>> WE TURN FIRST TO WESTERN
WISCONSIN AND THE THIRD
CONGRESSIONAL.
THE INCUMBENT DEMOCRAT RON KIND
IS RETIRING LEAVING AN OPEN
SEAT.
RECENT POLL FOUND THE
REPUBLICAN IN THE RACE HOLDS A
FIVE-POINT LEAD BUT THAT THE
MAJORITY OF VOTERS HAVEN'T
HEARD ENOUGH ABOUT EITHER
CANDIDATE.
"HERE AND NOW" REPORTER NATHAN
DENZIN TRAVELED TO LA CROSSE
AND HAS OUR STORY.
>> THE RACE TO REPRESENT
WISCONSIN'S THIRD CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT IN THE U.S. HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES IS HEATING UP
AS ELECTION DAY APPROACHES.
DEMOCRAT BRAD PFAFF IS GOING UP
AGAINST PUBLIC DERRICK VAN
ORDEN IN TWO VERY DIFFERENT
CAMPAIGN STRATEGIES.
>> IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE TWO
CANDIDATES WITH TWO DIFFERENT
STYLES.
PFAFF LOW-KEY GUY FOCUSES ON
HIS FAMILY BACKGROUND FROM
WESTERN WISCONSIN.
VAN ORDEN WANTS TO BRAND
HIMSELF AS AN OUTSIDER IN
POLITICS.
>> I WILL PRY THAT DEVIL --
GAVEL OUT OF NANCY PELOSI'S
HAND.
>> HE WILL GET IN THE ARENA AND
FIGHT THE CULTURAL BATTLE
ESSENTIAL AND REALLY SHOW HIS
SUPPORT FOR DONALD TRUMP.
HE SAYS THIS RACE IS GARNERING
NATIONAL ATTENTION DUE TO THE
RETIREMENT OF LONG-TIME
REPRESENTATIVE RON KIND IN THE
DISTRICT'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE
NATURE.
KIND WAS ONE OF THE FEW
DEMOCRATS ELECTED TO CONGRESS
IN A DISTRICT THAT VOTED FOR
DONALD TRUMP IN 2020.
THE CHALLENGE FOR BOTH
CANDIDATES, HOW TO RELATE TO A
LARGE GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE
DISTRICT THAT INCLUDES SIX
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
CAMPUSES AND A LARGE FARMING
POPULATION?
>> THERE ARE REALLY KEY AND
SIGNIFICANT RURAL ELEMENTS OF
THIS DISTRICT.
AND WE KNOW HOW WELL
REPUBLICANS ARE DOING IN RURAL
PARTS OF WISCONSIN.
WE KNOW HOW WELL THEY'RE DOING
IN RURAL PARTS OF AMERICA.
THIS IS NO DIFFERENT.
>> SO FAR IN THE RACE VAN ORDEN
HAS NATIONALIZED HIS POLITICS
AND BASHING JOE BIDEN FOR
FEDERAL POLICIES AND COVID-19
RESTRICTIONS AND SCHOOLS.
STOPPING TAX HIKES AND LEADING
WITH INTEGRITY AS HIS TOP THREE
ISSUES GOING INTO THE ELECTION.
>> DERRICK VAN ORDEN, U.S. NAVY
SEAL.
>> HE DID NOT RESPOND TO
REQUESTS TO INTERVIEW FOR THIS
REPORT.
HE HAS FOUND HIMSELF IN
NUMEROUS CONTROVERSIES
INCLUDING REPORTS HE WAS AT THE
U.S. CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6
DURING THE INSURRECTION AND AN
INCIDENT WHERE HE REPORTEDLY
MADE LIBRARY STAFF IN PRAIRIE
DU CHIEN FEEL THREATENED OVER A
PRIDE DISPLAY
>> I'M DERRICK VAN ORDEN.
RETIRED NAVY SEAL AND NOMINEE
FOR WISCONSIN'S THIRD
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
>> THE REPUBLICAN SPOKE AT
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S RALLY IN
WAUKESHA ON AUGUST 5th, A CITY
ABOUT 100 MILES FROM THE
CLOSEST POINT IN THE THIRD
DISTRICT.
>> I WANT TO THANK PRESIDENT
TRUMP FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY
AND FOR CONTINUING TO FIGHT FOR
AMERICA.
IT IS IRREFUSEABLE THIS NATION
WAS BETTER UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP.
NOT A PARTISAN STATEMENT, IT'S
REALITY.
>> AT THE RALLY VAN ORDEN
BASHED JOE BIDEN ON RISING
INFLATION AND FENTANYL
OVERDOSES.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND THE
REMOVAL OF TROOPS FROM
AFGHANISTAN.
>> THE ONE THING THAT ALL THESE
THINGS HAD IN COMMON, NONE OF
THEM, NONE OF THEM HAPPENED
UNDER DONALD TRUMP.
>> A FACT CHECK HERE.
DESPITE VAN ORDEN'S CLAIM NONE
OF THESE ISSUES WERE PREVALENT
DURING TRUMP'S TIME IN OFFICE
FENTANYL OVERDOSES HAVE BEEN
STEADY ARISING IN AMERICA SINCE
2014.
THE NUMBER OF APPREHENSIONS AT
THE BORDER THE LAST 12 MONTHS
ARE 336% HIGHER THAN TRUMP'S
LAST YEAR IN OFFICE AND TRUMP
SUPPORTED THE REMOVAL OF ALL
TROOPS FROM AFGHANISTAN.
>> LIFE WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
WHEN I GREW UP ON THE FARM.
>> HIS COMPETITION, BRAD PFAFF,
HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT APPROACH
TO HIS CAMPAIGN FOCUSING HIS
ATTENTION ON LOCAL ISSUES.
>> NEED TO MAKE SURE ANY TYPE
OF PUBLIC POLICY WE PUT IN
PLACE UNDERSTANDS THE PEOPLE'S
NEEDS AND WHAT IS HAPPENING OUT
HERE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE.
>> HE SAYS HE CAN RELATE TO
VOTERS IN WESTERN WISCONSIN
BECAUSE HE HAS LIVED AND SERVED
HIS WHOLE LIFE HERE.
THE DEMOCRAT WAS A STAFFER FOR
RON KIND FOR MORE THAN 12
YEESHS REPRESENTING THE
DISTRICT BEFORE TAKING
POSITIONS IN PRESIDENTIAL OBAMA
AND GOVERNOR EVEER'S ADD
MINISTRATIONS.
>> RURAL POLICY FOR CONGRESSMAN
RON KIND AND SPEND EIGHT YEARS
AT THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE IN THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION AND THE DREAM OF
A LIFETIME TO SERVE AS OUR
STATE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE.
>> PROVIDING TAX INCENTIVES FOR
MANUFACTURERS MOVING BACK TO
AMERICA FROM OVERSEAS.
INVESTING IN TRADE SCHOOLS AND
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS AND
PROTECTING WISCONSIN WORKERS
THROUGH LEGISLATION THAT AIMS
TO RESTORE FAIR EXCHANGE RATES
FOR EXPORTED PRODUCTS.
>> HERE IN WISCONSIN
PARTICULARLY HERE IN WESTERN
WISCONSIN, WE KNOW HOW TO BUILD
THINGS.
WE KNOW HOW TO INNOVATE.
WE KNOW HOW TO ENGINEER.
AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE BEST
WORKERS AROUND THE WORLD.
THE THING IS, THEY JUST NEED AN
OPPORTUNITY IN ORDER TO APPLY
THEIR TRADE.
>> PFAFF ALSO CRITICIZED VAN
ORDEN SAYING HIS TEMERMENT
ANIMAL DENTISTRY AND ORAL
SURGERY SPECIALISTS AND
ATTITUDES DON'T MATCH THE
DISTRICT.
>> MY OPPONENT IN THIS FALL
ELECTION IS NOT FROM HERE.
HE DOES NOT KNOW THE PEOPLE OR
THE COMMUNITIES OF THIS
DISTRICT.
HE DOESN'T SHARE OUR VALUES.
THE THING IS THAT WE'RE HARD
WORKING, GOD-FEARING PATRIOTIC
PEOPLE OUT HERE.
WHAT DERRICK VAN ORDEN'S
TEMPERAMENT, JUDGMENT AND
CHARACTER DOES NOT REFLECT THE
PEOPLE OF THIS DISTRICT.
>> THE BIG QUESTION, WHICH
STYLE OF CAMPAIGN WILL TURN OUT
ENOUGH VOTES TO WIN THE
ELECTION IN NOVEMBER.
WHETHER IT IS THROUGH
NATIONALIZED POLITICS.
>> VAN ORDEN LEARNED HE CAN
LOCK DOWN REPUBLICAN SUPPORTERS
BY EMPHASIZING HOW MUCH HE
BACKS DONALD TRUMP.
>> OR IF THE PATH TO VICTORY IS
THROUGH LOCAL EFFORTS.
>> AND SO BRAD PFAFF IS REALLY,
I THINK, GOING TO TRY TO MODEL
HIS CAMPAIGN AFTER RON KIND AND
TRY TO SHOW WAYS WHERE HE IS
DISTINCT FROM JOE BIDEN AND
NANCY PELOSI AND WASHINGTON
REPUBLICANS.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW" I'M IN