PBS Wisconsin original production.
>> I'm Frederica Freyberg. Tonight on "Here& Now", the
last of the crowded field of Democratic candidates
for governor. And what happens when the free
public access eyes and ears of the state legislature
disappears? It's "Here& Now" for
December 19th. >> Funding for here and Now
is provided by the Focus Fund for Journalism and
Friends of PBS Wisconsin. >> The Wisconsin version of
C-Span has gone dark. Wisconsin. I now shows this
message on its website saying it is off the air.
The private nonprofit service started in 2007,
providing live and archived online and cable TV
coverage of state government. But money to
run the operation ran out. Wisconsin ESSER Roe Jon
Henkes joins us now. And thanks very much for being
here. >> My pleasure. Thank you.
>> So what has been the reaction from the Wisconsin
I audience to the fact that it went off the air?
>> Different audiences have slightly different takes on
on the reaction. On the positive side, we have seen
an outpouring of small gifts made via online, the
likes of which we've not seen. So in a period of
about two weeks, we've generated almost $60,000 in
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Disappointing to a degree has been we've not heard
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we know that they value it from the perspective of
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well as return to full coverage of of live events.
So there are discussions going on behind the scenes
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the legislature and the governor's office. These
are the folks who over time, different people, but the
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that an independent approach to state
government coverage is the Wisconsin way.
>> Because I know that you were hoping for $10 million
in state funding, but that had to have those matching
funds, as you just talked about from donations. But
was that ever a realistic goal and how are you
working around that? Are you able to get some of
that state funding without having to do the match?
>> The hope is that by state action, those dollars
that had the match requirement can be released
in some portion, in whole or in part to help
Wisconsin, I move forward. We've got five employees
and a budget of less than a million, and we're
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These dollars have already been allocated toward
Wisconsin. So with with some simple assurances of
forward progress, I believe we can achieve both.
Reactivate the archive quickly and be on the air
in January. >> Jon Henkes, thanks very
much. >> Thanks.
>> Tonight we continue our interviews with candidates
running in the primary election for governor. We
brought you interviews with the two Republicans in the
race earlier this month. There are seven Democrats
lining up. We spoke with three of them last week. Up
next, senior political reporter Zac Schultz brings
us introductory interviews with the remaining four
Democrats, starting with former Lieutenant Governor
Mandela Barnes. >> Mandela Barnes. Thanks
for coming in for sure. >> Thank you so much for
having me. >> So for voters who may
not be as familiar with you, introduce yourself and say,
why are you running for governor?
Barnes, former lieutenant governor, former state rep
running for governor because we found ourselves
in a critical moment here in the state of Wisconsin
all across the country. But Wisconsin has certainly
rising costs, such as no different from other states.
But when people are having such a hard time to pay for
groceries, to live in their homes, to be able to afford
their utilities or even healthcare. We need
leadership that's going to reject the status quo and
actually get to work to solving our problems. And
this is more than just about bold leadership to
take on Donald Trump. We need bold leadership that's
going to provide solutions. And I'm running because we
need to provide real relief. In my time in the
legislature, my time as lieutenant governor has
been focused on making life better for people across
Wisconsin. It has been focused on improving
quality of life. And that's why I'm ready to get to
work to lower costs on the very first day.
that's driven you in your career, or maybe a lane
within the party that helps define who you are?
>> Well, there are a number of issues. You know, I
honestly think about challenges, situations,
circumstances that I've dealt with, you know,
growing up, you know, unfortunately, I've lost
friends to gun violence. And that was one of the
biggest things that actually made me think
about public service. Who was going to step up, who
was going to answer the call. And when we have
these conversations about crime, we have these
conversations about violence in general. Like
it speaks to me personally. >> How much money are you
going to need to raise in order to win this primary?
And then the election? >> An obscene amount of
money, which is the worst part about politics.
There's far too much money involved. I think about,
you know, the the amount of spending that's not just
from candidates but also from superPACs. And it
feels as if everyday people don't have a voice in
politics. I'm proud of, you know, my previous campaigns
where we were grassroots funded, we didn't take
corporate PAC money, not a dime of corporate PAC money.
And I look at this race and that's the same case. We're
not taking corporate PAC money, but it is going to
take about $50 million on the candidate side for me
to raise. And it shouldn't be that way. But if we
don't come out successful, we'll never be able to get
big money out of politics. >> You're no stranger to
competitive primaries, so you between negative
campaigning against a member of your party versus
just defining differences between candidates?
>> Well, I have zero interest in negative
campaigning against any of my opponents. My focus, as
I mentioned, has been and will continue to be on
November. And I say this, I have a lot of friends in
the race. I respect everybody in the race. I
think everybody brings something to the race, but
I'm running based off of my experience, my time in the
legislature, my time as lieutenant governor is
unmatched in this primary. I've been every single
county. My first, my first year as lieutenant governor,
continued to make my rounds across the state. Every
year after even out of office, I've had the great
fortune and opportunity to be able to travel the great
state of Wisconsin just meeting with people just,
you know, existing, living, getting to enjoy the rich,
natural beauty. You could spend money at our small
businesses and just spend time in communities. And
with that being the case, I think about the work that I
have put in. And, you know, some folks may say, oh,
Mandela's got the name recognition. Well, I got
the name recognition because I've shown up.
>> When voters are looking at this broad field of
candidates, do you think they should look for who
connects best with them on the issues, or should they
be thinking about electability?
should be looking about or looking at who is going to
fight for them, who is going to show up, who's not
going to take no for an answer, who's going to be
bold, and who is going to drastically work to improve
quality of life regardless of where you live and
regardless of who you vote for.
>> So most of the candidates have connections
to either Milwaukee or Madison. What is the what
is your outreach plan for the rest of the state for
rural Wisconsin? >> Well, I can tell you,
there's not a person in this race who has the
experience in all parts of Wisconsin that I have. In
22, I won the Wisconsin Farmers Union, friend of
the Family Farmer Award. Because of my dedication to
rural Wisconsin. I ran into a guy leaving that
conference a few years ago and said that he never
thought that he'd be voting for a guy from Milwaukee,
based on his rural policy, and also understanding that
rural Wisconsin isn't just farms, it is small
businesses that make up Wisconsin. It's also the
outdoor activities that bring tourism to rural
Wisconsin. >> What do you think the
impact of Donald Trump will be on this election?
>> Well, people are dissatisfied. People were
lied to. People have been lied to. He lied the first
time around. But people are feeling those lies a whole
lot more. He called affordability a hoax. The
person is struggling to pay their utility bills right
now. I don't think that's a hoax. People who are
struggling to stay in their homes, they don't think
that's a hoax. People who are going to see their
health care premiums rise. We're going to see their
health care premiums balloon. It's not a hoax to
them. And that's why this campaign isn't just about
me running for governor, me winning the race for
governor. This is about ensuring that we have a
majority in the state Assembly and the state
Senate to actually do right by the people, because the
will of the people should be the law of the land, and
we're going to ensure that it is.
>> Mandela Barnes. Thanks for coming in.
>> For sure. Thank you so much.
>> Statewide recognition also belongs to Zach's next
candidate interview. Former Wisconsin Economic
Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes Missy Hughes.
>> Thanks so much for joining us.
>> Good to see you. >> So for voters who don't
know you, introduce you're running for governor.
>> Yeah. So I'm a mother of three. I've lived in
Wisconsin since almost 2000, and we raised our family
here. My husband and I working for Organic Valley,
and I worked for Organic Valley for 17 years. And
then Governor Evers asked if I was interested in
running economic development for the state.
So for the last six years, I was the head of Wisconsin
Economic Development Corporation.
>> Is there a single issue that drives you, or perhaps
a lane within the party that helps define you?
>> You know, it's all about the economy and building a
strong economy for all Wisconsinites. That's what
I did for years working at Organic Valley, helping
farmers stay on their farms, and then at Wedc building
an economy, whether it was in Milwaukee or Antigo or
Superior all around the state, working with
communities and businesses so that everyday
Wisconsinites can succeed. >> How money much do you
think you need to raise in order to to win this
primary? >> Oh, you know, the the
money factor in politics is really interesting. And I
have an incredible network. I think that the race is
going to be anywhere between 2 or $3 million for
the primary. But, you know, I'm just guessing. I'm not
sure that I have the best answer for that. I can tell
you that heading into the general, which is what I'm
focused on, it is going to be an incredible race. All
eyes of the nation are going to be on Wisconsin.
>> For you personally, how do you define the
difference between negative campaigning against a
member of your own party versus just defining the
differences between two candidates?
that Wisconsin has a lot of choices for the Democratic
primary, and my goal is to make sure that
Wisconsinites know my story. I have a story that is
fresh and different. I've never run for office before.
I'm the only one who is from outside of Madison or
Milwaukee, so I have a lot to say about myself, and
I'm going to be focused on telling my story.
>> For primary voters who are tuning in right now,
should they be looking for the the candidate where
they align most closely on the issues, or should they
be thinking about electability?
wisconsinite, I want to make sure that we keep the
governor's seat blue and that we have someone who
can lead the state and be successful in building an
economy for the state. And that's why just as as a
citizen of Wisconsin, I'm focused on electability and
making sure that we get the right candidate winning in
November. primary. Most of the
candidates have connections to Madison or Milwaukee,
southeast Wisconsin, or even your. Your position
ties you to Madison. What's your your goal? To reach
the rest of the state and let people know that you
you can connect with those other areas.
foremost, I live in western Wisconsin, so I am from
outside of Madison and Milwaukee. I have worked
all around the state. We've had impact in all 72
counties. So, you know, whether it's a small
business in Washburn that we've supported or
Milwaukee Tool or Fiserv in downtown Milwaukee, we've
had impact all around the state. And so I can speak
to creating a statewide coalition that carries the
day next November. >> What will be the impact
of Donald Trump on this election?
>> You know, I think what we're really seeing is just
a devastation in the economy. As I'm talking to
businesses, they are pulling back. They're not
rehiring people, they're stopping investments. And
as I'm talking to everyday Wisconsinites, they are
struggling to make ends meet. This is all because
of Donald Trump's policies. This is a man made crisis
that we are in right now. You know, looking at what's
happening with the farmers out in western Wisconsin,
we saw farmers plowing under soybeans, which is
insanity. And now Donald Trump is offering a bailout
to try to make up for his failed policies. And again,
this man made crisis that he has created.
>> All right, Missy Hughes, thanks for your time.
>> Thank you. >> Many elected officials
in higher office come from the state legislature.
State Representative Francesca Hong of Madison
hopes she becomes one of them. Here she is with Zac
Schultz Francesca Hong. >> Thanks for joining us.
>> Happy to be here. >> For voters who don't
know you, give us an introduction of who you are
and why you're running for governor.
representative for the 76th district here in Madison. I
am a proud single mom to my son George, and I'm a
service industry worker. And so I owned a restaurant
for seven years and worked as a chef. And I still work
as a bartender and line cook. And I'm running for
governor because we are in a moment of crisis and
chaos. But we're also in a movement moment. And as an
organizer and as a working class candidate, I think
that it's the right thing to do to fight alongside
working class people who are demanding change.
>> Is there a single issue that drives you, or perhaps
a lane within the Democratic Party, that may
define you. >> Fully funding public
education, universal child care, and expanding
BadgerCare for all? These are universal policies
addressing universal issues for Wisconsinites all
across the state. And I think this moment demands a
visionary, bold action and not incrementalism.
>> Running for governor is very expensive. How much do
you think you need to run to be competitive? And
what's going to happen after the primary if you
make it through that? >> We are proud to be a
people powered grassroots campaign, and we have
thousands of donors who have given from all across
the state. And in fact, 48 out of 50 states here in
the country. And so raising has been less of a
challenge that because we have so many volunteers and
folks across the state who are committed to being a
part of our movement. >> When it comes to a
competitive primary for you, what's where do you draw
the line between negative campaigning against a
member of your own party versus defining differences
between candidates? >> No. Crowded primaries
are good for democracy, but I think in this moment
people are stressed and demanding bold change. And
so we're really focused on making sure that the issues
that we see folks struggling with, with
affordability and, you know, living in times of fascism,
we want to make sure that we are naming the
billionaires and the culprits of these issues,
and then how the state is responsible for presenting
and delivering solutions to help people live a life of
dignity. >> When primary voters are
looking at all the candidates, should they be
focusing more on who's more aligned with an issue that
they support or electability?
>> Electability is subjective, and I think
that we need leadership, and the people are
demanding leadership where politicians aren't going to
say one thing and do another. We want leadership
with folks who are committed to moral courage
and willing to do the hard thing, and not the
politically expedient or politically comfortable
thing. >> Most of the Democrats
running in this campaign are either aligned with
Milwaukee or Madison. What's your plan to get out?
Introduce yourself to the rest of the state,
especially those rural areas who feel unheard.
>> I've had the privilege of traveling across the
state for the last five years, since I was elected
into the legislature. Whether it's helping other
candidates campaign in this for the state Assembly, or
being invited to speak at and meeting farmers and
educators and people across the state, I'm going back
to those communities and also meeting new ones. And
I think that when we go to rural areas, suburban areas,
urban areas, I've been so heartened by the diversity
of people who are attending our events. Republicans,
independents, Democrats. It's been and it's
multigenerational. I have learned so much from young
people who are attending our events, and we're going
to continue to meet those communities where they are,
regardless of what part of the state they're in.
>> What do you think the impact of Donald Trump will
be on this primary? >> The fascist,
authoritarian regime in the federal government is
really creating a lot of chaos and uncertainty for
working class people. And so beyond, you know, what
is happening at the federal government. I think it's
important to stay focused on how we can deliver for
working class people, meeting the urgency of this
moment with universal policies that are actually
going to change the material conditions of
people's lives at a pace and deliver, you know, as
urgently and as quickly as we can.
>> All right, Francesca Hong, thanks for your time.
>> Thank you so much. >> Zach's next interview is
with the most recent entrant to the race, former
Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary
Joel Brennan Joel Brennan. >> Thanks for coming in
today. >> Thanks for having me.
>> So for the voters who don't know you, introduce
yourself and say why you're running for governor.
who's had a 30 year career here in Wisconsin. Mine's a
Wisconsin story, and I'm somebody who's of and from
here. And I can tell you the conversations I have
with people here, that there is a a palpable sense
of frustration, anger. I think people are truly
concerned about just making ends meet. And then, you
know, you add on to that that you've got Donald
Trump in the white House who is chaotic, he's
dysfunctional, who's cruel, and it's enough to make
everybody angry. And I'm angry too, but I'm also
somebody who, over the course of a career, I've
demonstrated for some people, when you get angry,
you want to get even. When I get angry, I want to roll
up my sleeves and get something done. And so
that's what I've tried to demonstrate. And so we have
in Wisconsin, a situation where there are 200,000
people who are about to lose their health care
benefits, tens of thousands more who are going to see
their premiums double or triple. And so that's a
reason for people to be angry. And in some ways, we
need to ensure that Wisconsin values are
protected. But thankfully we have fair maps now. And
with fair maps and a Democratic governor, we
have an opportunity to make real, lasting change for
Wisconsin, protect those values, and do things that
can put us right by Wisconsin families. That's
why I'm running. >> Is there a single issue
that drives you, or maybe a lane within the Democratic
Party that helps define who you are?
>> Well, I think if anybody's looking around
right now, the main issue that anybody is dealing
with here in Wisconsin is affordability. You know,
we're in a situation where just in the last week, it
was revealed that the first time homebuyers now are 40
years old. Five years ago, they were average of 33
years old. And we've got we spent $10,000 a year on
health care per person in Wisconsin. Yet there are
people who go without people who can't afford
their prescription drugs. All of those are challenges.
And then at the same time, you have Donald Trump
running around the country saying affordability is a
Democratic hoax. It's not a hoax. It's an issue that's
real for every Wisconsin resident.
>> How much money do you need to raise in order to
be competitive and win this primary and then survive
into the general election? >> Yeah, well, I think.
>> Elections are expensive, and what I'm going to do in
this race is I'm going to lean into the relationships
that I've developed and cultivated over the course
of the last 30 years. You know, I grew up as the
second youngest of 11 kids. I had to work my way
through college, have 4 or 5 jobs to do that
everything I've ever had, I have earned. And so what
I'm going to do is go out and communicate with people
about the work that I've done over the last 30 years,
the executive experience, the breadth that I have.
And I'm confident that I can generate resources as I
listen to and talk to people around the state.
>> This is a very large Democratic primary, very
competitive one. How do you define the difference
between negative campaigning versus showing
up differences between candidates?
like I said, I'm the second youngest of 11 kids. I know
what it's like to have to go to a crowded table and
elbow your way in, whether it's for attention or even
to get a meal. And so, you know, I'm comfortable with
that. But but what I am going to do in this
campaign is really talk to people about me and about
my background. 30 years of progressive executive
experience, things like, you know, running the
largest science museum in the state of Wisconsin at
Discovery World, three years as the top appointed
official in Governor Evers cabinet and the work that
we did there. So the way that I'm going to try to
distinguish myself from others is to just
communicate with them about the depth of relationships
and what we have done. >> So as voters start to
get to know these candidates, should they be
looking for who's closest to them on the issues, or
should they be thinking about electability?
>> You know, I don't think those two things are
mutually exclusive. I think the issues are hugely
important to everybody here in the state. And and I
think that when voters look, they have options and
primaries are good for establishing options. And
so they'll have opportunities to look at
all the candidates and what we stand for.
>> Most of the Democratic candidates have connections
to Milwaukee or Madison. How do you introduce
yourself to rural Wisconsin? The rest of the state?
>> Yeah, well, mine's a Wisconsin story. My dad was
born in 1927 to a single mom in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
My mom was born in 1928, in Milwaukee, grew up in
Milwaukee and East Troy. And so, you know, ours is a
a Wisconsin story, just like lots of other peoples
here. president a number of times.
So what impact do you think Donald Trump will have on
this election? looms large over everything
that we do right now. You know, and at this point,
the most likely candidate on the Republican side is
Tom Tiffany. And the apple doesn't fall far from the
tree when it comes to Tom, Tiffany and Donald Trump.
And so I think we need people. We need candidates
who are able to stand up to that, but not only stand up,
but be able to demonstrate that they've been effective
about doing things and getting things done. And,
you know, in my view of this, you know, yes, Donald
Trump is going to play a role in the campaign. But
ultimately, the campaign can't be just about Donald
Trump has to be about Wisconsin families,
Wisconsin values. That's who I am. And that's what
I'm looking forward to discussing and talking
about as I'm out on the campaign trail.
>> Joel Brennan, thanks for coming in.
>> Thank you. >> Next week "Here& Now",
we'll take a brief hiatus, but we're back in the new
year with a special program looking at the cost of
medication increasing and insurance coverage of them
shrinking. Here's a preview. >> I just remember walking
in and she had it written out on a piece of paper, no
longer covered by insurance. >> What would you do?
>> We always assume that he kind of ran some life
choices and said rent or this, and thought he could
do without it. >> If your medicine was
suddenly not covered by insurance.
>> We need $13,000 before we can ship this. And I
said $13,000. >> If you had to pay
hundreds or thousands of dollars up front.
>> Yes. That's what this drug costs to be delivered
without insurance. >> Before getting a life
saving prescription. [MUSIC]
>> The patients really don't understand what's
going on with their benefits.
>> And it all seems too complicated to understand.
[MUSIC] survival mode, and you're
just trying to figure out, like, do I go to work and
make money? Or do I deal with this disease?
>> We have the fifth highest health care costs
in the nation, and our quality does not reflect
that. >> These patients are
confused, they're overwhelmed, and they're
forced into impossible decisions about their
health. >> Join us January 2nd at 7
p.m. for Rx Uncovered a "Here& Now" one hour
special. That's our program for tonight. I'm Frederica
Freyberg. We'll see you in the new year.
[MUSIC] .
>> Funding for "Here& Now" is provided by the Focus
Fund for Journalism and Friends of PBS Wisconsin.