With a Democratic governor
and a Republican Legislature
the last eight years
in Wisconsin politics
has been defined by gridlock
and a lack of trust
at the Capitol.
And whether a Democrat
or Republican wins the race
for governor this fall
there's a good chance
the other party will control
at least one
chamber of the Legislature.
I'm Here & Now
senior political reporter
Zac Schultz.
I sat down with nine
of the leading candidates
for governor
and asked about
their track record
on bipartisanship.
Several of these candidates
have served
in the Legislature
and can point
to specific bills
they've helped pass
with bipartisan support.
Some of those bills are
relatively low profile
and only
the voters will judge
whether the rest of their
voting record shows a true
willingness to compromise
on big issues.
Other candidates
point to their work
in nonpartisan
county-level government
or the private sector
where working together
is more common.
But even as they talked
about working together
several candidates
were already drawing
hard lines
about what they would
and would not
accept in a budget.
So if the voters choose
split control in the Capitol
you can expect some form
of gridlock to continue.
For more on this
and other issues
go to pbswisconsin.org
and click on the news tab.