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