COUNTIES IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
WILL GO TO THE POLLS FOR THE
SECOND TIME DURING THE COVID-19
HEALTH CRISIS.
THIS TIME, IT'S THE 7TH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SPECIAL
ELECTION TO REPLACE SEAN DUFFY,
WHO RESIGNED LAST YEAR.
"HERE & NOW" SENIOR POLITICAL
REPORTER ZAC SCHULTZ TELLS US
THE RACE IS IMPACTED BY BOTH THE
CORONAVIRUS AND THE SHIFTING
ALLEGIANCE OF VOTERS IN THAT
DISTRICT.
>> FOR THE LAST DECADE,
WISCONSIN'S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL
HAS BEEN A SAFE SEAT FOR SEAN
DUFFY.
HE NEVER FACED MUCH OF A
CHALLENGE IN FIVE RACES.
AFTER REDISTRICTING HE NEVER
RECEIVED LESS THAN 60% OF THE
VOTE.
BUT FOR 40 YEARS BEFORE THAT,
WISCONSIN'S 7TH WAS BLUE, HOME
TO DEMOCRATIC DAVE OBEY.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
AND WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT
TUESDAY'S SPECIAL ELECTION
BETWEEN REPUBLICAN TOM TIFFANY
AND DEMOCRATIC TRICIA ZUNKER.
>> WELL, THERE'S A LITTLE THING
CALLED GERRYMANDERING THAT
OCCURRED IN 2010.
>> MOST BLAME THE REDISTRICTING
PLAN WHICH REMOVED PORTAGE
COUNTY AND ADDED IN MORE OF
WESTERN WISCONSIN, WHICH
TYPICALLY VOTES MORE REPUBLICAN.
>> BUT THE MAIN THING THAT'S
CHANGED IS THE DEMOCRAT PARTY.
I TALKED TO SO MANY PEOPLE WHO
ARE JOHN F. KENNEDY DEMOCRATS
WHO ARE LIKE I DON'T RECOGNIZE
MY COUNTY ANYMORE.
>> REPUBLICANS SAY RURAL VOTERS
DON'T FEEL AT
HOME IN A MULTICULTURAL
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
MOST CONCEPTS HOLD SOME TRUTH,
BUT NEITHER TELLS THE WHOLE
STORY.
RURAL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE
NATION HAVE BEEN SHIFTING AWAY
FROM DEMOCRATS FOR THE LAST
DECADE.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO
SEE DEMOCRAT RON KIND IN WESTERN
WISCONSIN, WHICH IS ALMOST AS
RURAL AS THE 7TH.
AND WHILE DEMOCRATIC CERTAINLY
MADE THE 7TH MORE REPUBLICAN,
THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN DUFFY'S
VICTORY.
OBEY NEVER LOST ONE OF THESE
COUNTIES FROM 2002 TO '08.
BUT FROM 2010 TO '18 THE VOTERS
MOVED TOWARD THE REPUBLICANS BY
169%.
IN FACT, MARATHON COUNTY SHIFTED
BY 295%, A 22,000-VOTE SWING
FROM DEMOCRATS TO REPUBLICANS.
>> I GUESS A COUPLE OF THINGS
HAPPENED.
>> KATIE ROSENBERG IS THE
NEWLY-ELECTED MAYOR OF WAUSAU.
>> YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF
POPULATION SHIFTING.
YOU'RE SEEING OUR POPULATIONS
GET A LOT OLDER.
>> THE SHIFT IN THE 7TH STARTED
HAPPENING LONG BEFORE SEAN
DUFFY.
>> YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN
SEEING SOME OF THE CULTURAL
CHANGES MOVING ALONG DURING DAVE
OBEY'S TIME.
BUT HE WASN'T SEEING A LOT OF
SERIOUS CHALLENGES.
>> WHAT THIS SHOWS IS THE POWER
OF INCUMBENCY.
THE SAME HAPPENED WITH DUFFY.
HE FACED UNKNOWN DEMOCRATIC
OPPONENTS.
>> THE 7TH CONGRESSIONAL IS
HUGE, CURRENTLY SPANNING 26
COUNTIES AND THREE DIFFERENT
TELEVISION MARKETS.
POLITICAL NEWCOMERS FACE A HUGE
CHALLENGE IN GETTING THEIR NAME
OUT THERE AND RAISING MONEY.
AND ONCE YOU'RE IN OFFICE, YOU
CAN CEMENT YOUR NAME IN VOTERS'
MINDS.
>> ONCE YOU ESTABLISH
IN-DISTRICT OFFICES, THEY HAVE A
DIRECT CONDUIT.
IT'S THAT NAME RECOGNITION OVER
AND OVER AGAIN.
>> WHICH IS WHY THIS SPECIAL
ELECTION IS SO IMPORTANT.
THE HISTORY OF THE 7TH SAYS THE
WINNER MAY HOLD THIS SEAT FOR A
LONG TIME.
I'M ZAC SCHULTZ FOR "HERE &
NOW."
>> THAT IS OUR PROGRAM FOR THIS