2CSS202001HD_Candidate_Statement_Transcript
 
- Narrator: The following program is part of our Wisconsin Vote election coverage.  
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- Jon Miskowski: Hello, I'm Jon Miskowski, Director of PBS Wisconsin. One of the most important things that we do is to bring you timely information. That's especially true during the election years, and particularly true during this COVID-19 pandemic. Again this year, we are offering this platform for political candidates to speak directly to the people of Wisconsin. We've invited all Congressional candidates on the November 3rd ballot to make an unedited pre-taped statement on the topic of their choice. The order of appearance was chosen randomly. If you'd like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website, WisconsinVote.org. Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 3rd, and thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin.  
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- Roger Polack: Hi, I'm Roger Polack, and I'm a Democrat running for Congress in Wisconsin's 1st District. Our country is in the middle of a crisis. The Coronavirus pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 210,000 Americans, and millions of working-class families are struggling with unemployment in this unstable economy. Where is the leadership? We're told that in moments of crisis, leaders rise, but where do we see that? President Trump and his enablers in Congress, like my opponent Bryan Steil, have been too busy pointing the finger than to seize their positions of leadership to steer us through this crisis. On the other hand, I have a background and set of experiences that has prepared me to meet this moment. I remember as a kid, seeing my mom late at night, having just worked a double shift. She'd be sat at the kitchen table, crunching numbers on how to pay rent and how to have money to pay for my dad's medical expenses. Too many politicians don't know what it's like being in a family that's living paycheck to paycheck. So while many politicians have no problem bailing out giant corporations, they shut the door on helping hardworking families make ends meet. The status quo is working for the special interests and those at the very top, but it's not working for families like the one I grew up in right here in Racine. And so, I believe now, more than ever, every American needs to step up and serve however they can. For me, that means personally working to kick the special interests out of our Congressional seat, and defeat a politician funded by those special interests who prioritize tax cuts for the wealthy, who has no plan for health insurance, supports cutting funding to public education, does not take this virus seriously, and constantly makes it harder for middle class Americans to get ahead. In office, Steil has taken over half a million dollars from corporate PACs. Now I'm proud and humble to have served our country, successfully attacking some of our most pressing foreign policy issues, serving under both Republican and Democratic presidents. The majority of my professional career has been devoted to public service. Serving as a civilian intelligence official confronting some of the hardest problems the United States has faced. From bankrupting terrorist organizations after 9/11, to countering corruption and insurgency while deployed to Afghanistan, to holding China's feet to the fire on investment issues and national security, and curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions, I worked with federal law enforcement officials on investigations to keep our country safe. Because of my humble beginnings, I also know the importance of community and the power of education to transform a life. I know firsthand what it's like to grow up in a poor family in this district. I vividly remember standing in line with my mom as a young boy, waiting for government cheese and powdered milk distributions in downtown Racine. My dad, who worked for J.I. Case on the line building tractors, and then, starting his own roofing company, struggled with severe mental health and addiction issues throughout my youth, which kept him out of work for long periods of time. And I'm a public school kid and proud graduate of University of Wisconsin- Madison. And I took night classes and worked to put myself through law school. Like so many Americans, I'm still paying off my college loans. In Congress, nothing will be more important to me than ensuring that my story is not a fluke, that working families have the same opportunities to reach their God-given potential, regardless of the struggles their families may face, just like I did. So it should be no surprise that my legislative priorities focus on principles that help families thrive and succeed. First off, we need a strong economic recovery from the harm the virus has caused. Whereas my opponent Bryan Steil calls helping families and small businesses that are struggling unfair, I believe we need to use the full power of the U.S. government to make sure people can make ends meet, and small businesses in our community can get back to work, get back on track. When the House voted on the first Coronavirus relief package, my opponent, Bryan Steil, voted against it. Working people are hurting right now so I believe it is important to work on continuing relief. Second, we must ensure that every American has access to quality affordable healthcare. It is absolutely a human right. I believe we accomplish this through building on the Affordable Care Act with a high-quality public option. My third priority is jobs. We need to bring back more family-supporting jobs into this district. If given the opportunity, Southeastern Wisconsinites can compete with anyone, anywhere and we have a strong track record of doing just that. I will champion infrastructure investment into Southeastern Wisconsin that positions us for the future, works to help our environment and creates large numbers of family-supporting jobs. I met my wife, Amanda, over 20 years ago at Horlick High School. We have two young children, Bennett and Fiona, and we're frankly concerned about the kind of world we're leaving for them. I wanna be a part of ensuring that we give the next generation a future full of opportunity, and that starts with changing the special interests control over this Congressional seat. Running to serve the people of Southeastern Wisconsin, has been a tremendous honor of mine, and I want to ask for your vote on November 3rd. Please vote for Roger Polack and please visit rogerforwisconsin.com to learn more. Thank you. 
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- Brian Steil: Hi, I'm Congressman Brian Steil. And for the past two years, it's been an honor to be your voice in Washington. I'm running for reelection as your representative for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, to get Wisconsin back to work, protect America's health, and keep our communities safe. I was born and raised in Janesville, and still live here today. Prior to being elected, I spent a decade in Southeast Wisconsin's manufacturing industry working to create jobs and support Wisconsin's workers. I understand the needs and priorities of our community because I live here. When I first ran for office two years ago, I promised to be available and accessible. I've kept that promise to meet with folks across our district and listen to you. In my first two years in office, I held 14 in-person town halls, numerous telephone town halls, and in-person forums focused on college affordability, children's mental health, and better trade deals for Wisconsin. I work to ensure those in need receive information and assistance from federal agencies. This has been a challenging year. The Coronavirus has impacted our health, our economy, and our way of life. I'm committed to keeping us safe, rebuilding our economy and getting our lives back. Southeast Wisconsin has seen its ups and downs before, but we've tackled each day head-out-- head-on, and come out stronger on the other side. I know we can do that today too. Getting workers back to work on our economy on the road to recovery is job number one. I want family-supporting jobs to continue coming to our area. I co-founded the Future of Work Caucus in Congress, bringing together Republicans and Democrats to focus on ensuring Wisconsin workers can benefit from current and future job needs. In my first year in office, I passed a bill through the House of Representatives that eliminates barriers so entrepreneurs can expand, invest, and hire workers. I'm committed to getting results. Supporting workers in Wisconsin also means we must strengthen the building blocks of our economy, like agriculture. I was proud to support Wisconsin's farmers and pass the improved trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. USMCA creates American jobs and provides greater opportunity for Wisconsin's dairy farmers. And as we've seen, we must ensure everyone feels safe, everyone. I'm fighting to ensure law enforcement has the funding and resources to protect us. Funding for body cameras and training shouldn't be a partisan issue. Defunding the police is a dangerous policy that will make our communities less safe. I back our men and women of law enforcement. I will always stand up for your First Amendment rights, but criminal destructive activity cannot be tolerated. When elected officials are dragging their feet, I called the president and asked him to provide federal assistance to Kenosha. He agreed. Federal law enforcement agents have worked hand in hand with local Kenosha authorities to restore public safety and end the violence. 2020 has been a tough year, but I'll continue working on your behalf to ensure we get workers back to work and build a safer, better, and brighter future for all. I'm Congressman Bryan Steil and I ask for your vote this November.  
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- Peter Theron: I'm Dr. Peter Theron. I'm running to represent Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District to solve problems and restore civility. People worry that impeachment, other partisan politics, name calling, have frayed our civil society, allowing our underlying problems to fester. I believe if we work together to solve real problems, our country will begin to heal. I live in Madison. I teach mathematics and statistics. I'm married to a wonderful woman who, luckily, likes math too. My B.A. in statistics comes from Princeton University. My Ph.D. in mathematics from UW, here in Madison. I love Wisconsin. In the last four years, our economy has boomed, raising incomes, especially among our poorest. In the world, Iran weakened, ISIS defeated, our military strong again, and much more. Our president was doing a great job. Then in January, there was panic. The initial predictions were dire. A flu new to America had exploded from one case to thousands. Critically-ill people flooded our hospitals. We went on red alert. We didn't know what we didn't know. Flatten the curve, slow the spread, build ventilators, make PPE, do more testing, wear masks, stay home, lock down the economy. Now, it's been seven months. Hospitalizations are way down. Drug treatments such as Hydroxychloroquine have been shown to be very effective. Weekly death counts have dropped dramatically. The emergency is over. It's time for sensible policies for our economy, our schools, and our lives. In addition to the public health emergency, we've had over three months of rioting, led by Democrat radicals who flood into our cities at the slightest provocation. In Kenosha, 102 of 175 arrested were from out of town. When confronted, Democratic mayors and governors blame the president's harsh rhetoric. But it was the Democrats who led disorderly demonstrations on inauguration day 2017, who spent three years on partisan investigations leading to a failed impeachment, who make up a new political crisis every week. Democrats have superheated our politics since January 2017. They only regret it now because Dem-- Americans have turned against them. September 1st, President Trump visited Kenosha to view the destruction left by the riots and hear from local leaders. One of those leaders was 1st Congressional District Representative Bryan Steil. When the rioting started in Kenosha, Governor Evers showed no leadership, chastised the police and refused to call for federal aid. Congressmen Steil, on the other hand, denounced the violence, called the White House, and connected local leaders with the president. When the National Guard arrived, the riots, looting, and arson stopped. Madison endured riots. Our 2nd District incumbent Congressman was silent. No statement denouncing the violence, no action, no leadership. We deserve better. When our president has done a great job on Capitol Hill, Congress isn't pulling its weight. I wanna change that. I'm Dr. Peter Theron. Let's restore America together and civility will return. Join me.  
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- Mark Pocan: Hi, everybody. I'm Congressman Mark Pocan, representing the 2nd Congressional District of Wisconsin. It's been an honor to serve people in the 2nd Congressional District since I was elected in 2012. I currently serve on the Appropriations Committee, the committee that-- we essentially do the spending for Congress by making sure that we prioritize our values by putting our money into programs that are important that really represent the best that we can do as a country and to make sure that we're supporting programs right here in Wisconsin. Things like University of Wisconsin, for example. It's been a real honor during this incredibly troubling period of time with COVID to represent you in Congress. The last six to eight months we have been operating Congress out of 7,500 different locations across the country. That's where members of Congress are, our staffs, all working out of home. It's been extremely difficult and different than we've ever experienced before. But we've need to do so much more to help people who are hurting right now during these times of COVID. People who've lost a job, at no fault of their own. Small businesses that have lost demand, at no fault of their own. The frontline workers who need the protections so that they can continue to take care of us, and make sure that they and their families don't get sick. We need to support our local and state governments that right now we are doing the testing and making sure that all the services, like contact tracing and other things, are getting done so that we can isolate people who are ill. We need to help the economy where it's been hit so hard. 100,000 small businesses have closed down just since the beginning of COVID and we need to take care of that and address that really quickly. We need to address health care. Too many people still don't have healthcare in a nation as great as ours. We need to address climate change. I support the Green New Deal. I think we need to put serious effort into making sure that we reverse the negative effects of climate change, whether it be the wildfires in the West or the hurricanes in the South. We clearly are seeing increased activity. And we can do it in a way that helps create jobs right here in the United States, good family-supporting jobs. We need to stand up for workers everywhere by strengthening their voices in their workplaces and supporting their ability to have a voice in their workplace. We need to address so many issues in this country, and it's been a really difficult year doing that, but I have really been very honored to be able to serve the people of the 2nd District. I would love to be able to continue to serve the people of the 2nd District. And if we do that, I really am looking forward to making sure that we stop COVID, have a vaccine that can be distributed widely, and get this thing to end as quickly as possible so we can get back to normal, which I think people are desperate to do. I want a Lake Perch fish fry with a Spotted Cow and friends more than just about anything right now, and it's one of those things that's really difficult to do. I think we also need to invest in our nation's infrastructure so that we can help create good-paying family-supporting jobs, but also fix the roads and bridges, the schools, the broadband, and so many other services that need help right now. Our water delivery systems. There's things that just need an investment that only government can do and we can do that by helping create good-paying jobs along the way. We need to address, as I mentioned, climate change. We have to address racial tensions in this country. There are many things that have to happen, and I am up for that in the next Congress to do that. I would be honored to have your support. I would be honored to have your vote. And I will commit to do everything I can to make sure that we're making, not just this country, but making the world a better place. We really have that capacity to do it. And I would so appreciate your support in the coming election.  
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-  Derrick Van Orden: Hi, this is Derrick Van Orden. I am the Republican candidate for U.S. Congress in Wisconsin's 3rd District. I'm a retired Navy SEAL and I'm running for Congress because I believe in the American dream. And once you hear my story, if you don't believe in the American dream already, you're going to and you're gonna understand why it's so important to protect and fight for.  My brother and I were raised in abject rural poverty by a single mother. She was one of 10 kids, and the family joke is she was five foot-nothing and harder than woodpecker lips. Well, that's true! She taught us a couple of things. First and foremost, you have to take care of people. And secondly, you have got to have a work ethic. Those two lessons stuck with me, but I had plenty of more things to grow into as I got older. I dropped out of high school when I was 16 years old. I joined the Navy at 18, and got a GED. I served our nation for 26 years, over 21 of those as a Navy SEAL. I deployed eight times, five of those to combat. My wife Sarah Jane and I have been married for 27 years. We have four children and six grandchildren. And those kids are educated to the level that they feel comfortable. We own a home. We started and ran a small business.  And over the last couple of weeks, Vice President Mike Pence and the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, both looked me in the eye and said, "Derrick, we want you to go to Congress. We support you, we endorse you, and we have your back."  Now I came from nothing. And next year, I'm gonna be your Congressman.  That is the American dream.  Now I'm running against a guy named Ron Kind.  And I'll be honest with you, he's not who he says he is and who you think he is. Ron pledged that he would spend no more than 12 years in Congress. That was over 24 years ago.  Recently Ron Kind had a conference call with the 18 sheriff's departments in our district, and he told them that he had their back, that he would never sign any legislation that removed qualified immunity from police officers because he knows that that is a left-wing end around to defund the police. Well, he didn't mention that not only did he sign the bill that removed qualified immunity from police officers at a federal level, he co-sponsored the bill and he co-sponsored the bill before he made that phone call. And then, he went into the call and told the sheriffs exactly the opposite of what he's gonna do. Now, if you can find another word other than lying for that, I would love to hear it. Ron is very proud to say that he saved the taxpayers $2,000,000 by introducing legislation that you turn in your excess office funds that were not spent. And you know what, $2,000,000 is real money. What Ron is not gonna tell you is that what's buried in the Heroes Act that he has been trying to push down everybody's throat is $1,200 of stimulus money for illegal immigrants.  That's tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars. That is not spending your money like it's his money. That is not shepherding Wisconsin taxpayers' dollars. It just isn't.  Why should you vote for me, and what am I going to do for you? First and foremost, I'm gonna make sure that we defend our police not defund our police. We really can't move forward as a country and as a society, if we're not comfortable leaving our homes and going into cities. Peaceful protesting is an American right. Rioting is not. I'm very clear about this, Ron is not. So, I will make sure that our police are well-funded so that they're trained properly and they can do their job to the best of their abilities. Secondly, I'm gonna work tirelessly to safely, efficiently, and quickly open up our economy so that we can get back to work and support our families. That's what we do as Wisconsinites and Americans. Thirdly, I'm gonna make sure that we can safely, efficiently, and quickly get our children and young adults back to grade schools, high schools, and colleges, so that they can become efficient-- excuse me, so they can become productive members of our society, just like everybody wants to do.  So I'm gonna ask you today, humbly for your vote and your support November 3rd. And I promise you when I go to Washington, D.C. as your representative, that's exactly what I will be doing, representing you and putting your interest above my own. So, God bless you and God bless your families. Have a wonderful day.  
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- Ron Kind: Hi, I'm Ron Kind. I've had the honor of representing the 3rd Congressional District of Western and North Central Wisconsin. It's a place where I was born and raised, where Tawni and I have raised our children. I know this district and I know the people in it, the challenges that we face, and opportunities that we have. And I think the district has gotten a chance to know me, the type of representative that I've been, a reasonable, pragmatic member, willing to reach across the aisle, work with anyone to find common ground, to get things done on behalf of the people of Wisconsin. I know you sent me to Washington to stand up and fight for you, not for powerful special interests, nor the political leadership of either party in Washington, and that's what I've been doing, but now we find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic and as we battle this Coronavirus at home, we know our family and our faith will sustain us, but our family is our extended community and we know what we need to do to keep each other safe. We need to wash our hands a lot, we need to practice proper distancing, and please wear a facial covering. This isn't a red issue or a blue issue. It's a red, white, and blue issue. By working together, we can defeat this virus and emerge even stronger. But we're not there yet. Congress and the president needs to end the stalemate and pass another COVID relief package, I hear from my healthcare providers that they're running short of personal protection equipment, testing supplies, contact tracing. Our public health directors have been doing a terrific job, but under diminished resources. We're trying to get kids in the classroom again. Our schools are trying to keep them safe, along with teachers and staff. Too many small businesses and family farmers are still struggling and too many families are having a hard time paying their bills and getting the basic necessity, like food. Many of them are laid-off or furloughed. So, yes, we have to help buy some time until some of the best researchers in the world can develop a safe and effective vaccine that's worthy of the trust of the people in Wisconsin and throughout our country. And hopefully, we can do that in the coming days. And as we develop that vaccine, we're gonna be able to get our kids safely back in the classroom and open up our economy. And we have the ability to rebuild Wisconsin and America even stronger than before. We have an infrastructure investment that needs to repair our roads, our highways, our bridges, and included in that is an issue I've been hard at work in. Extending broadband access to all Americans. The digital divide is showcasing the economic and the educational inequities. We won't be able to remain a competitive and innovation nation in the 21st century without broadband access for everyone.  My Congressional District, the state of Wisconsin, is still one of the biggest agriculture-producing states in the nation. I've been a champion for our family farmers. They also need help. The virus certainly has been problematic, but over-surplus and a plummeting of commodity prices have forced too many of them out of business, and too many small businesses are still struggling, that we ought to be stepping up and providing assistance to right now. These things we can do by working together. The recession that we're in right now doesn't have to be as deep. It doesn't have to be as painful and it doesn't have to last as long, as long as we find a way to come together and buy time until we can keep everyone safe again in our country. We have a healthcare system that's still too expensive and leaving too many people behind. I've been a champion on healthcare reform. I will continue to fight to ensure that no insurance company will deny any healthcare coverage to anyone with a preexisting condition. There's no going back with this. And yet, many people are fighting to repeal the Affordable Care Act and the patient protections that exist in it. That's wrong. And I've also fought to preserve and protect Social Security and Medicare, so our parents, our grandparents can retire and grow old with dignity. And there's one other crisis that we face in our democracy. It's the political polarization and how hyper-partisan things have gotten. That's not healthy. We need the ability to come together, to be respectful to each other, listen, and find common ground. I'm proud that I've been rated the second most independent member of Congress and that the National Chamber of Commerce has given me the very first-ever national award for being the most bipartisan member of Congress. I think we need more of that in Washington and in Madison today. That's the type of representative I've been. That's the type of representative I pledge to be. And that's why I ask for your support on November 3rd. Thank you, and stay safe.  
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- Tom Palzewicz: Hi, I'm Tom Palzewicz, and I'm running as a Democrat in Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District. You know, I grew up in Wisconsin. I lived in Brown Deer for many years. My dad was a foreman at the old A. O. Smith plant. And one of the things that I realized when I was very young is we had a fortunate life. We came from a big family. We had a fortunate life, and we had access to things that I call the American dream. I got a great education. I was able to live a fairly healthy life and, you know, looking back now, I'm very thankful for that and it's part of what I believe what makes Wisconsin great. After high school, I decided to join the Navy. I went to Madison for a couple of years. That didn't work out the way I thought it was going to. And I spent six years in the Navy and I spent four years on a nuclear submarine, and what that really taught me was servant leadership. It's just this idea that we're here to lead not for ourselves, but for others. And the other thing I learned by being on that submarine is: you know, I was on there with 100 other guys, and I didn't necessarily have to like everybody, but what I did do is respect what they did 'cause their life was in my hands, my life was in their hands. And I think that's one of the things that we're missing from Congress today is that level of respect for each other, that it's important for us to respect each other and work together and move forward. So, after the 2016 election, I really looked back at myself, and said, "What do I need to do to create an environment where we're a lot less divisive, where we have better leadership in place, and we keep things moving forward?" One of the things I'm a big fan of is the idea of progress over partisanship. Which is, how do we make things better for everybody on a regular basis by trying and doing things to make things better and bringing people together? And, you know, I get out of the Navy, I came back to Wisconsin because I traveled around the world, lived around the country, and couldn't find a better place to come back to and live. And I got an accounting degree and I went into business and I spent 15 years in banking, working with what I call "my Wisconsin banking tour" by working with the banks to manage risks. So, I ended up working with Wall Street a lot and what that really taught me is how the economy works, the nuts and bolts of an economy. And why that's important to understand is the true wealth that's created in our country is created by when the bottom parts of our economy, the people, the infrastructure, everything else, when those things are working well, everybody benefits. And right now we have too much income inequality and people who are working full time jobs just are struggling to make it. And now with the pandemic, there's a lot more people who are unemployed. And it really taught me that in order for economy to work, it's really about bottom up, not trickle down. And the more we can build the bottom of our economy, the more people, the more working people who have more money for the value of what they provide and have good access to health care, have a great infrastructure, great education, the better off we all are. And then, for the last 15 years, I've owned my own business. It's a business coaching and executive coaching company. I've really helped people understand how they communicate, how they make decisions, how others do it, and the ability to work together 'cause whenever we work together, we create great things. And it's really hard to do, though, because of differences, not only in people, but vision and everything else. And it really taught me that one of the most important things we lack as a country right now is a vision for where we're going. And because we don't have a vision for where we're going, we're stuck in this, I would say, divisiveness and chaos of what's happening today, what's the outrage thing to be outraged about, and it's really hard for us to move forward. So the idea that the 5th Congressional District can be a purple district is something I hold dear because we're all in this together. I've been a business owner in this community for a long time. My wife and I have lived in Brookfield for the last 20 years. There's a key element here that people really care about moving things forward and just stopping the partisanship, and I'm committed to making sure that happens. And one of the reasons that I'm running now-- so I ran in 2018, we ran against Congressman Sensenbrenner-- he's decided to retire after a 42-year career. But this is an open seat. It's time for people to understand that there's a true decision to make. And if you go to our website, it's packed full of all sorts of things that we wanna do once we get to Washington because we'll be in the majority. And if you look at my opponent, there's not much there. He's not really interested in moving to Washington to make sure we can move our country forward. I think he just wants a promotion from the current job that he has. So I'm committed to making that happen. I'm committing to progress over partisanship 'cause it's about people first and the more we have for people, the better off we all are. So I'm Tom Palzewicz, running in the 5th Congressional District. I'd appreciate your vote. Thank you.  
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- Glenn Grothman: I'm Glenn Grothman. I'm running for reelection in Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District. It's been an honor to serve you. But 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us in Wisconsin and I'm eager to get our state back on track. First, we must ensure that we take the necessary steps with regard to COVID-19 so that we can return to normal. We need to continue to look at alternative treatments while we wait for a vaccine. I've been a champion actively promoting vitamin D, which will lower infection rates and severity as well as promoting alternative medicines. We need to be working to move our medical supply chains for masks, equipment, and medications back here in the United States, not China. Wisconsin manufacturers have already retooled to be creating millions of masks right here in Wisconsin. Second, we need to protect our healthcare. We need to ensure that the federal government doesn't take away our private health insurance plans and I've sponsored legislation to make sure that we continue to cover people with preexisting conditions. We must keep these two things in place when it comes to getting the care people need, and I'm willing to cross party lines to do it. I fought against Republican leadership in Congress when they wanted to get rid of the medical expense tax deduction. And I'll continue to oppose any effort by either party that would reduce access to care or raise the age for Social Security or Medicare. I've stood up to the drug companies to push biosimilar insulin products, which should reduce the cost and increase access for those people with diabetes. Third, I'm a strong supporter of our local law enforcement. We're blessed here in Wisconsin's 6th District to have some of the best and most professional men and women in uniform who are keeping us safe and keeping our correctional institutions safe. Most of their work goes unnoticed and I've done several ride-alongs with the local police across our district to see just exactly what their job entails. I have a lot of good Democrat friends, but every Democrat in Congress voted to make it easy for the criminals and prisoners to sue police, sheriffs, and correctional authorities. I stand with these professionals against more frivolous lawsuits. Fourth, we need to be creating economic conditions so that anyone who wants a job can find a good-paying one. Before COVID-19, Wisconsin was enjoying one of the best economic stretches in memory. We need to keep our middle-class taxes low, while ensuring that innovation and manufacturing jobs stay here in Wisconsin. I've made it a personal goal of mine to ensure as many people as possible participate in our economy. And that's why I've been a consistent supporter of work centers for people with disabilities, like RCS, Brooke Industries, Lakeside, and Ascend. I voted to undo the unfair trade deals that were negotiated by President Clinton and allowed to stay in effect, under Presidents Bush and Obama. These new deals will help our manufacturers and farmers. Fifth, I'm a staunch supporter of educational access. I wanna make sure that students are getting the education they need while staying within their financial means. I'm standing up to Republican leadership with Democrats to allow refinancing of student loans. I'm also a champion of our technical colleges. Not only do they help maintain our manufacturing base in Wisconsin and ensure that it remains one of the best in the world, but they also open the door to high quality, affordable education, frequently leading to higher wages than those people who go to a four-year college. Finally, we need to fix our immigration system. I've been to the border four times and talked to the brave men and women of the border patrol. We need to withhold foreign aid from countries that enable illegal immigration. Under President Trump's leadership, the border patrols told me we've gone from placing-- they've gone from placing 90,000 people in our country a month to under 3,000 people in our country a month. We want immigrants to come to our country, and I've been to the swearing in ceremonies for people that are coming here legally, but we also have to be committed to making sure that people do not come to our country illegally. Wisconsin 6th District is a wonderful place to live, and I try to be one of the most accessible Congressmen in the country. I make sure that I get around to safely meet and talk with as many people as possible and if reelected I will continue to be accessible and present in each one of our communities, working tirelessly for you. I ask for your vote. Thank you for listening to this message.  
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- Tricia Zunker: Hi, I'm Tricia Zunker, Democratic candidate for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. A lot of people ask me why I'm running for this seat. And the truth is I have no choice. I believe I have a duty and an obligation to use my voice in a way that can make a positive difference for Wisconsinites. I think about what my relatives went through and their hard work and sacrifice. And it wasn't for me to just sit on the sidelines and care about myself. I come from humble beginnings, but there were opportunities that presented themselves in my life and I seized on them, and I know what a difference it's made for me. And I believe that is one of the roles of a representative is to ensure opportunity for your constituents. I grew up in a strong union household. I'm a member of Ho-Chunk Nation. I am a first-generation college graduate, and then I went to law school. And I use that law degree to serve the Ho-Chunk Nation as Associate Justice on the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court. I'm also school board president for the Wausau School District and solo parent to an amazing nine-year-old son. I started running for this seat because there were so many things that we need to address. And we need leaders that are gonna get to work. I'm hardworking and effective, and I am committed to working across the aisle to achieve bipartisan solutions that make life better for everyone here in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. When I first started running, a number of issues were paramount and still remain critical. But now we are also in this pandemic. It's inexcusable that we are eight months into this pandemic and we have 200,000 lives lost. That's 200,000 grieving families. There isn't enough PPE for our essential workers. We need to ensure enough testing. We know how important testing is to getting this pandemic under control. We need to make sure that our essential workers have hazard pay. And that people who have lost their jobs have extended unemployment benefits. And we need to ensure there's funding for our small and midsize family farms that are suffering during this pandemic and to make sure our small businesses have protections to stay afloat.  I think this pandemic has also highlighted a number of really critical issues here in Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. We have a caretaker crisis and we saw this when we went to mandated virtual learning in the spring, and a lot of districts that are doing that now. And this is something actually I saw when I was getting out in the district too before the pandemic hit, but we have pockets throughout the district, where there just aren't enough caretakers. And I think that really comes down to valuing our caretakers for the critical work that they do. Taking care of our children, our elderly, our disabled loved ones. We need to value them for that critical work with a living wage and benefits. When people have a living wage and that reliable job, they'll stay in that job, and that will help eliminate this caretaker crisis that we have here in this district. Another thing that this pandemic has really magnified is the need for treating rural broadband like the utility that it is. There are too many households in this district that don't have access to high-speed working internet and that means they are being deprived of opportunity, whether that is the ability to do their schoolwork, to grade their papers, to conduct their business, or just have access to the news and everything that we have access to online.  We need to treat broadband like the utility that it is, and this is something that I am prioritizing in Congress, to make sure everybody has access to it.  Another thing magnified by this pandemic is healthcare. The healthcare crisis, the need to ensure affordable accessible healthcare and that people with preexisting conditions stay protected. If somebody has Coronavirus and they recover from it, they're going to be deemed to have a preexisting condition, and that's just not fair. And another thing magnified by this pandemic is how we need to address decision making and address solving problems, by listening to experts, listening to science, looking at data as a source of decision making. We see how we need to do that by addressing the climate emergency with the urgency it requires and how we need leaders who are going to do that to address this pandemic.  Finally, I just wanna point out that this is a historic race. I will be the first Native American to represent Wisconsin in Congress. And I will be the first woman ever to represent this district. I don't ask anyone to vote for me because I'm a woman. I ask you to vote for me because I'm a hard-working qualified woman, who's gonna work hard for everybody here to get the job done. But women's issues are human issues and it is high time our women and our girls see themselves reflected in Congressional leadership. Our boys need to see it, too. Thank you.  
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- Tom Tiffany: I'm Tom Tiffany, the Congressman from the 7th Congressional District covering Northern and Western Wisconsin. I live in Minocqua with my wife Chris and we have three daughters. Prior to serving in Congress, I served in the Wisconsin state legislature for seven years, where we balanced the budget and we made sure that people had jobs. We had the lowest unemployment rate in Wisconsin in a generation. After being in Congress for four months after being elected in a special election to fill the balance of Congressman Duffy's term, I've found that Congress is not working for the people of the state of Wisconsin. The speaker is pushing stimulus checks to illegals, defunding our police and promoting the radical Green New Deal. What those will do is defund our police and dismantle our economy, and it will destroy the American way of life, There's a better way. And that is to restore, rebuild, and renew. Let's restore our way of life. We can beat the virus and I will always vote, just as I did in the legislature, to protect people with preexisting conditions. Let's rebuild the greatest economy that we had in a generation. That starts by keeping our taxes low, reducing regulations, and let's be sure to take on China. Let's bring back our supply chain from China for personal protective equipment, for medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and other technology. China has proven themselves to be a bully. We need to bring back our supply chain to America to make America great again. We need to renew the American dream, and that starts by protecting life, including the unborn, and protecting our religious freedoms. I will always vote to protect your Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. And I will defend our law enforcement, not defund. I'm Tom Tiffany, and I hope to earn your vote on November 3rd.  
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- Mike Gallagher: Hi, I'm Mike Gallagher and I'm running to represent the people of Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. I'm broadcasting not from a studio but from my basement here in Allouez. We've all been forced to make changes over the last few months. And Wisconsinites have a proud history of coming together in times of crisis, of working together to overcome any obstacle. But right now we seem to be more interested in tearing each other apart, in tearing this country down. This needs to stop. In Northeast Wisconsin at least, I believe we can lead by example, show the rest of the country what it means to take care of your community and to treat your neighbors with respect and dignity. That's the Northeast Wisconsin way. We aren't flashy. We definitely aren't mean. We just work hard. We do our part. We do what's right for our community. Every single day in Congress, I try and live out those Northeast Wisconsin values. I try to put principles above partisanship and I'll admit, it's not easy in the current environment, but those are the same values of servant leadership I learned in the Marine Corps so I stick by them, even when, especially when, it's politically inconvenient.  That's why at a time when Congress is bitterly divided, I've been able to get things done. When the pandemic first happened, I didn't blame the other side. I just got to work. I worked with the Wisconsin Democrat to bring the manufacturing of lifesaving drugs from China, back to America. I partnered with the Brown County Health Department to collect personal protective equipment for our doctors and nurses. I convinced Taiwan to send 100,000 masks to Wisconsin when we faced a serious shortage across our state. Over the past two years, I've worked across the aisle to strengthen our healthcare system, protect Wisconsinites with preexisting conditions and drive down healthcare costs for the middle class, with bipartisan legislation on price transparency and to end surprise billing. As a member of the Armed Service Committee, I've worked to rebuild our military, improve care for our veterans and deliver the Navy's future frigate right here to Northeast Wisconsin, which will create over 5,000 jobs and transform our economy.  As co-chairman of the bipartisan Cyber Solarium Commission I worked with an independent Senator from Maine to author a detailed strategy for keeping our country safe. On the transportation committee, secured numerous grants for Northeast Wisconsin, to modernize our roads, our bridges, our airports and ports. And I was proud to receive the endorsement of labor and union groups in Northeast Wisconsin, even as a Republican, because no matter what political party you belong to, we should all be united around the goal of bringing as many good-paying jobs to Wisconsin as we can. Those are the positive stories you won't hear on TV or social media. I hate to say it, but the media and the professional political class, don't wanna tell those stories because they want to keep you angry. They want to keep the country divided. They profit off the outrage, the division, and the constant bashing of America. We need to refuse to play their game. I won't. I haven't taken orders from anyone since the day I left the Marine Corps and I don't work for anyone in Washington, D.C., not the special interests, not the party bosses, heck, not even the president. I work for you, the humble, hardworking people of Northeast Wisconsin. If you give me the honor of serving as your representative in Congress for two more years, I will continue to work for you. I will fight the careerists and the DC swamp. I will fight to bring good-paying manufacturing jobs that we've lost to communist China back to Northeast Wisconsin. And I will work with all my energy to ensure that Northeast Wisconsin remains the best place in the country to live, to work, and to raise a family.  Raise a family... that means a little bit more to me now that I have a family of my own. A little bit over a year ago, I got married. My wife Anne is from De Pere and three months ago, she gave birth to our first child, a baby daughter named Grace. Grace. That's my entire political philosophy. I want my daughter Grace to grow up in the same special Northeast Wisconsin that I was blessed to grow up in; a safe place, filled with humble, hardworking communities. But in a larger sense I also believe, that God shed his grace on this beautiful country and in return for this amazing, saving, undeserved gift of being a citizen in the greatest country on earth, I think we should all give a little grace to our neighbors, even those we disagree with politically. So, thank you, On Wisconsin, and God bless America.  
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- Amanda Stuck: Hi, I'm Representative Amanda Stuck, running for Congress here in the 8th Congressional District in Wisconsin.  I am running because earlier last year, a constituent named Len had written to me about his wife's breast cancer. He had written to me about how their insurance is very unaffordable and they are very concerned if the Affordable Care Act goes away, that they will not be able to afford insurance at all. And that is even if they can find a plan that will take him and his wife with her preexisting condition. When I received this letter, I called my constituent back to talk about healthcare and this issue. When I called him, he said he had heard from myself, but he had never heard a word back from Mike Gallagher. That was when I decided to run. To me, it is completely unacceptable that a representative would not call a constituent back after getting a letter like that. And especially, to explain why they had voted multiple times to take away healthcare from people right here in Northeast Wisconsin.  Mike Gallagher is able to vote against his constituents because he doesn't understand what they go through.  Mike Gallagher comes from a family with wealth and connections. Mike Gallagher went to the best schools in California. He doesn't know what it's like to be a family right here in Northeast Wisconsin, making the tough decisions between putting their last few dollars in their gas tank or buying some food to eat for the week.  But I do. When I was born right here in Northeast Wisconsin, my mom was a waitress and my dad worked at a grocery store bagging groceries. I don't come from wealth and privilege like Mike Gallagher does.  I didn't marry a Broadway star like Mike Gallagher did, I married a sheet metal journeymen.  We know what it's like to have to work multiple jobs to stay ahead. We know what it's like to worry when work and the shop is slow and we have to wonder if we'll be able to pay the mortgage that month. We know the families in Northeast Wisconsin are facing those same issues too every day. We know what it's like for them to lay awake in the middle of the night, worrying about how they're going to make it and how they're going to make it even though they're working so hard every single day, working multiple jobs, doing everything they're supposed to do.  For most of us, Broadway is a street in Green Bay. It isn't a place in Manhattan like Mike Gallagher knows.  And we need people in Congress who really understand what it's like. We don't need more millionaires who are paying off their third or fourth mortgages. We need people who know what it's like to be trying to pay off that student debt or trying to get that employment check when work is slow from a pandemic.  We need people who will put the people here over party politics or personal ambition. I'm proud to say I won an award in Washington, D.C. in December for my work with a bipartisan caucus right here in Wisconsin, because I'm committed to working across the aisle  and to putting the people here first, by working with whoever wants to work with me on the issues that we face every day so that more families won't have to lay awake at night, wondering how to simply make ends meet when they are doing everything right, and when they are working so hard.  I would love to have your vote and support and I look forward to working for you in Washington. 

- Jon Miskowski: In addition to the candidate statement you've just seen, PBS Wisconsin will continue to provide a forum for political news and analysis on our Friday night news and public affairs program, Here & Now. If you'd like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website WisconsinVote.org. Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 3rd and thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin. 
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