to use data centers to be as close
to 100% renewable energy as much as possible.
But they can go anywhere in this country,
but we have to understand that our clean air, our clean water,
it doesn't stop at the borders of Wisconsin.
And so as county executive,
we have put in place a climate action plan
to reduce our carbon emissions,
and we're 50% of the way there.
And we need to make sure that we're having
that same level of accountability here
in the state of Wisconsin.
But if they are going to be here,
let's make sure we're utilizing union labor,
let's see project labor agreements, prevailing wage,
and community benefit agreements across the entire state,
because we're all going to be affected,
and I believe they should be subsidizing our energy use
if they're going to be here.
You said they could go anywhere, do you want them here?
I can hear you.
You said they could go anywhere,
do you want them here in Wisconsin?
Well, we need to make sure that we have a framework
in place to protect ourselves moving forward,
because right now we don't have anything right now
with what's already here.
Ms. Hong, if lawmakers, they can't agree
on any regulations, if you believe in local control,
what can you really do as governor?
You know, I introduced the legislation
that puts a moratorium on the construction
of new AI data centers,
and I would call a special session into play
so that the legislature can take up that legislation
or the other democratic legislation
that had been introduced by my colleagues
and yet Robin Voss ended session early.
I think it's important that we have enforceable regulation,
that we bring union workers to the table,
that this is very similar to what I believe could be seen
as more collective bargaining to make sure
that we're protecting union jobs,
and that, you know, the natural resources,
we're letting some of the big tech companies know
that they are not for sale,
and until we fully fund the Department of Natural Resources,
and we have the actual regulations
to hold polluters accountable,
that we are including in the Public Service Commission,
you know, different types of phases
where we have stricter legislation
and clear definitions of how data centers
can actually move forward.
This moratorium is necessary
so that we can responsibly and put in enforcement mechanisms
to protect communities,
and seeing local governments already put moratoriums
into play, we want people to have local control,
but we also want to make sure
that there are the guardrails, the legal resources,
and that if data centers are going to come here in our state,
that they pay their own way and actually pay up front,
and I think it's important to say that, you know,
the data centers that currently exist in our state,
you know, there's a sales tax exemption
with over $2.1 billion that could go back
into infrastructure for clean, renewable energy,
green union jobs.
Thank you, Mr. Brennan, if lawmakers can agree,
and you believe in local control,
what can you do to address the boom of data centers?
Three words to start with, get new lawmakers.
That's why the stakes are so important this year.
That's why we need a nominee who's going to win down ballot
and make sure we can have a majority
in the state assembly and the state Senate.
Once we do that, you know, what people think about,
when they think about data centers, they are angry.
They're angry because government has failed them.
The state got into the data center game
and they put no guardrails on.
And, you know, I have not called for a moratorium,
but I have said that I would put a pause
on the construction of new data centers,
not for a year, but in the first hundred days,
we can do four things.
We can make sure that nobody watching tonight
pays for the construction, the operation,
the transmission, the ultimate retirement of these.
Make sure that there are real teeth
in the environmental regulations,
making sure that they're having to do renewables.
Make sure that there are Wisconsin union workers
who are building these if they happen here.
And, number four, make sure that there are never going
to be the nondisclosure agreements
that are the reason why people don't trust government,
why the reason why they're so angry about these things.
If we can demonstrate in that first hundred days,
and there's good legislation that's gone
through 12 drafts and Democrats and Republicans both,
and stakeholders have had involvement in that,
if we can do that in the first hundred days,
it's not going to make everybody happy,
but it's going to set the bar and take away that uncertainty
and take away another reason why people distrust government
and why they're so angry.
Like, that's what I think what governing is.
Mr. Orange.
So as a governor, the response has to be bigger than buzzwords.
Now, I do think that there should be no new data center
construction without those guardrails in place.
If a community rejects a data center proposal,
then there should be no new data center constructed.
And with the guardrails, with the framework
that protects our natural resources,
that makes sure that water quality,
air quality is protected,
that also makes sure that people's utility rates
aren't increasing.
If that framework is in place,
it also needs to be retroactively applied
to existing data centers.
And we also have to have a renewable energy mandate
to make sure that they are contributing energy
back to the grid.
And I want to solve to caution, especially because I do,
again, no new data center construction
without those guardrails in place.
But even as the representative mentioned,
a full in urban Milwaukee was reported
that a full data center moratorium
may face legal repercussions.
Those were the words of the representatives.mind.
And it is important for us to empower the department
of natural resources to make sure that they have the funding
to engage in the ongoing quality monitoring
of these data centers to ensure that they aren't
negatively impacting air or water quality.
Mr. Barnes, thank you, Ms. Royce.
Something that none of my colleagues have mentioned,
even though we are all running for governor,
is using executive power against the existing projects
that are under construction.
And we're put under construction over the strenuous
objections of those communities.
We have a department of natural resources
that should be protecting our air and our soil and our water.
We have a public service commission
that needs to be much more aggressive about making sure
that the big guys are not asking us to subsidize them.
I have put forth the strongest legislation
and the strongest plan of the candidates in this race
to actually address and stop the unregulated development
of data centers because I believe the status quo
is totally unacceptable.
The moratorium bill has very little support
and is unlikely to pass, but the strong regulation bill
that many of my colleagues have described
is poised to pass in January.
But I will not stop there.
I will also establish a public negotiating team
so that any community that decides it would like
to engage with the data center
has the opportunity to have expert negotiators.
I will increase shared revenue
so that communities don't feel desperate like they have to.
I will also end the subsidies for data centers
because they should be paying us
and not the other way around.
And when a community decides, yes, we've reached agreement,
I will charge an upfront fee that they will pay to the state
on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars
to finance a clean infrastructure public bank.
I apologize if I cut you off here.
We are kind of running up against time.
Everything you've talked about tonight
relies on a democratically controlled legislature.
Ms. Hong, what happens if there's a divided government
or Republicans control the legislature and your governor?
You know, I have passed bipartisan legislation,
the one where it would require K-12 schools
to teach Asian-American history.
So much of working in government
has to do with building strong relationships.
And I have done that with Republicans.
I am willing to work with anyone at the table
who wants to actually deliver for working class families
and improve lives and work on policies
that are going to be deliverables.
And I believe that shared revenue, health care,
and public education are three areas
and some of my top priorities where Republicans
have shown some support.
And I've talked to them about these issues.
And so I believe that even with the split legislature,
my focus and my leadership will ensure that we are governing
to actually deliver for working class families
across the state.
Thank you, Mr. Barnes.
How do you get anything done with Republicans?
Well, I can tell you, that's why this race is so important.
That's why rejecting this broken system matters so much.
That's why rejecting the status quo
is so important when people go to cast a ballot.
Look, we'll never be as bold as we need to be as a state
if we continue down this path that we've been going.
And it's been mentioned that the county executive
had his campaign resurrected by special interests
in a dark room with people with their thumb on a scale.
This means things will always be the same
with that sort of leadership.
We should be asking for more.
We should be demanding more.
And if we lead-
Thank you.
This whole platform, we implement a mandate.
We have a mandate to govern in the interest of people
in a way that we have never done before.
And that's what this race is about.
Thank you, Mr. Crowley.
How do you work with Republicans?
Get anything done.
You know, I served in the state legislature,
like many of my colleagues here,
but none of them have actually run local government.
You know, I'm the county executive
of the largest community.
And when I was elected in 2020,
we had to work to get Act 12 passed.
Thank you.
We worked with Democrats and Republicans.
And we've done it in Republican controlled legislatures.
And I do believe that we'll get a lot more done.
Thank you.
Believe it or not, it is now time for closing statements.
We did choose randomly with the campaigns
present to determine the order.
Each candidate will have 30 seconds for a final thought.
And we will begin with Mr. Brennan.
Thank you very much.
While you've seen differences amongst us today,
we have a common threat.
It's losing to Tom Tiffany and Donald Trump.
And the stakes have never been higher.
We can build 100,000 new homes.
We can expand Badgercare.
We can stop having property taxpayers
pitted against kids in Wisconsin.
But we have to win in order to do that.
For 25 years, I have been somebody who has solved problems.
I'll be a governor who's more interested in results
than rhetoric.
I hope that I can get your support
on August 11th and November 3rd.
Thanks for tuning in tonight.
Mr. Crowley.
I want to first and foremost,
thank you, thank our moderators for hosting us.
And I want to thank all of you who are tuning in today.
You know, my story is like Wisconsin story.
I grew up learning the values of hard work, resilience,
and to stand up when somebody tries to knock you down.
But people all across this state
are struggling every single day.
And I know what that feels like.
They need a governor who's going to deliver for them
on day one.
And that's why I have received the endorsements
of folks like Tony Hevers,
Governor Evers, our labor unions,
and folks all across our state.
Because they know I will be delivering the results
that's going to make a great impact.
I look forward to having your vote on August 11th.
Ms. Royce.
All of us on this stage are good people.
For 25 years,
I have been turning the good ideas
that we've shared into state law
in the toughest of political environments.
I've stood up to bullies and billionaires
just like Donald Trump.
And I will never stop fighting to build the Wisconsin
that all of us deserve,
working alongside you as I have throughout my career.
We need all hands on deck in this high stakes moment
to protect our rights and freedoms,
to deliver healthcare for all,
and to make sure that every child has a great public school.
I ask for your vote on August 11th.
Mr. Barnes.
To everybody watching at home,
I want you to know that the establishment
is trying to rig this election.
They want you to choose between their preferred candidate
and also Republican billionaires are lining up
to the tune of three and a half million dollars
to choose a Democratic nominee in this race.
I'm here to say that's BS.
I've been a progressive fighter
who's taken on the tough fights,
but also the only candidate on this stage
who's actually defeating Tom Tiffany
according to the most recent Marquette poll.
We can get things done, but it starts on August 11th.
I'm asking for your support
so that we can go into November with the strength
and that we can go into January
with the mandates of governing the interests of people.
Emma's home.
Thank you so much to the viewers this evening.
I am your fighter, fighting alongside you
and fighting for you.
And this is a movement moment.
Our campaign is a one that has built a bipartisan coalition
where we have reached voters in every part of the same.
Republicans, independents, Democratic socialists
and Democrats, they have come together
and already uniting.
We are already beating Tom Tiffany,
whether it comes to the number of donors,
whether it comes to the number of individual donations.
I think it's time for this moment of unity
and I'm the leader to meet that moment.
That was quick and we did it.
We made it.
Our sincere thank you to the candidates this evening
for being here tonight and thank you
to everyone watching at home.
If you missed any part of tonight's debate,
it will be available on the 12 News app,
YouTube and streaming on very local.
You can look for post-debate analysis Sunday on up front.
Election Day is Tuesday, August 11th,
earlier in-person voting already underway.
Thanks so much for your time tonight.
Have a good night.