"Wisconsin Vote" election coverage.
*
- Hello, I'm Jon Miskowski,
Director of Wisconsin Public Television.
One of the most important things we do
is to bring timely information to the people of Wisconsin.
This is especially true at election time.
Once again, Wisconsin Public Television
is offering political candidates this platform
to talk directly to our viewers.
We've invited all the U.S. Senate
and Congressional candidates
appearing on the November 8th ballot
to make an unedited statement.
Candidates for Congress have been given up to four minutes,
and Senate candidates up to five.
Their order of appearance in this presentation
was determined randomly.
If you'd like more information
about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin,
or elections in Wisconsin,
visit our election website WisconsinVote.org.
Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 8th.
And thank you for watching Wisconsin Public Television
*
- Hi, I'm Phil Anderson.
And I'm running for United States Senate
to represent Wisconsin, and I am a Libertarian.
You may have heard the term Libertarian
being batted around by Republicans or Democrats,
or other people that don't really understand what it means,
but let me tell you what it means.
Libertarians believe in the non-aggression principle:
our very first principle,
the founding principle of our party and of our movement.
And that states that,
"People should be able to live their lives as they choose
as long as they don't interfere
with the rights of other people to do the same."
Now, that sounds pretty obvious and pretty simple, right?
The reason it sounds obvious and simple
is because that's the way most of us were raised.
We were raised by our parents and by our teachers
to not lie, not steal, not cheat, don't hit each other,
pick up after ourselves, mind our own business,
be respectful, be polite,
all of these things.
But has our government done that?
No. Of course not.
There's no hope for Republicans and Democrats to behave that way
because Republicans and Democrats
are there in Washington
for the sole purpose of perpetuating their own power.
My opponents and any other Republican and democrat,
with a very few exceptions, go to Washington
not for the purpose of representing us.
They only represent our hopes and dreams
and thoughts and issues so they can get elected.
Then they go to Washington.
And they're told how to vote.
Occasionally, there's a variation from the party line,
but not very often.
They spend time raising money for the party.
They're required to in exchange for committee chairmanships.
This is a known fact.
They don't represent us at all.
In fact, our representative government is broken.
That's why two of the things that I'm gonna fight hardest for
once elected are
the Read the Bills Act and the One Subject at a Time Act.
Now these sound like very obvious things, don't they?
We assumed,
at least maybe before Nancy Pelosi famously said that,
"We needed to pass Obamacare in order to see what was in it."
That was a slip of the tongue,
but it was a very truthful one in fact.
Every day, the House and Senate
pass bills that they haven't read.
They're handed to-- handed them by lobbyists,
by bureaus of the federal government, whatever.
Here, pass this bill.
They throw it together. They pass it.
They're not-- They're not sure what's in it.
They don't care
because that's what their party tells them to do.
What we need to do is require our representatives
to read the bills before they vote on them.
To read them personally or have them read to them
and have them posted online
so that we can read them and instruct them how to vote.
Doesn't that seem how representative government
should work? Well, it doesn't.
Another thing is that each bill should be allowed to
be voted on as a separate subject.
So I advocate for the One Subject at a Time Act,
which also was introduced on the floor of the House
and didn't get very far for obvious reasons.
That would create an environment
where each bill had to be voted on separately.
And each bill had to have a name that reflected what was in it,
which is not the case now certainly.
These two bills is what I'll fight for
as your United States Senator.
And the third thing and probably the most important thing
is fighting to bring our troops home,
to divest ourselves of overseas involvements,
of military actions, covert or overt,
that end up creating poverty and destruction and despair
and killing people all over the world
in our name and with our tax dollars.
Now, you won't see
Russ Feingold and Ron Johnson advocating for that.
They try to stir up hate by talking about Islam
in a way that is not necessarily true.
By talking about each other
in ways that aren't necessarily true.
A politics of negativity, a politics of not being truthful
is what America does not need anymore.
What America needs
is a representative government that is fixed.
Where people like you and I
have representatives in the House and the Senate,
where they vote on bills one at a time.
Where they actually vote
the way that they said they were going to vote.
And where the constant flow of money from lobbyists,
from big industries, through congressional offices,
back into the economy,
taking our tax dollars
and basically creating a crony capitalist society.
Not a true free market, which I advocate for,
but a crony capitalist society
where you win in business by being connected to government
not competing fairly.
All those things are essential.
Let's bring our troops home.
Let's have our representative--
representatives read their bills before passed.
And let's have one subject at a time.
All of these things can restore
an honest, trustworthy government.
And pull the veil off the constant stream of corruption
that's going on in Washington D.C.
That's what I'm committed to, win or lose.
I hope that you consider casting your vote for me,
because you won't get
that same promise and that same commitment
from Russ Feingold or Ron Johnson.
So please consider voting for me on November 8th.
What do you say? Are you in?
*
- I'm Russ Feingold
and I'm running for the United States Senate.
I believe that if you want to represent the people of
Wisconsin, you have to actually get out and listen to them.
So we kicked off this campaign by traveling to each of
Wisconsin's 72 counties
to hear the priorities and concerns
of people in every corner of the state.
Everywhere we went, we heard the same thing:
that while Wall Street and those at the top are doing fine now,
too many of Wisconsin's middle class and working families
are still having a pretty hard time paying the bills.
They're struggling to make ends meet;
they're worried about saving for retirement
or sending their kids to college;
they're anxious about the rising cost of prescription drugs or
the prospect of losing their job to a factory in Mexico or China.
But even in the face of these challenges, I still witnessed
that spirit of unity that makes Wisconsin so special.
In communities all across the state, Wisconsinites are working
together to create an economy that works for everyone,
not just for corporate CEOs.
I witnessed it in Kaukauna,
at the UA Local 400 apprenticeship program
where over 300 students are training
for good paying jobs in plumbing and steamfitting.
I've witnessed it in Vernon County at Organic Valley,
a cooperative founded in 1988 in La Farge, which
now represents more than 1,800 farmers across the country.
And I've witnessed it in countless small businesses
across the state from Milwaukee to Menominee.
Businesses that began as someone's dream,
and have grown into pillars of their community.
Wisconsin's always been home to creative thinkers,
and innovators, and entrepreneurs,
industries from agriculture to manufacturing.
But for the past few years, Washington Republicans,
the Koch brothers and other outside corporate interests
have poured money into our state,
determined to push their divisive policies on us.
And it's at the expense of our state's working families.
Traveling across Wisconsin, I hear from working
and middle class people who are feeling squeezed by a system
that keeps the wealthy and the powerful on top
and leaves Wisconsin families behind.
They're tired of politicians who simply lecture
and refuse to listen.
Wisconsinites want leaders who will listen to them
and fight for them.
For too long, Washington politicians like my opponent,
Senator Johnson, have stood in the way of commonsense solutions
to help our state's working families.
My opponent not only opposes an
increase to the federal minimum wage, he doesn't even think
we should have a federal minimum wage at all.
Senator Johnson doesn't believe working people
deserve a fair wage, but supports tax loopholes,
bad trade deals that help corporations ship jobs overseas,
and he wants to privatize Social Security,
keep higher education financially out of reach for
thousands of young Wisconsinites and their families.
If our economy is going to work for everyone, then we need to
listen to the people of Wisconsin and take their advice.
That's exactly what I've done.
They want leaders who will fight to export Wisconsin products,
not Wisconsin jobs.
That's why I strongly oppose
the disastrous TransPacific Partnership trade deal.
Instead of disastrous trade deals
that ship our jobs overseas,
we should increase the minimum wage and invest in our workforce
through apprenticeships, career technical education programs,
and ensure that our workers have
the tools necessary to compete in a global economy.
We should protect and expand Social Security
so that our seniors can retire with dignity.
And we should allow Medicare to renegotiate the price
of prescription drugs, which would lower the costs
and save taxpayers over $120 billion over 10 years.
And, in a state where the average indebted student
graduates with debt of $28,000
we should allow borrowers to renegotiate that debt
just like you can with a mortgage.
It would help more than half a million Wisconsinites.
Now these aren't just my ideas.
These are the priorities and concerns I've heard
from Wisconsinites in all 72 counties across the state.
More than anything, Wisconsinites are tired
of Washington politicians
who lecture them and refuse to listen.
Wisconsinites want leaders who will listen to them
and fight for our state's middle class and working families.
If you vote for me on November 8th,
that's exactly what I'll do in the U.S. Senate.
Thank you!
*
Hello, my name is Jason Lebeck and I'm running for
U.S. House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 1st District.
I'm a Libertarian running for the Congressional seat
that Paul Ryan currently holds.
I live in Janesville with my wife Holly,
and our three children.
I am a graduate of
the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater, with
a Bachelor of Science in the Management of Computer Systems,
and currently work
on a technical services helpdesk team.
I am running for office because
I believe citizens are tired of the status quo.
As I speak with those that live in southeast Wisconsin,
I hear the frustration in your voices
as we talk about the current state of politics,
constant wars,
and government intrusion in our personal lives.
I would like to represent you, and attempt to fix
what is wrong in our nation's capital.
I want to fight against
crony capitalism and corporate welfare.
Big-money donors and special interest groups
line the pockets of our politicians.
They do this because our politicians
can return the favor in the form of
friendly regulations, subsidies, and, in some cases, bailouts.
In this process, the voice of the common citizen gets lost.
Over the years the federal government has expanded in size,
drifting away from its limited functions
as set forth in the Constitution.
This expansion has opened the door
to the crony capitalism I just spoke about.
The more power politicians have, the more favors they can give.
I believe that by reducing federal overreach--
returning power to state and local governments--
we can begin to get a government
which will represent us rather than special interests.
Another topic of great concern is foreign affairs.
You and I are weary of constant war.
Politicians send our friends and loved ones all over the world,
policing foreign nations and getting involved in regions
that we have no reason to be in.
I believe our involvement in conflicts--
including civil and religious wars--
agitates, rather than eases, tensions in theses regions.
U.S. military spending is around $600 billion dollars annually--
which is roughly the size of
the next seven largest military budgets
around the world, combined--
and we have over 800 military bases across the globe.
That is a lot of expense, in both financial and human cost.
I propose that we significantly reduce military spending
by bringing our troops home
and focusing on a strong defense for U.S. citizens on U.S. soil.
I will work to promote foreign relations
based on diplomacy and trade.
Additionally, we hear about VA scandals and inefficiency--
including long waitlist times--
which means that not all of our veterans
are properly taken care of when they come home.
I will support a voucher system for veteran benefits,
allowing them to choose other health care providers
if their local VA hospital is not meeting their needs.
I will also fight to protect private property rights.
What I mean by that is your body, mind, and possessions
are yours to utilize or dispose of as you see fit,
as long as you are not harming others.
I may not agree with the choices you make,
but as long as you are not violating the rights of others,
I will protect your right to make those choices.
I believe it is your right
to be able to defend yourself and property,
thus I strongly support the Second Amendment
and your right to own guns, if you choose.
Tied closely to private property rights,
I support efforts at criminal justice reform.
The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Many find themselves in prison for victimless crimes.
However, if there is no victim, there should be no crime.
Additionally, some of our laws are enforced in a way
that affects some communities more than others
and can have a negative impact on race relations.
Basically, I would like the government
to be non-interventionist, both at home and abroad.
If my values align with yours,
I would love your support this November.
I'm Jason Lebeck and I would like to represent you.
Thank you.
*
Hello, 1st Congressional District Voters.
My name is Spencer Zimmerman
and I'm running against Paul Ryan
as a Trump Conservative November 8th.
I want to thank Wisconsin Public Television for giving me
the opportunity to share my priorities for Congress.
Priority #1 is term limits:
2 terms for Senators and 8 years for Congressmen.
I believe that this reform,
in the form of a Constitutional Amendment,
would do more to change Washington
than anything done in the 200+ years
since the Constitution itself was ratified.
Priority #2 is to bring jobs back to America.
We need to renegotiate or leave NAFTA, stop TPP,
and end the outsourcing of jobs to China and Mexico.
My 3rd priority is to secure America's borders.
We need to build a wall along our southern border
and end illegal immigration.
I will spend the rest of my time today
focusing on my 4th priority, a new 9/11 investigation.
New evidence has become public
implicating several foreign governments in the 9/11 attacks.
The recently declassified 28 pages imply Saudi Arabia
financed the hijackers while in the United States.
15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens,
along with Osama bin Laden,
who was found to be living in Pakistan
for several years prior to being killed on May 2nd 2011.
As a candidate for Senate in July 2011,
I called for a full investigation
into whether Pakistan officials knew of Bin Laden's location
and offered him support during his years in hiding,
and I called for a permanent suspension
of the billions in foreign aid we send Pakistan every year.
Bin Laden's safe house in Abbottabad
was just a few hundred yards
from Pakistan's top military academy.
At the same time, I also called for an investigation
into evidence that had recently surfaced in a lawsuit
by the families of the 9/11 victims suggesting that
Iran had advance knowledge of the attacks
and helped train the hijackers.
A 2012 ruling in this case ordered the Iranian government
to pay $6 billion.
This past March, a federal judge in New York fined Iran
an additional $10.5 billion
for its support of Al Qaeda prior to the attacks.
During the seven year Iran 9/11 case investigation,
evidence emerged indicating that the Iranian Government
began planning the attacks as early as 1985,
and formed an alliance with Al Qaeda dating back to 1993.
The Islamic Republic and the Bin Laden terror network
were both linked to the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing.
Iran was found to have obtained
flight simulators for the 9/11 hijackers,
concealed their travel by not stamping passports,
and to have sent coded messages on May 14, 2001
indicating that the 9/11 plot had been activated.
A Washington Times article published on the morning of
September 11th, 2001 reported that, in response to
a Russian war game that began on September 10th,
the Air Force deployed fighter aircraft
to Alaska and Northern Canada,
where they would be unable to intercept the hijacked planes.
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative,
this Russian war game
was the largest of its kind since the Cold War,
as evidenced by the fact that
mid-air refueling occurred for the first time since 1993.
Their report reads the Russian exercise involved
over 2,000 personnel, 24 Tu-95 and Tu-160 bomber flights
over the Arctic and the Atlantic,
tanker aircraft for refueling,
making them capable of reaching their targets,
and 15 S-300 surface-to-air missile systems.
Former KGB Agent Alexander Litvinenko
alleged that the current leader of Al Qaeda
was trained for half a year by the Russians in 1997.
Shortly after divulging this information,
Litvinenko was poisoned with radioactive polonium 210.
The British, earlier this year, concluded that
this assassination was probably
personally ordered by Vladimir Putin.
Soviet Air Force officer and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout
armed Al Qaeda in Afghanistan during the summer of 2001,
and is currently serving a 25-year sentence
at the penitentiary in Marion, Illinois for criminal intent
to traffic arms and conspiracy to kill Americans.
Justice must be served
against all who aided the 9/11 terrorists
and for this reason, I am calling for a new investigation.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
*
- I'm Paul Ryan.
Representing Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District
is an honor and I work each day
to show my employers that I am worthy of their trust.
Having held over 650 listening sessions over the years,
people in southern Wisconsin have come to know me.
They know I live and raise my children with my wife Janna
in Janesville, and they know I commute back and forth each week
from our nation's capital to keep my commitment to my family
and to stay in touch with those whom I work for--
the people of Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District.
Representing southern Wisconsin in Congress
is a big responsibility
because the decisions I make in Washington, D.C.
they impact people right here at home.
I take that seriously and I always will.
My roles may have changed in Congress
since I was first elected,
but I have continued to provide timely constituent services
to those in need,
while remaining a constant presence in the district.
At home and in D.C.,
my record has not changed and neither have my principles.
The approach that I take towards governing is one
that a majority of voters in southern Wisconsin support.
It's a simple one:
be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
When I was asked to become House Speaker,
I made clear that we were going to do things differently
and so I asked our U.S. Representatives--
the people's elected leaders--
to meet and discuss how to get our nation back on track.
And when seven out of ten Americans
don't like the direction our country is headed,
leaders owe it to those that they represent
to provide a better way,
and I believe we have to articulate clearly to voters
how we can restore a more confident America.
There is a better way on poverty.
We should all have the opportunity in America
to escape from poverty, and achieve
whatever our talents and hard work enable us to achieve.
There is a better way on national security.
Keeping Americans safe is one of the most important jobs
the federal government has, period.
We keep America safe by making America strong.
There is a better way on the economy.
We need to roll back burdensome federal regulations
and encourage innovation.
We need to make it easier
to invest, produce, and build in America,
and that requires a modern and transparent regulatory system.
We have to stop putting our faith in more government,
and instead restore our faith in
the greatest resource this nation has--
and that's the creativity and innovation of a free people.
There is a better way on the Constitution.
The government must uphold the Constitution
and work for the people, not the other way around.
We need to restore the balance of powers
in our federal government,
reform the rulemaking process,
check agency authority,
exercise the power of the purse,
and continue diligent oversight.
There is a better way on health care:
Wisconsinites and all Americans want health care reform
that improves accessibility, affordability, and outcomes--
and we can deliver that for them.
Rather than fixing what was broken in our health care system
Obamacare expanded broken government programs,
enhanced bureaucratic control, imposed mandates that
restricted choices and increased premiums.
We need to repeal Obamacare and replace it
with patient-centered solutions that keep
patients and doctors at the center of health care decisions.
Finally, there is a better way on tax reform.
We need to think fresh and bold in our approach to tax reform.
Our tax code needs to be simpler, fairer
and more competitive.
If we get it right,
we'll have a tax code that is built for growth:
growth of paychecks, growth of local businesses,
growth of jobs, and finally, growth of the economy.
The bottom line is this: there is a better way for our country.
I'm going to make clear what I stand for and what I will do
if elected in November.
And under my leadership,
Congress will be ready to put the policies in place
that are needed to save the American idea:
the notion that the condition of your birth
does not determine the outcome of your life.
It's a beautiful thing.
I respectfully ask that my employers rehire me
with their vote on November the 8th.
*
- Hello.
My name is Ryan Solen, and I am the Democratic candidate
running against Speaker of the House Paul Ryan
in the 1st Congressional District of Wisconsin.
I am not a typical political candidate.
I do not bring to the campaign
an extensive background in partisan politics.
Instead, I bring to the table
a perspective defined by the same struggles
faced by the average citizen and shaped by
my individual military service in the United States Army,
life experience as a married father of four,
a career in cyber security,
and my education,
which includes a masters degree in international relations.
I know what it means to face today's world.
I understand what it's like
to worry about the future for my family,
as we attempt to meet the demands of life
because I live it every day,
just like the majority of working Americans.
In a very short timeframe, we will have the opportunity
to exercise our right to vote for our representatives,
along with many other offices throughout the country.
Like previous years, we are presented with candidates
arguing for our votes of confidence
in their abilities to represent and lead us.
The importance of electing the right people for office
can't be overstated.
It is indisputable that my opponent, Paul Ryan,
and our current group of elected officials,
are not as effective as they should be.
The people are guaranteed improvement,
only to find they are empty promises.
As a result, we have all dealt with the results
of gridlock, polarization, and stagnation
brought on by petty political rivalry.
Legislation passes not because it's the right decision,
but because it is loaded with inapplicable riders
and has the right political, corporate,
and special interest group backing.
Money from special interests freely flows into campaigns,
thus altering the political landscape
to the will of those of wealthier means.
This is not how the founders meant for the system to operate.
I'm running because I have a very different vision
of what this country could be.
I believe that we have every reason
to be optimistic about the future.
I believe that, as a country, the American people
are capable of being the example to the rest of the world
of what real liberty looks like.
The greatness of the United States is not found
in how much money we are able to generate
or in the collective violent might of our military forces.
Instead, the greatness of the United States
is found in the American idea-
the idea that all are created equal,
that we are capable of self-determination
and can all reach the full measure of our potential
and define our own future, as much as we are willing.
The country needs to move forward.
It is time we find ways to balance the federal budget.
We need to find ways to pay down
the debt we owe to other countries.
It is time for us, as a developed nation,
to accept that health care is a right
and implement it for all citizens.
We must invest in our schools
at the grade school level up through college.
The long-term outcomes of such investment
will result in much more than just a stronger economy,
but will bring with it new advances
in health, culture, and technology.
Most importantly, I am calling for bipartisan work.
It is not acceptable to put the party ahead of the people,
like my opponent has done.
It is time to remove obstructionists
whose only concern is the power they can maintain.
They have become the metaphorical cancer
that has spread unchecked until now.
This election, we have an opportunity to change that.
I will represent Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District
the way it is supposed to be represented.
I will serve the people first.
I will bring real progress to Washington.
On November 8th, vote for me, Ryan Solen,
so you and your family will have a stronger future.
*
- I'm Peter Theron.
I'm running for Congress
to correct the course of our country.
Like you, I'm concerned about the future of America.
That is why I ran in 2014
and am deeply grateful tens of thousands of you supported me.
I live in Madison, where I teach mathematics and statistics.
I am married to a wonderful woman,
who luckily likes math too.
My B.A. in statistics comes from Princeton University
and my PhD in Mathematics from UW here in Madison.
I have question for you.
Are you better off than you were eight years ago?
Eight years ago gasoline was $1.79 a gallon,
our debt was $10 trillion,
and our labor force participation rate was 66%.
Now gas is over $2 a gallon,
our debt is almost $20 trillion, and our labor force
participation rate has dropped so much
that 94 million Americans have given up looking for work.
Eight years ago if you liked your health plan,
you could keep your plan, and your doctor.
The President and the Democrats promised that
nothing would change.
Instead, most of us have had to accept unwanted changes
to our health insurance and health care providers.
The Affordable Care Act is wasting our money
and shrinking our health plans.
In the last 8 years,
the world has become a more dangerous place.
North Korea has nuclear weapons
and is working on ballistic missiles.
Iran has ballistic missiles and is working on nuclear weapons.
Iraq has become unstable.
Libya and Syria have descended into chaos.
Russia and China are threatening their neighbors.
Homegrown Islamic Terrorists have attacked America.
And our armed forces have been shrunk to a size
not seen since Sunday, December 7th, 1941
when the sun rose over Pearl Harbor.
As a mathematician, I know this doesn't add up.
What do you think?
What do we do about it?
Our first priority is to unleash our economy.
Federal overspending, over-regulation,
and a welfare-not-work emphasis are holding us back.
We need healthy job creators
and good jobs for all who want them.
The second task is to repeal Obamacare.
It is weighing down our economy
and wrecking our health care system.
We can revolutionize health care by encouraging interstate
competition, customizing insurance plans,
expanding personal health savings accounts,
and fixing Medicare and Medicaid.
Our critical third goal
is to restore and strengthen our military.
The world has always been a dangerous place.
American power used to keep those dangers at bay.
As every child in the schoolyard knows,
strength does not provoke bullies.
Weakness does.
So, no nuclear Iran.
Work to defang North Korea.
Stop Russian and Chinese adventurism.
Destroy ISIS and terrorist networks everywhere.
And finally, we need to secure our borders
and enforce our laws.
We need to stop the flood of illegal aliens who are
compromising our national security and our public health.
We have to streamline how we process visas
while modernizing the criteria for citizenship.
This will not only help those who want to enter this country
lawfully, but also will ensure we keep out
those who intend to do us harm.
Do you feel America is on the wrong track?
We have had a Democrat in Congress here since 1998.
It's time for a change.
If you support me for Congress, together,
we'll get America back on the right track
so you can pursue your dreams.
May God bless you
and may God bless the United States of America.
*
- Hi, I'm Mark Pocan.
I'm running for Congress
in the 2nd Congressional District in Wisconsin.
I've had the pleasure of serving the people
of the 2nd Congressional District
for the last three and a half years.
Our district is comprised of Dane County,
Green County, half of Rock County,
Lafayette County, Iowa County, Sauk County,
and a little corner of Richland County.
It's a pleasure and an honor to serve the people
of the 2nd District in the United States Congress
serving in Washington, D.C.
Certainly these have been difficult times in Washington.
We have had a very hard time of seeing bills pass.
You can't get a budget passed.
We haven't had the appropriations process.
And we really haven't addressed things like Zika funding,
and we haven't addressed the Flint water crisis,
and we haven't dealt with gun violence, and on and on.
And part of what I'm trying to do in my time in Congress
is to find out how we can find bipartisan solutions
to get things done.
I think the one thing that everyone expects from us
is that we should be able to find out
at least what we have in common,
get those things done, move them forward,
and then we can work out the other things.
But if you don't even have that relationship,
it's very difficult to do.
One of the things I've had very good fortune about
is that Reid Ribble, who represents
the northeastern part of Wisconsin, a Republican,
and I have gone around the state
talking about bipartisan solutions,
how to get things done by working with each other
even though you may not agree on everything.
The bottom line is people expect us to get something done.
And right now Congress certainly isn't doing that.
I think the approval rating of Congress is about 13%.
I like the polls
where people prefer traffic jams and head lice and zombies.
I think the only thing we out-poll is the Ebola virus.
Well, there's good reason.
Because Congress simply isn't getting things done
under the current majority.
The Tea Party has stopped the workings of Congress.
10% of Congress is able to veto
what 90% of us would like to move ahead with.
And until that changes,
we're gonna continue having some of these problems.
In the meantime, I'm gonna keep reaching out
to try to reach out across the aisle,
find out where we can find solutions,
try to find those things we have in common,
and get those things done.
The economy's largely come back since the crash of 2008.
But unfortunately, while the stock market is up
and unemployment is down and productivity is up,
wages have been relatively flat.
We need to do everything we can
to help address issues like that.
I've also been very active in opposing
the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal,
a deal that will cost us more jobs here in the United States
and keep our wages even more depressed.
And I've also been trying to work
on a variety of other issues in higher education.
Serving on the Education and Workforce Committee,
I've been fortunate to have a couple bills
make it through Congress
dealing specifically with financial aid.
But we need to do everything we can to make it
so that anyone who's smart enough and capable enough
should be able to attend a higher educational institution
and not blocked simply because they can't afford it.
We've got a lot of work to do in Washington.
I'm gonna do my very best to continue that work
if people of the 2nd District have decided
that they want to allow me to continue serving.
That would be a great honor,
and I would really appreciate everyone's vote
on November 8th.
I will do my very best to try to work together
with as many people to move things forward
and finally get something done in Congress.
So thank you so much,
and I really would appreciate your vote on November 8th.
*
- Hello.
Thank you for taking the time this evening to hear me out.
And thank you to Wisconsin Public Television
for providing this venue.
My name's Andy Craig and I'm the Libertarian candidate
for House of Representatives
in Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District,
covering the city of Milwaukee
and some of the suburbs in Milwaukee County.
This is an election where the two-party system
would've denied you a choice.
Gerrymandered into safe red seats and safe blue seats,
Republicans have written off Milwaukee
as not worth contesting.
And as a consequence, our incumbent has written off
Milwaukee voters as not worth representing.
Right now, our Congress is 100% controlled by two parties,
both of which have miserably failed.
This bipolar system is exactly what George Washington
warned against in his farewell address.
The alternate domination of one faction over the other,
leading to such miseries and disorders
that it paves the way for demagogues
and tyrants to seize power.
Most Americans are not Republicans or Democrats.
And yet these millions of citizens are unrepresented
in the decisions made in Washington.
It's time to break the two-party stranglehold
on our government that is tearing the nation apart
and which has presented us with such unacceptable choices
for president in this election.
I stand in this election as the candidate
of America's third-largest
and fastest growing political party: the Libertarians.
Like every other political party,
the Libertarian party is far from perfect.
We have our share of disagreements and discord
and, when justified, I have not hesitated to speak out
when I feel my party is on the wrong track.
But I'm a Libertarian because, like so many of you,
my views are not an option in the false choice
of conservative Republicans versus progressive Democrats.
I believe that Milwaukee is a city that is dying for change.
I believe that all persons have the right
to make choices in their own lives
so long as these choices do not harm others.
I believe that Milwaukee's a city
built on trade and immigration, a city with the potential
to be so much more than the divisiveness and poverty
with which we are all so sadly familiar.
I believe that our never-ending wars overseas
have been an unmitigated disaster.
And I'm sick of the hypocrisy that opposes these wars
in Congress only when the other party is in the White House.
I believe that our government has a moral obligation
to keep the burden of taxation to a minimum,
to respect the fruits of your labor
and leave as much money as possible in your hands
to spend on your own life while still attending
to the necessary and proper duties of government.
I believe that criminal justice reform
and an end to mass incarceration are not mere options.
They are imperatives and must be the top priority
for any representative of Milwaukee.
I believe that victimless crimes
have no place in our justice system
and that matters like simple possession are no basis
to separate a citizen from their family
and punish them as a criminal.
I believe in defending all of your freedoms,
all of the time.
And I'm not alone.
Millions of Americans are joining us
and supporting the candidacy
of the Libertarian presidential candidate,
Governor Gary Johnson.
I'm proud to be part of the movement that has offered
this desperately needed alternative
to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
And I was thrilled when so many of you joined us
at Serb Hall to welcome Governor Johnson to Milwaukee.
We have a long way to go to undo all the damage
Republicans and Democrats have done to America.
But there's no better time to start than now
in this election.
I'm asking for your vote and your support in November.
If you're satisfied with the status quo,
Gwen Moore provides that option.
But if you're sick of these abuses,
please vote for me on November 8th.
Thank you.
*
- Thank you.
My name is Khary Penebaker.
I am the Democratic nominee
in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District.
My policies are detailed on my website,
Kharyforcongress.com.
I want to talk about why I needed to run.
The 5th District is my home,
and I want my neighbors
to have a true representative in Washington,
someone who knows their tribulations
and has not forgotten his work ethic.
I'm running because the federal government
could support education in our state.
I'm running because Congress could make streets
and homes safer for all Americans.
I'm running to change our government
into a force that creates more and better jobs
for all of our children.
Now, you may remember when my opponent
first became a congressman,
during the Carter administration.
Now, as a young man of nearly 40,
I don't personally remember that.
For over a decade,
from the first orbit of the space shuttle,
through to the fall of the Berlin Wall,
he was one of the most praise-worthy men in Washington,
but by the time I made it to high school,
he had learned that all he needed to do
was simply show up and he would be declared a winner.
Today, my opponent is one
of the most senior members of Congress,
a mentor to both Mike Pence and Paul Ryan,
yet he is one of the least successful
at getting meaningful things accomplished.
As a president of a local commercial roofing company,
I know what hard work means.
Unlike Washington politicians who talk about job creation,
like it requires some kind of mystical incantation,
I know what making a job for someone actually involves.
Managing a payroll,
hiring skilled employees and training up workers,
getting the project done on time and within budget,
that's how I create jobs.
When I talk to voters, I hear them say
that we need more and better jobs.
I also hear their anger.
Some are angry about the hate and fear
the Republican party now chooses
to direct towards them.
Some are angry that the Republican party
has betrayed them after all of their years of support.
We should be having a conversation
about the meaning of the American Dream
and what help veterans, parents, and others
seeking a return to paid work
need to take their ideas
from the kitchen table
to the warehouse floor.
We should be talking about incomes and education,
about the right to be free from the fear of violence.
I've asked my opponent
to join me in that conversation.
I've challenged him to a debate.
But instead, he devotes himself to shameful
fund-raising tactics,
telling his supporters that they are deplorable
and that they should be proud of it.
Election Day is on November 8,
and I want your vote.
Like many politicians in other districts,
I've spent this year working hard to earn your vote,
and I promise that in Washington,
I will work every single day like a man
who is still working to earn your vote.
I am Khary Penebaker.
My website is
Kharyforcongress.com.
You are about to cast a historic ballot,
and I am honored by the chance to be a part of that.
I believe you will vote for progress.
You will vote to make a better country.
You will vote to make this a better place
to live and to work.
Thank you, and I'll see you at the polls.
- Hi, my name is John Arndt.
I am the Libertarian candidate
for the 5th Congressional District, which is a seat
that is currently held by Jim Sensenbrenner.
Jim Sensenbrenner has been in office
since 1979.
I've never run for public office,
nor have I held public office.
But the reason that I'm running is
I believe the federal government spends too much money,
taxes too much, and wastes too much.
I am a veteran of the United States Army.
I served in Germany from 1984 to 1987.
That's where I met my wife Sylvia,
whom I've been married to for the past 30 years.
I am the father of three daughters.
And I have been a Certified Public Accountant since 1992.
I have ran my own practice
since 2003,
and I specialize in auditing companies
that receive government funding.
I believe in repealing the federal income tax.
And I am a strong proponent of
protecting the Second Amendment
and protecting our rights to keep and bear arms.
I believe that participation
in Social Security and Medicare should be optional
and that we don't get a fair exchange for the dollars
that we send to Washington in terms of the FICA tax.
If a family would start investing 15.3%
of the median household income at age 20
and kept investing that same amount until age 65,
by the time they would reach retirement,
they would have a portfolio worth $1.9 million.
And that is just investing in the S&P 500.
That's a far better exchange
than what the federal government is currently giving us.
I believe that we should have a balanced budget amendment,
that Congress should be prohibited
from spending more money than it takes in.
I believe that we should keep our dollars,
our tax dollars, here in Wisconsin
where we have more control over how that money is spent
and how we are taxed.
I believe in ending the war on drugs,
that the war on drugs is really a war on people.
I believe in ending the war on terror
and that each stray bomb that kills an innocent person
or an innocent civilian or child,
that creates new terrorists that make us less safe.
If elected, I will take no compensation.
I will continue to run my accounting practice
if I get sent to Washington.
I believe that we need term limits
and that we should not have career politicians.
I think that career politicians are the reason
that we have excessive federal spending
and the reason that we have excessive waste.
They are constantly campaigning, constantly making promises,
and it's something that needs to change.
Most of my political philosophy
is based on the beliefs of Ron Paul and Milton Friedman.
They are my heroes.
And if you believe in the same type of change as I do,
then I am the right choice on November 8th.
And I thank you for
your vote in advance.
Thank you.
Hi there.
I'm Jeff Dahlke, Independent candidate for U.S. Congress
in Wisconsin's District 6.
I'm running as an independent
because I feel the two-party system is broken.
The two major parties are both controlled
by the same corporations and the same special interest groups.
I am not a career politician.
I grew up on a small dairy farm.
I chose a career in construction and I worked hard
and I moved up into management roles.
Currently, I work for Guntert and Zimmerman
as a global service technician.
It's a job that has let me travel all over the world
to places like Indonesia, Russia, Australia, and China.
This world travel has given me a new perspective
on the problems facing this country.
I feel I need to do my part to help fix things
so that our children and our grandchildren
will grow up in a better world.
District 6 has both rural and industrial areas.
My background in farming and industry puts me in a unique
position to understand all of the people in the district.
Our government is filled with establishment cronies.
They no longer represent the people.
Almost 40% of the Congress is lawyers.
That's a group of people
that make up less than one half of 1% of the U.S. population.
Most of our laws now are written by lobbyists.
No wonder things are such a mess.
Congress needs more boots and less suits.
We need more people willing to dig in, get their hands dirty.
People who understand
what it's like to work hard and get things done.
My father retired from a union.
And my son and I, we're both union members.
So I know the benefits of the unions and I also understand
they have their problems to fix in their own house.
Bad trade deals have robbed Wisconsin and the country
of millions of good paying jobs, while bad economic policies
have sent companies out of the country and the state.
The current congressmen, Glenn Grothman,
is owned by his party and big donors,
like the Koch brothers and Lockheed Martin.
If we're going take our country back,
it starts with adding term limits,
reforming our campaign finance system
and getting rid of the corruption in politics.
My campaign has mostly been self-funded and supported
with a small number of individual contributions.
Because I'm an independent,
I won't have to vote the party line.
So I can do what's best for the people.
Not what's best for the party.
When I'm in office, I will work
to eliminate corporate welfare and tax loopholes.
It's time to take care of common America, not corporate America.
And we need to put in place a much simpler tax system
for everyone to pay their fair share.
I will also work to get rid of the billions of dollars
in subsidies we pay out to big oil and big pharma.
I will uphold and defend the Constitution,
including the Second Amendment,
and protect Americans right to privacy.
The government has absolutely
no place in your bedroom and your bathroom.
I will vote to protect Social Security for all citizens.
Take care of our military
and improve services for our veterans.
I will work to fix our education system.
Return control to local communities
and get rid of Common Core.
I will work to overhaul the health care system
just to make it affordable for everyone.
I will help get rid of waste, fraud and abuse in government,
and reform the criminal justice system.
I will work with both parties.
I am not afraid to call out anyone who is not cooperating.
I've done that my whole life.
I am Jeff Dahlke, a farmer, a construction worker,
a father and a grandfather.
With your vote in November,
we can send more boots to shake things up in Washington.
With your help, I will be your next congressman.
To learn more about my campaign and stance on the issues
or to make a donation, please visit my website at
www.jeffdahlkeforcongress.com
or you can find me on Facebook
"Jeff Dahlke for Congress."
Thank you.
* *
Hello, My name is Sarah Lloyd.
I'm running for Congress in the 6th Congressional District.
I am running as a Democrat.
My husband and I dairy farm outside the Wisconsin Dells
in Columbia County.
And I work off the farm for the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the
Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative.
In this work, I build better markets for farmers and bring
farmers and consumers closer together.
I've served on the Columbia County Board.
I currently sit on the National Dairy Board.
And I am a UW-Madison graduate.
I am running for Congress because our economy has been
rigged and our democracy is being stolen.
And it's time for us to take it back.
In Congress,I will work to build our infrastructure by bringing
resources back to the 6th Congressional District so that
we can have good quality roads.
We can build out our rail system so it works well for freight and
for passenger rail.
And let's make sure that everyone has access to
high-speed broadband Internet.
As a dairy farmer, a small business owner,
I currently don't have access to high-speed broadband
and it's impacting my business.
And this is a drag on our economy across the district.
Let's make sure we're investing in quality public education from
pre-K all the way to college and university, 2 year, 4 year,
technical colleges.
There must be a debt-free option for public universities.
And let's make sure people can refinance their college loans.
We need to invest in renewables.
We're on a dead-end path of a fossil fuel based economy and
we need to break free of that.
Health care is important and it's also causing problems in
the economy for families, for communities.
People are getting stuck in coverage gaps.
And prescription drug prices are skyrocketing.
Let's take the Affordable Care Act
and improve it, and work with it, and make it better.
Also I will protect Social Security in Congress.
We can do all of these things by making sure that everyone's
paying their fair share of taxes.
We need to close tax loopholes.
And for Social Security we can lift the cap on Social Security.
I'm gonna take a second to talk specifically about agriculture.
Agriculture is fundamental to Wisconsin,
to our landscape, to our economy.
And right now the ag economy is not working for family farmers
and not working for consumers.
For farmers, we're struggling.
We're faced with the idea
that we either have to get big or get out.
And this is in part due to high levels of concentration
and monopoly power
in the agribusiness and food systems sectors.
And we need to break through that and the Department of
Justice needs to do its job.
And I will be an advocate for this.
We need to make sure that from farmers to eaters that we have
good prices for farmers and good prices for eaters.
I need workers to make good wages so that they can afford to
buy my dairy products at a good price.
That's the way our economy works.
And I will work to make sure that that will happen.
I hope that you will join me.
We also need to make sure that we are protecting soil health
and clean water in every part of our economy and our community.
This is essential.
Let's do this together.
Let's take back the economy and the democracy.
Please check my website lloydforwisconsin.com.
L-L-O-Y-D f-o-r Wisconsin dot com.
Thank you.
*
I'm Glenn Grothman and I'm running for re-election
for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.
The biggest cities in that district
are Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and Neenah.
The district goes from Lake Michigan
all the way over to Wisconsin Dells.
I'm running for a variety of reasons.
The first reason I'd like re-election is I think we have
to spend more time addressing the dependency culture that
the federal welfare programs have created in our country.
We are creating a situation in which we may give
a single parent $30,000 more in benefits than they would get
if they got married to somebody with a standard job.
We have to look at the FoodShare program,
the Earned Income Tax Credit, the low income housing
and adjust all these programs to stop these harmful incentives.
The number of people on FoodShare itself has gone up
from 17 million to over 40 million in the last 16 years
which is an indication of the number of people whose lives
are now dependent on what I'll call the welfare lifestyle.
We certainly have to help the people who are most needy,
but by adding work requirements and adding drug testing,
we can make sure that this is not becoming
an unnecessary way of life for these people.
Not only is it harmful for them
that they are not realizing their full potential,
but we have too many parents
providing a bad example for their children.
And this is eating away at the moral fabric of America.
The second thing we have to look at is the border situation.
Right now presidents of both parties,
Barack Obama and George Bush have not done--
and, quite frankly, Bill Clinton--
have not done a good job of enforcing our borders.
I've sat at a committee in which we heard testimony
from the border patrol.
And they are very disgusted by the fact that
people can try again and again to come across the border.
They're turned around to go back,
only to find them trying to sneak across again a week later.
This has got to change.
One way we can do this is we can begin to kick out people
who are here who've committed serious crimes and felonies.
Right now, our federal government has not been anywhere
near aggressive enough in removing people
who have committed felonies
after they leave the federal prisons.
We also have not been aggressive enough in
dealing with foreign countries
who do not take back people who commit crimes.
We have the ability to withhold visas from these countries.
And if we do, I think it would be very effective.
Right now, Barack Obama has not used that tool like he should.
The third thing I think we have to look at
is the huge amount of government debt.
I think it's a way that
I am distinguished from my primary candidate.
We cannot do things like Hillary Clinton wants
with free college education for so many more people.
When you're that in debt, the time has come
to look at old programs and try to get rid of some of them,
reduce them, not add a new expensive program.
I have established a record as someone who is
willing to vote no on the individual appropriation bills
or amendments to the appropriation bills
to try to get that debt out of control.
It is very harmful to the younger generation
to leave them with that amount of debt.
And I stand ready to fight Hillary Clinton
if she does try to give free college to almost everybody.
The next thing I'd like to look at is jobs.
We have to do a better job with our federal programs of spending
money, giving people skills in like the trades or manufacturing
where we have shortages of the number of people.
And then the Education Committee which I'm on,
I think I've done a good job
of trying to direct funds towards those sort of things.
Finally, heroin is a big problem in this state.
I don't think the federal government is doing enough job
either on the borders or penalties for people,
particularly if they are dealing in heroin.
So these are the five primary reasons why I'm running.
I think I've established a good record in Washington
getting to know a lot of people and I'm well-respected.
I'd like to ask for your vote on November 8th
in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.
Thank you.
*
Hi, I'm Sean Duffy.
I have the privilege of representing Central, Northern,
and Western Wisconsin for the last six years
as your congressman.
I was born and raised up in Hayward.
And for the last several years,
I lived with my wife Rachel, and our eight kids, in Wausau.
It has been an honor and privilege to go to Washington
and fight on your behalf.
Big things we fight for.
Over the last eight years, we've seen a lackluster economy
that coincided with the Great Recession.
But also it's also come with
massive new rules and regulations from government
and new taxes that have come from government.
And those new rules and regulations, it makes it
incredibly difficult for small businesses to expand and grow
and create more opportunities in our community
because they spend so much time dealing with
the new government rules and regulations.
And the uncertainty that comes from those rules, makes those
businesses lock up and not expand, which means there's not
new jobs for our families.
Our tax code is driving our businesses overseas because
other countries and other places in the world have a far more
competitive tax code.
We've got to transform our tax code
and make us more competitive,
which means more prosperity
for our Wisconsin and American families.
I serve on the Financial Services Committee.
I'm fighting to make sure
the rules that are made for Wall Street aren't being imposed
on our small community banks and credit unions.
This is the very lifeline for small business.
Whether it's just starting up or it wants to expand
or a family that wants to buy a new house or redo their kitchen.
If small community banks and credit unions don't work because
of all these new rules and regulations, they can't serve
the community and the economics of the community suffer.
So I'm pushing back, fighting back to make sure they work
so our communities work can thrive and grow.
Our veterans.
We've seen in the VA system that so many Americans
who have fought for liberty and freedom.
They come home and the promise that was made to them
isn't being met.
They're not getting all the time, quality care
in the VA system.
And we need to make sure that if they don't get that care or they
can't get that appointment, they can opt out and they can get
health care coverage in their own communities by their own
family doctors if they can't get that care in the VA system.
We need to fight for them just like they fought for us.
And then a look at foreign policy.
Specifically, look at what's happened with ISIS.
They didn't exist seven years ago.
A vacuum was created
when all of our troops were withdrawn from Iraq.
This cancer has grown, expanded
and inspired people around the world.
Here in United States, as well,
where people are taking up arms and killing innocent people.
We have to fight as a country to eradicate this threat.
To destroy them so we bring better peace to the Middle East,
but also bring peace to us right here at home.
We've had a rise of China and Russia,
but more specifically I'm concerned about Iran.
There was an Iran nuclear deal that was put together.
I think it's gonna make it easier
for Iran to get a nuclear weapon.
But what's more important is the President just send
$1.7 billion to the Iranian government.
$400 million was their money.
$1.3 billion was your money, taxpayer money that was sent
to Iran, the lead sponsor of terrorism in the world.
On financial services,
I'm fighting and pushing back on terror financing.
And we are going to expose what's happened
and try to make sure that Iran can't use that money
to fund terrorism and terrorists around the Middle East.
Again, I'm Sean Duffy.
It's been an honor and a privilege to serve you.
I ask for your vote on November 8th.
*
- My name is Mary Hoeft and I am running for U.S. Congress
in the 7th Congressional District to serve you.
I have two children.
I have a daughter, Kelly, who is a police officer in Madison.
My son,Ryan,was a police officer in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Ryan died in service to the people of St. Louis Park.
I'm the daughter of a factory worker.
My dad worked at the Neenah Foundry.
One morning, as he was driving to work,
he was killed in a tragic car accident.
On that same day,
my dad was running for president of his union.
We received a phone call that night,
a very bittersweet phone call,
saying that my dad had won the election.
I was only 11 years old at the time,
but Dad had planted a union bug so firmly in my soul that
nothing that happens in this state will ever weaken that bug.
My mom was homemaker.
Raising my brother and me without my dad,
without her best friend and without his financial support,
was very difficult.
But thank goodness for Social Security.
It kept our heads above water.
It kept us from poverty.
But my opponent, Sean Duffy,
has voted repeatedly to privatize Social Security.
What does that mean?
It means that Wall Street can gamble with and perhaps lose
the money that our seniors depend upon for their survival
in retirement.
I will never support privatization of Social Security
but I will fight to strengthen Social Security.
You deserve that.
I'm a university professor.
I teach Communication Arts and French.
I've designed and taught courses like:
"Finding Your International Political Voice,
Creativity and Problem-solving."
I've written workbooks on how to get along with each other.
So I will bring to Congress the tools that are needed
to break the gridlock that we see right now.
Where politicians are so busy,
locked into their world view and fighting each other
that they are not serving you, the people of our country.
You deserve better.
I've never been a politician.
I've been someone who works for compromise
and that's what I'll do for you.
My opponent Sean Duffy has turned his back
on the people of the 7th Congressional District.
And his attention is on Wall Street, on the top 1%,
the wealthiest in our country.
He chairs a banking oversight committee.
And yet found it in his heart of hearts
to accept $400,000 in political contributions from bankers.
Does anyone think that's wrong besides me?
There's something very wrong about that.
Not only has he done that,
but right now, he has aligned himself
very closely with Donald Trump.
Dozens of GOP security experts are saying
that Donald Trump poses a threat to our country's security.
Sean Duffy is not acting in the best interest
of the people of the 7th Congressional District.
A vote for me, Mary Hoeft, on November 8th
is a guarantee that your voice will be important
and will be heard in Congress.
I thank you.
* *
- I'm Tom Nelson, and I'm running for Congress
because it's time we put hardworking Wisconsinites
ahead of corporate special interests.
I know that Washington is broken,
stopping us from passing policies
that will help the middle class,
but I believe that the only way to fix Washington
is by sending someone there with the experience of bringing
both Democrats and Republicans together to get things done.
Throughout my time as County Executive, I have worked with
a County Board of differing ideologies and perspectives.
But for the past 6 years,
we have passed balanced budgets that keep taxes low and
puts the priorities of Northeast Wisconsin citizens first.
I will take that same approach to Congress.
I'll work with anyone, regardless of party,
who shares my commitment to growing the middle class.
In this race, there is a clear choice on some key issues.
First, we need to protect and strengthen Social Security,
both for today's seniors and future generations.
I am opposed to any attempt to cut benefits.
I'll fight against raising the retirement age,
reducing benefits by changing the cost of living adjustment,
or any scheme to privatize the system.
I believe that we can strengthen this important program
by making the wealthy and ultra-rich pay their fair share.
When I knock on doors and talk with voters,
most are surprised to learn the wealthy only
pay Social Security taxes on a small share of their income.
That's wrong.
I'll work to make sure the system is more fair while
at the same time, ensuring it is around for future generations.
I also believe that, at a time of record income inequality,
we must do more to help working families.
That means raising the minimum wage.
Today, the big corporations
and Wall Street bankers are doing just fine, but hardworking
men and women in Northeast Wisconsin are struggling.
I don't think people can survive
on $7.25 an hour minimum wage,
and in Congress, I will join the fight to raise the minimum wage.
Finally, we need a member of Congress
who will oppose trade deals that are bad for Wisconsin.
We've seen firsthand the damage unfair trade deals
have had on and industry and workers in our region.
When the NewPage Mill in Kimberly closed,
I did all that I could to hold the company accountable
and secure new jobs for the displaced workers.
We don't need to guess about the impact
multinational trade agreements will have on this country.
We can see the result from NAFTA.
Thousands of good-paying manufacturing jobs
were shipped overseas.
We can't take that risk again.
Above all else, this district deserves someone who understands
the issues that the people in Northeast Wisconsin face.
Someone who has a deep connection with the area
and who has seen this region grow and thrive.
But we also need someone who knows that
policies that might be good for Washington
might not be good for Northeast Wisconsin.
My dad was a Lutheran Pastor who started churches
in Combined Locks and Sherwood many years ago.
I remember going door to door with my father,
inviting people to join our church.
At a young age,
I learned the importance of service to my community.
My father found his calling in the ministry,
I found mine in public service.
I'm running for Congress
to serve the people of Northeast Wisconsin.
My wife Maria and I are reminded everyday
by our two young children, Mary and George,
why this race is so important.
When I look at them and all the children in Northeast Wisconsin,
I know that we need to put partisan politics aside
and finally get things done to help the middle class.
I'm Tom Nelson.
I thank you for your time and attention,
and I ask you for your vote on November 8th.
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- Hi, I'm Mike Gallagher and I'm running to represent
the people of Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District.
I was born in Green Bay into a big Irish Catholic family
that first came to Northeast Wisconsin in 1845.
I grew up bussing tables at my family's restaurant
and delivering pizza to the Packer locker room, as a kid.
My family, community, and the values of Northeast Wisconsin
have shaped me into who I am today, and instilled in me a
respect for hard work, faith in God, and service to country.
I joined the Marine Corps the day I graduated from college
to pay back a debt I felt I owed
to this community, this state, and this country.
In my seven years on active duty
and during two combat deployments to Iraq,
I saw young men and women from across this country
do incredible things,
working together to accomplish the mission
in spite of the odds.
My last deployment ended not on a battlefield,
but in a classroom,
passing out books and school supplies and soccer balls
to kids who couldn't even walk to school a year before
because it was too dangerous.
Now, here we were playing soccer together.
That's how much progress we made.
But then in the subsequent years, I saw career
politicians flush all our hard-won gains down the drain.
Consider the fact that the town in Iraq that I deployed to
is now under ISIS control.
That's how far we've fallen in just eight years
because we have failed to lead abroad, we are no longer safe
here at home, not even here in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, the source of our country's strength--the strength
of our communities and our economy--is slowly slipping away
because of a lack of leadership and moral courage from
bureaucrats and politicians who quite honestly care more about
their careers and paychecks, and getting re-elected
than they do about working for We the People.
I know first-hand that the good people of Wisconsin are sick
and tired of these career politicians, like my opponent,
who have raised taxes, driven away good paying jobs,
and made it harder for working families to make ends meet.
Well, I'm proud to say
that I haven't spent my life in politics.
I've never run for office before because
I've spent most of my life in uniform fighting for my country.
Now I work in the private sector
at a small business in Green Bay.
I know how hard Wisconsinites work every day
just to provide for their families
only to have government get in the way.
Only to have some career politician
make it harder for them to get by.
By the way, aren't we tired of this same crop
of career politicians coming to us every two years
and saying that they're going to solve all their problems?
Well, I believe that our problems are best solved
from the bottom up, working together,
and that we can and we must do better.
And while I'm not here to tell you that I can solve
all your problems, I will fight
to get government off your back and out of your wallets,
and to lower taxes on Wisconsin families.
I will fight to reign in
an out-of-control regulatory environment
that is destroying manufacturing in this state,
and stealing wages from hard-working families.
I will fight to protect Social Security and ensure we honor
our promises to our nation's seniors.
Above all, I will fight to keep the country safe
because protecting the homeland
is the first and foremost duty of the federal government.
Because ten years ago, I swore an oath to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States.
That is the same oath your next Congressman will take-
and my devotion to this oath did not end
when I took off my uniform.
And that's why I can't sit on the sidelines.
I feel compelled to step up and serve
because in these difficult times
we need leaders, not politicians.
Leaders who will put service to country
ahead of selfish ambition,
who will work tirelessly to solve problems
rather than punting them to the next generation.
We need leaders
who will treat public office like a deployment,
not like a career.
And so, if you give me the honor of your vote on November 8th,
that is exactly what I will do.
And I will never stop fighting on behalf of the 8th District,
your families, and in defense of our country.
Thank you.
- In addition to the candidate statements you've just seen,
again this year, Wisconsin Public Television will provide
a forum for political news and analysis on our
Friday night news and public affairs program, "Here and Now."
If you'd like more information
about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin
or elections in Wisconsin,
visit our election website WisconsinVote.org.
And remember to vote on November 8th.
Thank you.
*
- For more information on Wisconsin Public Television's
election coverage,
go to wisconsinvote.org.