Andy Gronik

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Andy Gronik

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 14, 2018

Education

Bachelor's

University of Georgia

Personal

Profession

Business

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Twitter

David "Andy" Gronik was a 2018 Democratic Party candidate for governor of Wisconsin. Although Gronik withdrew from the race in June 2018, saying he wanted to narrow the field of Democratic candidates, his name still appeared on the primary ballot.

Click here for more information on the August 14 Democratic primary election. Click here for more information on the November 6 general election.

Biography

The year after Gronik's graduation from the University of Georgia, he joined three companies; property appraisal firm Valuables-In-Place Ltd., auction house David S. Gronik & Co., Inc., and consulting firm The Gronik Company, Inc. By the time he left the three companies in 1988, Gronik was president and chief executive officer of each. That same year, Gronik joined three new companies; asset management service LiquiTec Industries, Inc., marketing firm BrainStorm Marketing, Inc., and consulting firm AccuVal Associates, Inc. By his 2000 departure from the three companies, Gronik was president and chief executive officer of each, as well as creative director at BrainStorm Marketing. In 2000, Gronik joined consulting firm DoveBid Valuation Services, Inc. as its global president and chief operating officer. In 2003, Gronik left DoveBid to rejoin AccuVal and LiquiTec. Gronik left both companies once more in 2013. In 2014, he founded consulting firm GroBiz, LLC. As of his entrance to the gubernatorial election, he remained the firm's president and chief executive officer. In 2016, Gronik founded nonprofit StageW.

Education

• Bachelor's in business administration - University of Georgia (1979)

Elections

2018

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 and Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the general election for Governor of Wisconsin on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tony Evers (D)	49.5	1,324,307
		Scott Walker (R)	48.4	1,295,080
		Phillip Anderson (L)	0.8	20,225
		Maggie Turnbull (Independent)	0.7	18,884
		Michael White (G)	0.4	11,087
		Arnie Enz (The Wisconsin Party)	0.1	2,745
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	980

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,673,308
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tony Evers	41.8	225,082
		Mahlon Mitchell	16.3	87,926
		Kelda Roys	12.8	69,086
		Kathleen Vinehout	8.2	44,168
		Michael McCabe	7.4	39,885
		Matthew Flynn	5.9	31,580
		Paul Soglin	5.2	28,158
		Andy Gronik	1.2	6,627
		Dana Wachs	0.8	4,216
		Josh Pade	0.4	1,908

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 538,636
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Bob Harlow (D)
• Michele Doolan (D)
• Andrew Lust (D)
• Jeff Rumbaugh (D)
• Ramona Whiteaker (D)
• Mike Crute (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Incumbent Scott Walker defeated Robert Meyer in the Republican primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Walker	91.6	417,276
	Submit photo	Robert Meyer	8.4	38,269

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 455,545
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Ryan Cason (R)

Green primary election

Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Michael White advanced from the Green primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael White	100.0	817

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian primary election

Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin

Phillip Anderson advanced from the Libertarian primary for Governor of Wisconsin on August 14, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phillip Anderson	100.0	1,673

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,673
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Governor of Wisconsin, 2018 Democratic primary
Poll	Tony Evers	Matt Flynn	Kelda Roys	Dana Wachs	Andy Gronik	Paul Soglin	Mahlon Mitchell	Kathleen Vinehout	Mike McCabe	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size
NBC News/Marist Poll (July 15-19, 2018)	25%	3%	3%	2%	2%	6%	3%	7%	7%	41%	+/-5.3	466
Marquette Law School (July 11-15, 2018)	31%	5%	3%	0%	0%	4%	6%	6%	3%	35%	+/-6.6	305
Marquette Law School (June 13-17, 2018)	25%	7%	2%	2%	4%	7%	4%	5%	7%	35%	+/-6.4	387
FM3 Research (March 16-19, 2018)	30%	6%	3%	3%	2%	17%	6%	12%	4%	16%	+/-4.0	601
Marquette Law School (February 25 - March 1, 2018)	18%	7%	0%	4%	3%	9%	4%	5%	6%	45%	+/-7.1	318
Public Policy Polling (January 8-10, 2018)	29%	5%	2%	4%	2%	10%	5%	11%	5%	28%	+/-3.6	747
AVERAGES	26.33%	5.5%	2.17%	2.5%	2.17%	8.83%	4.67%	7.67%	5.33%	33.33%	+/-5.5	470.67
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Campaign themes

2018

“	Criminal Justice Reform Here in Wisconsin, we have a crisis in our criminal justice system. We spend more money on locking people up than we do on our university system, we cram people into overcrowded jails, and we strip people of hope. This system also disproportionately locks up young people of color and gives them more extreme punishments. This must stop! We can be smart and tough on crime and still differentiate between violent and non-violent offenders, and every conviction should not be a life sentence. We need to put in place effective programs that give people a second chance at life by providing access to the training and treatment programs that they need to go onto productive lives. In more than two decades as a politician, Walker hasn’t looked for solutions like these. As a state representative, Walker helped to create what he now admits is a “monster” by authoring or co-authoring 27 bills that either expanded the definitions of crimes, increased mandatory minimums, or limited parole. Now, rather than working on the crisis he helped to create, Gov. Walker chose to ignore the problem, and instead lock people up and throw away the key at the taxpayer’s expense. The youth detention facility Lincoln Hills is a perfect recent example. Correctional officers and youth detainees at Lincoln Hills have been subjected to unsafe, unhealthy, and unproductive conditions for more than six years. Workers at Lincoln Hills have blown the whistle on the crisis there since Walker took office, and he chose to do nothing until now — an election year — and still, it’s unclear whether he’s sincere about following through with real changes on a timely basis. It’s time to stop playing games and find real solutions to the tough issues facing our state. As your next governor, Andy Gronik will: Review the criminal justice system and adapt models working around the country; Work with the Department of Corrections to establish uniform revocation standards; Scrutinize legislation so it addresses public safety without continuing failed policies; Support parole officers with better training and specialized parole officers for inmates with mental health disorders; Reform our youth detention system and address Lincoln Hills immediately; Properly fund parole boards to consider, on a timely basis, parole for inmates incarcerated under the “old law;” Stop locking people up for non-violent crimes by redirecting them to alternative treatment programs; Support legalization of marijuana and put it on the ballot as a statewide referendum; Create realistic early release programs by increasing the capacity of treatment and education programs to eliminate wait lists; Reduce recidivism by creating a system of rehabilitation that includes job training and sets people up for success after they have served their time; Establish uniform crimeless revocation standards so people are not imprisoned without new convictions; Restore local control so low-level offenders can participate in community-based programming; Sufficiently shrink the prison population to eliminate Walker’s practice of shipping roughly 5,000 inmates out-of-state to private prisons at the cost of nearly $45 million to Wisconsin taxpayers. Education High-quality public schools have always been a major driving force as to why families have chosen to live in Wisconsin and companies have chosen to locate here. Supporting public schools is a core value we need to refocus on. Skilled teaching professionals and a supportive environment help ensure a child’s educational success. Conversely, great teachers leave when you humiliate them, cut their pay, and micromanage an ever-changing set of standards that some schools must follow but others do not. As governor, Andy Gronik will put in place a real plan to improve K-12 education in our state by doing the following things: Strengthening our public schools, and fully funding them; Restoring collective bargaining rights; Reviewing compensation packages so they are structured to reward inspired education and learning; Testing appropriately and streamlining reporting to empower more one-on-one teaching; Maintaining professional teaching standards in Wisconsin; Discontinuing the expansion of voucher programs and focusing our resources and best practices on a “one school year” plan that makes our public schools the very best choice for our kids; Defining consistent goals by which academic success will be measured and reported by all schools receiving state funding; Deploying an agreed upon suite of national best practices and empowering schools to apply the most appropriate tools; Eliminating the achievement gap by providing the same instruction, encouragement, support, and mentorship to all students; Returning local control to school districts so they’re positioned to make decisions that are in the best interests of the kids in their classrooms and their surrounding communities; Simplifying the ridiculously complicated funding formula so there is true equity in the way our schools are funded; Connecting our kids to high-speed Internet, so all public schools are equipped to provide 21st-century learning for 21st-century jobs; Mandating that long route school buses be Wi-Fi enabled; Implementing programs to improve efficiency and return the savings realized to local school budgets to enhance learning programs. Our university system has been starved, too. Walker cut $250 million from UW-System funding and cost the system nearly $8 million in research grants and $24 million in retention bonuses to keep professors who were lining up to leave our state – all while watching UW-Madison drop out of the Top 10 national rankings and lose world-class researchers. As Governor, Andy Gronik plans to: Restore funding to our public university system; Make college free for Wisconsin students who have the grades but do not have the money; Help recent college graduates living and working full-time in Wisconsin pay off their student loans by applying the amount they would have paid in state income tax until their loans are repaid; Bringing Wisconsin businesses and Wisconsin’s systems of education together to enter into new ventures that leverage their collective brainpower, lower the cost of innovation, and create opportunities to share in the success of profitable joint ventures; Stopping the attacks on our 1st Amendment Right of free speech on college campuses; Giving young Wisconsinites a seat at the table and a stake in Wisconsin’s future by listening to their ideas, and making them a partner in our shared success. Environment Andy Gronik believes there is a necessary and delicate balance between respecting and revering our environment and allowing our economy and business to grow. Under Gov. Walker there is no balance – his political supporters get what they want when they want it and with no consideration to the environmental impact and with the people of Wisconsin paying the ultimate price. The GroWis economic development plan focuses on transforming Wisconsin into a 21st-century economy that leads the world in developing sustainable technologies around food production, packaging and distribution, freshwater science, clean air technology, and renewable energy. It’s possible to invest in the things that honor our planet and also create new businesses that offer good-paying, family-sustaining jobs in science, technology, manufacturing, and agriculture. For example, we can tackle some of Wisconsin’s toughest challenges by refining the technologies needed to power entire Wisconsin communities on renewable energy. We can have a booming economy and clean air and water, too. In a Gronik administration, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will not be an enemy of the state as it is with the Walker administration. Wisconsin businesses want a DNR led by professionals with consistent standards that help them grow their businesses and preserve the natural beauty of our state at the same time. Wisconsin hunters and outdoor enthusiasts want healthy deer populations, marshes packed with waterfowl and streams plentiful with musky and fish they can eat. A professional DNR is an ally to everyone in Wisconsin. We also need to protect our natural environment so future generations can hunt in our woods, fish in our streams, and enjoy the great natural beauty of our state. As governor, Andy Gronik will protect our environment while also growing our economy. We will accomplish this by: Combating climate change; Passing sound environmental laws; Restoring the DNR as a scientific organization; Restoring the state’s moratorium on iron mining; Passing legislation to adequately regulate, monitor and tax frac sand mining; Being first to develop technologies that harness renewable energy to power Wisconsin cities; Finding innovative ways to reclaim freshwater and return it to our fields; Keeping public lands public and by respecting our state parks; Taking action on the statewide issues of lead laterals poisoning our residents; Aggressively reversing permitting process for high capacity wells; Supporting research that advances solar and wind technologies and by leveraging these technologies at government installations; Empowering local government to stand up to big polluters Gun Reform Gun violence is an epidemic across our country. People are being killed in mass shootings everywhere and well-intentioned thoughts and prayers offer no long-term solutions. Andy is not waiting for his kids, or your kids, to be the next victims. Decisive action is needed to reduce gun-related deaths and access to weapons by people suffering from mental illness or a history of violent crime. Andy will take immediate action and do so without compromising Wisconsin’s culture and comradery of hunting. As governor, Andy will: Refuse any support from the National Rifle Association (NRA) and invite the gun lobby to bring it on — I can’t be bought and won’t be intimidated; Ban new and used military-style weapons, ammunition (including armor- piercing bullets), accessories like bump stocks, and replicas from being sold to the public and prohibit their use in the state; Push for common-sense gun reforms including background checks, real waiting periods, and the closure of all loopholes; Require gun dealers to keep all weaponry secure; Restore local control and support communities choosing to adopt gun regulations stricter than those required by state statute; Support raising the legal age for buying a gun to 21; Funding a complete upgrade and integration of data platforms used by local and state law enforcement agencies to increase the effectiveness of every aspect of crime prevention including detecting crimes; Support the repeal of the Dickey Amendment which restricts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from funding research on gun-related deaths which would, in turn, allow lawmakers to use scientific information to help combat gun violence; Expand access to mental health treatment; Support measures that keep guns out of the hands of people with a history of violent crime, domestic abuse, and/or on terrorist watch lists; Find innovative ways to appropriately identify people at risk of causing harm to themselves or others so they can get the treatment they need; Encourage private-public partnerships with technology companies to raise awareness of warning signals and identify at-risk individuals; Promote voluntary gun surrender and meltdown programs that produce medallions to be sold to support gun safety awareness programs throughout our state; Ensure that these reforms respect and value Wisconsin’s hunting tradition and the tourism revenue generated statewide. Andy will make sure that any additional safety measures required to make our schools safe would come from outside of the current funding formula so as not to take vital resources away from public education. Andy does not support arming our teachers under any circumstances. He recalls the tragic circumstances involving a Glendale police officer who made a point of stopping at Nicolet High School, when he was enrolled there, to build relationships and trust with the students. This officer found himself off duty in a neighboring community during a robbery and managed to subdue the criminal. When Milwaukee police arrived, this off-duty police officer was mistakenly identified as the robber and shot and killed. Andy feels strongly that the collateral damage of arming teachers would result in more deaths, not fewer. Teachers, administrators, and staff are in the building to teach and support world-class education. Healthcare Andy Gronik believes healthcare is a right, and the solution to healthcare for all is best addressed at the federal level. He thinks it’s wrong for there to be one class of people who have the coverage needed to receive medical assistance if they get sick and a second class of people who could lose their life or life savings. Andy and his family are on ObamaCare and join millions of Americans and tens of thousands of Wisconsinites in being at risk of losing their health insurance as a result of the actions of a Republican-led Congress and Governor Walker’s efforts to destabilize the program. Andy was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in his early 20’s – a condition that is now in complete remission. While young people believe they are invincible, Andy knows all too well what it’s like to begin throwing up blood in his teens; to be hospitalized in his 20’s when his digestive system shut down; spend 9+ hours in surgery, 3+ weeks hospitalized and amass bills well in excess of $100,000 dollars. This is one of many reasons why Andy knows that any healthcare system like Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that everyone pay into the system. We couldn’t imagine insuring only bad drivers, so why would we contemplate that only unhealthy people buy health insurance. Andy’s known for decades how it feels to be forced to list a pre-existing condition on insurance forms and he knows the impact that Governor Walker’s desire to repeal ACA would mean to Wisconsin families. He spent his professional lifetime working with businesses advocating for continuous improvement of all kinds and believes that ACA, like everything else, needs to be improved. But, Andy doesn’t believe you take a bulldozer to a program insuring over 30 million Americans when a shovel will do. Governor Walker’s “Wreck-It Ralph” mentality toward the ACA is (indeed) reckless, creating circumstances with dire consequences to Wisconsinites statewide. Women, men and children without access to health care would create catastrophic events and escalate the cost of health care overall. Whether recognized or not, someone always pays for the uninsured. If the actions of Republicans in Congress have the effect of pushing the healthcare crisis to the states, Andy will seek the most innovative solutions to provide all Wisconsinites with the best and most comprehensive healthcare. In so doing, Andy also believes healthcare solutions instituted by Wisconsin must work for both patients and healthcare system and bring compensation rates to levels that are affordable for the state and manageable for providers. As your governor, Andy Gronik will: Immediately accept Medicaid expansion up to 138% of the federal poverty line; Explore the feasibility of expanding access to BadgerCare as an option to providing low-cost, high quality medical, vision, and dental insurance to all residents; Examine the feasibility of a state-run system that manages the lifetime risk pool of Wisconsin residents to create a system where providers compete for services on the basis of quality, patient outcomes, and price. This would increase buying power keeping the cost of coverage low while promoting high-quality services; Convene an advisory board of healthcare professionals made up of patients, nurses, doctors, hospital and clinic administrators, medical device and equipment manufacturers, pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies, insurance agents and carriers, and others to begin a constructive dialog with the entire health care delivery system to identify the very best health care solutions for the people of Wisconsin; Eliminate all gaps in the coverage of women’s reproductive health; Advocate for paid family leave to promote recovery from a serious health issue, care for a seriously ill family member and/or bond with a newborn or newly adopted child; Expand mental health screening and treatment; Increase the number of primary care providers; Expand the role of Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants and fill the pipeline with people going into these fields by creating incentives at medical and nursing schools and creating public private partnerships to defray the cost; Advocate a team approach to collaborative healthcare involving doctors, nurses, pharmacists, nutritionists, etc.; Promote education around healthy lifestyles including diet, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, etc.; Staff public schools with nurses empowered to lead the new BadgerHealth Bridge initiatives that promote healthy learning and provide early detection of health risks of family members; Expand access to clinics that triage patients’ needs and offer preventative care and advance more complicated cases to hospitals; Innovate the role of telemedicine, Internet-enabled diagnostic technologies and concierge medicine to deliver personalized healthcare remotely; Seek to stabilize rural hospitals at risk of closing their doors as a direct result of the destabilization of ACA; Support legislation that penalizes pharmaceutical companies for price-gouging; Support healthcare workers “Fight for $15” and healthcare benefits for themselves; Fund research at our universities so we can work towards finding the cures to diseases and see more startups of Wisconsin businesses that create good-paying jobs for our residents; Declare a public health emergency to tackle the opioid and heroin epidemic and fund the substance abuse treatment programs needed to save lives throughout our state; Lead the country in taking action against drug companies on behalf of the taxpayers of Wisconsin and seek full recovery of all direct and indirect damages sustained as a result of the reckless distribution of opioids for pain treatment by drug companies; Promote stricter laws regulating the prescription and disbursement of opioids; Require insurance companies to immediately furnish their insureds with simple to understand terms of coverage and clearly identify the health conditions specifically excluded by the policy; Facilitate an expedited and affordable process by which insureds may report, prosecute, and receive restitution for abuses of insurance companies refusing health coverage including the recovery of all costs of the related litigation. Infrastructure Here’s a simple concept career politicians can’t seem to understand: If you can’t get there, nobody’s going there. In Wisconsin, we have the 2nd worst roads in the nation and they cost drivers an average of $637 per year. 1,232 bridges are structurally deficient, and only 41 percent of state highways were rated in good condition under the Department of Transportation’s rating system — down from 53.5% in 2010. At the same time, costs on 16 projects increased by more than $3 billion. Let’s be clear – there is no sincere plan for community and economic development in Wisconsin that does not include long-term investment in roads, rail, light rail, buses, ports, airports, high-speed Internet, and reliable cellular connections. This is the 21st century, and we need infrastructure that empowers our state to compete in the global economy. By strategically investing in Wisconsin, we will see growth throughout our state and a turnaround of communities that Gov. Walker has left to die on the vine. We will re-energize communities by making Wisconsin the most efficient at getting people to work and products to market. Infrastructure projects will also be structured to create regional jobs training programs that put underemployed workers throughout Wisconsin to work in family-sustaining jobs and future energizing regional economies. As governor, Andy Gronik will connect our state to the 21st-century economy by doing the following: Execute a 20-year transportation plan to spark statewide community and economic development by strategically investing in roads, rail, light rail, buses, airports, and ports; Pay for the new infrastructure by expanding the transportation fund through user fees generated by gas and wheel taxes and by considering public-private partnerships to develop meaningful options that work for Wisconsin; Stop the routine practice of bonding (borrowing to build) transportation projects which shifts the burden of paying for the construction to the future earnings of our children; Structure public-private partnerships with organizations to recruit and train a qualified workforce in construction and emerging sectors of the regional economy; Seek to expand private-public partnerships with trade unions to scale their world-class training facilities and apprenticeship programs by creating a funnel to identify unemployed or underemployed people interested in a career in the trades; Invest in blisteringly fast high-speed Internet and state-of-the-art cellular connections everywhere in our state; Invest in the infrastructure needed for electric cars; Restore local control so communities throughout Wisconsin are empowered to make decisions about where they will invest in growth and have the means to pay for these improvements. Jobs Right now in Wisconsin, families are working two, three, or four jobs and still struggling to pay their rent. Parents are not seeing their kids, and these families can’t even dream about taking a vacation in our beautiful state. Well, that’s not a high quality of life, and it’s definitely not the Wisconsin Andy Gronik got to know living here his entire life. Andy has 35 years of experience creating good-paying, family-sustaining jobs in the private sector. He accomplished this by bringing people together and getting executives out of boardrooms and onto factory floors so they could find the very best ideas for solving the issues facing their company. Andy’s vision for the state builds on Wisconsin’s strengths and creates jobs in science, technology, manufacturing, and agriculture. Wisconsin has the infrastructure to claim world leadership in the industries supporting food production, packaging and distribution, freshwater and clean air technologies, and in renewable energy. We can bring families back to rural communities by being who we are in Wisconsin, and not by attempting to buy our way out of dismal job creation performance by shoveling taxpayer money off to Foxconn. As governor, Andy Gronik will improve the economy and job creation in Wisconsin by doing the following: Focusing economic development initiatives with clearly defined goals and tactics; Rewarding cooperative economic development; Creating regional jobs training programs that pay people a living wage to acquire the job skills needed to help grow Wisconsin businesses throughout our state; Investing in all forms of transportation infrastructure and high-speed Internet and cellular technologies, so Wisconsin communities are connected to business opportunities worldwide; Restructuring WEDC and DWD into one department without silos to energize our economy and maximizes the potential of every Wisconsinite to contribute to our new 21st-century economy; Expanding access to all layers of capital needed to support entrepreneurial success; Reforming corporate tax laws to promote the growth of small, medium, and large businesses throughout our state; Establishing regional governor’s boards of local entrepreneurs, bankers, attorneys, accountants, and consultants to help incubate and grow successful new businesses; Establishing 24/7 job concierge service to accelerate placement of qualified applicants with good-paying jobs; Recruiting young graduates back to our state by helping them pay back student debt; Making Wisconsin the place for Millennials by making them stakeholders in our future; Creating and investing in the kinds of living and work environments young people want in communities throughout the state; Advocating for paid family leave insurance that allows families to take paid leave from work to ensure economic stability following the birth or adoption of a child or in the midst of a family health crisis; Supporting affordable child care and afterschool programs that provide flexibility for working families. Lead Laterals There is a public health crisis happening in Milwaukee as thousands of households in the city are learning about dangerous levels of lead exposure in their drinking water. The science is clear that lead laterals pose risks to children, pregnant women, and women who may become pregnant, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that there is “no safe blood lead level in children,” that there “are no obvious symptoms of lead exposure,” and lead blood poisoning “…can affect nearly every system in the body.” Municipal water systems purify water and make it safe for drinking. They test the water as it exits the treatment plants to ensure their systems are working. Treated water is then delivered to homes, businesses, schools, and every other property with water service through pipes connected to service lines called “laterals” that are the property owner’s responsibility to maintain. The City of Milwaukee knows that about 70,000 homes constructed before 1951 receive city water that passes through lead laterals and service lines, putting those families at risk of exposure to lead in their water. Most of the families at risk earn modest livings or live in poverty. Currently, it is suggested that property owners concerned that their property is served by lead pipes replace their lateral – costing as much $9,000 per lateral. At a time when people are working two and three jobs just to get by this cost must seem impossible for many affected households. Wisconsin residents who cannot afford to replace lead laterals are forced to consider other options that can only be described as unacceptable — like running water through each faucet for ten minutes before using it, boiling water before using it, or installing water filters. This forces some families in Wisconsin to drink, cook, brush their teeth, bathe, and live in homes that may be poisoning them all – even their children. It’s time for Gov. Scott Walker to show some real leadership and put an end to this travesty. The concern about contaminated water is not just a Milwaukee issue – it’s a Wisconsin issue. According to an EPA estimate, more than 176,000 lead service lines connect Wisconsin homes to iron water mains that deliver municipal water. Scott Walker’s policies have stripped local control from cities, towns, and villages and made it impossible for local officials to consider a comprehensive solution. The Private Lead Service Line (PLS) Replacement Program is a $14.5 million dollar program that provides a drop in the bucket of the funding needed to assist disadvantaged communities and residents throughout Wisconsin with the debt-free replacement of lead service lines on private property. The cost to replace the lead laterals in the 70,000 properties in Milwaukee alone could range between $210 to $630 million. The fact that at least 38 communities are already participating in PLS in Wisconsin confirms this is a huge problem in our state. The lessons of Flint, Michigan cannot go unlearned here in Wisconsin where working families earning a modest living and families living in poverty are at risk of being poisoned by lead pipe laterals and can’t fight back. If Scott Walker can figure out a way to give Taiwan’s Foxconn what is now estimated to be at least $4.5 billion, he ought to be able to figure out how to stop Wisconsinites from being poisoned right here at home. It’s time for Walker to invest in PLS to eliminate the risks of lead poisoning from laterals statewide, and to demand President Donald Trump expand the funding available from the EPA to help. This shouldn’t be a political issue. This affects real people and that hits very close to home for Andy. Years ago, Andy moved his family into a home that he later learned was polluted with toxigenic mold that made his entire family sick. Andy and his family had to move out of their home immediately because it wasn’t safe to live in, and later watched their former home torn down. Andy knows what it’s like to call poison control, the health department, the children’s hospital, and countless medical professionals to find answers to what long-term health effects exposure to the toxins found in his home could have on his then two-year-old daughter and five-year-old son. He also knows what it’s like to feel the anxiety of not receiving any good answers. Andy was lucky to have been in the position to fight back for his family. He fought to return everyone to good health, but also fought for justice for his family and other families by going up against very powerful interests. Andy was fortunate to have the resources to fight for his family, but you shouldn’t have to be wealthy to live in a house that won’t poison your kids. Every family deserves to live in a healthy home and in times of crisis, they need to know their leaders are looking out for them. After all, one of the principal responsibilities of government is to protect public health. People across our state want to know their government is listening and putting their interests first. They want a governor willing to fight for them. That’s why Andy’s running — to fight for Wisconsin families confronted with a broken system that has left them behind. He’ll fight for these families as hard as he fought for his own. When Andy is elected governor, he will: Comprehensively expand PLS to adequately address the statewide issue of lead laterals poisoning Wisconsin families and seek full cooperation and funding from the EPA to help address this health crisis; Work closely with state and national public health officials and recognized experts to update the means by which public utilities test the safety of water systems and distribution networks and make the testing data collected transparent and understandable to the public. Legalizing Marijuana Andy believes there are many reasons why Wisconsin should legalize marijuana and would support it enthusiastically if it passed a statewide referendum. There is ample evidence showing: 1) marijuana effectively addresses a variety of medical conditions; 2) opioid use is substantially reduced in states like Colorado where marijuana has been legalized and; 3) criminalizing marijuana for recreational use poses an enormous personal and societal cost, and does so disproportionately to communities of color. Marijuana has proven to offer medicinal benefits for people suffering from chronic pain, cancer, anxiety, epilepsy, and many other illnesses. Instead of recognizing these benefits, Gov. Walker sees this differently. He has Wisconsin’s prison system overflowing with offenders — many of whom are locked up on non-violent, marijuana-related charges. Walker’s policies are destroying families unnecessarily burdened by loved ones incarcerated for minor infractions. And, the real cost to Wisconsin taxpayers is countless millions of dollars that could be more productively directed to institutions throughout our state that have been starved of financial resources. Andy prefers to treat drug addiction with rehabilitation programs that get people back on their feet and trained for good-paying jobs available right now throughout Wisconsin. It’s time to stop locking people up for these types of non-violent crimes and wasting tax dollars on law enforcement, adjudication, incarceration, and all of the other direct and indirect costs to Wisconsin families. When governor Andy will: Put legalizing marijuana to a statewide referendum and enthusiastically support the full legalization of marijuana if passed by Wisconsin voters; Properly regulate and tax the sale of marijuana to create a fund for education, jobs training, rehabilitation programs, and to battle the distribution and sale of illegal drugs; Comprehensively review all cases involving persons with current or past convictions for marijuana-related, non-violent crimes and, when appropriate, advocate for early release and expungement of their criminal records. Opioid Crisis and Drug Addiction Drugs are killing our kids and communities throughout Wisconsin, and some of those drugs are legally prescribed by doctors. According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 63,600 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016, 21% higher than in 2015. No matter the statistics reviews, addiction is skyrocketing, more Wisconsinites are dying, and families are left in shambles. For decades, tobacco companies argued cigarettes didn’t cause cancer. Then, of course, we learned they did. In the 1990’s, drug companies claimed opioids were a compassionate way to treat pain and began aggressively marketing them, claiming opioids were safe, non-addictive, and had few side effects. Doctors listened and began prescribing accordingly. The impact is self-evident. The price tag has been the destruction of Wisconsin families with loved ones turned addicts and the almost immeasurable direct and indirect costs sustained by Wisconsin taxpayers burdened with the cost of law enforcement activities, criminal justice, incarceration, drug treatment and rehabilitation programs, etc. Wisconsin is experiencing the devastating effects of drug addiction in every inch of our state. Andy Gronik’s answer to this crisis is to rethink everything and leave nothing off the table to attack this crisis at the heart and kill it. As governor, Andy will: Lead the country in taking action against drug companies on behalf of the taxpayers of Wisconsin; Seek full recovery of all direct and indirect damages sustained as a result of the reckless distribution of opioids for pain treatment by drug companies; Promote stricter laws regulating the prescription and disbursement of opioids; Champion public-private partnerships to develop new dosing systems that regulate the release of prescribed medication at the prescribed time; Support the full legalization of marijuana pending a successful ballot referendum in Wisconsin; Use a portion of the proceeds generated by taxing marijuana to fund programs to choke off the manufacture and distribution of illegal drugs in Wisconsin; Support funding a complete upgrade and integration of data platforms used by local and state law enforcement agencies to increase the effectiveness of every aspect of crime prevention including detecting crimes, capturing criminals, and judging actual best practices for rehabilitation to reduce recidivism; Seek changes to the system of confidential tips and make the identity of tipsters completely inaccessible so citizens can report concerns about drug-related crimes confidentially. This is not always the case right now and results in many crimes going unreported; Expand drug prevention programs and create private-public partnerships to innovate 21st-century tools to connect with parents and kids to promote healthy and drug-free lives; Seek to develop joint programs between our public schools and local law enforcement to appropriately build real-life awareness of the tragic effects of drug use and addiction; Expand resources to drug rehabilitation programs based on proven best-practice patient outcomes and proactively explore even the most controversial methods to help addicts find treatment including professionally supervised drug consumption rooms. Protecting Our Democracy On the campaign trail, Andy Gronik asks people all the time “Do you think politics as usual is working in Wisconsin?” The answer is always a resounding “No.” No one wants a broken system in which career politicians, special interests, and major corporations win at the expense of the people of our state. That broken system will change on Andy’s watch because he respects the people of our state and cherishes our democracy. Andy believes in a transparent, accountable, and accessible government. He thinks the right to vote is sacred and we should do all we can to protect that right and expand it to as many Americans as possible to ensure they have a voice in our government. Voters should choose their politicians, not the other way around. We should take the power of redistricting away from the legislature and put it into the hands of a non-partisan entity. We should stop gutting the ethics boards that oversee our elections and restore non-partisanship to those entities. Our politicians should not turn into professional fundraisers, and we should fight to remove the influence of money from our politics. Anything short of protecting our Democracy with these common-sense solutions to fix our entire system is just wrong and has no place in our state. As governor, Andy Gronik will: Restore the voice of the people of Wisconsin in our elections and adopt the Iowa model to take partisanship out of mapmaking; Repeal voter ID laws; Fight back against any unfair voting restrictions that limit voting hours, prevent absentee voting, and eliminate same-day voter registration; Return our election commission to the nonpartisan watchdog model of the former GAB, so all of our elected officials are held fully accountable for any ethics violations; Support legislation to increase transparency in all branches of state government; Restore all of the duties of office of the Treasurer, an elected office Gov. Walker wants to eliminate so he controls the money and public lands of our state; Advocate for plans that get money out of politics, so politicians work for you. Seniors and Retirees As a progressive businessman, Andy Gronik did his very best to be a good corporate citizen, and that meant ensuring that workers earned a good-paying wage and could look forward to a secure retirement. As governor, Andy will do the same thing. He believes that a dignified retirement is a cornerstone of the American Dream and Wisconsin residents who have worked their entire lives should have access to quality healthcare, affordable community housing, and greater financial security in retirement. While Republicans have unfairly scapegoated seniors for political gain, Andy will give them the respect they deserve and benefits they’ve earned as hard-working Wisconsinites. As your next governor, Andy Gronik will: Support the Affordable Care Act, which helps Wisconsin seniors have access to their doctors, receive the crucial care they need to prevent serious medical emergencies, and eliminates the Medicare “donut hole;” Support strengthening Social Security as a safety net for seniors; Protect SeniorCare as a cost-effective alternative prescription drug service for Wisconsin residents; Protect the Wisconsin pension system and maintain benefits for current retirees and future state workers; Support a proposal to increase wages and training for Wisconsin Certified Nurses Assistants (CNA) and make sure they have access to medical care for themselves. Social Justice and Immigration We will set ourselves up for success when we give people from diverse backgrounds a seat at the table. Too often people in our community face obstacles in their lives that they shouldn’t have to face alone, and under Gov. Walker, our state has not done enough to stand up for their rights. Rest assured, Andy Gronik will be a champion for those rights and seek to govern Wisconsin as a state that treats people with equity. Andy gets inspiration when he sees people from all walks of life working together to solve the problems they face. With fresh leadership, Andy will work hard to ensure that our government operates with this same kind of collaborative, inclusive, and welcoming spirit. As governor, Andy Gronik will: Renew our state’s commitment to civil rights and equality for everyone, regardless of race, who you love, what gender you identify as, or what country you immigrated from; Fight for full equality under the law for the LGBTQ community and reject any efforts to discriminate against people whose personal identity and gender does not correspond to their birth sex; Support an honest conversation about the institutional racism in our state and how to eliminate it; Stop the attacks on those who have fallen on hard times by improving job training and other assistance programs instead of threatening the people with starvation and drug testing; Make Wisconsin a state that honors the contributions of immigrant families and do everything he can to stop unfair deportations; Support an expeditious path to citizenship and a permanent solution for DACA recipients; Ensure that everyone living and working in the state of Wisconsin is issued a valid driver’s license and is not the subject of wage discrimination; Make it a priority to appoint people from underrepresented groups to executive positions, so the makeup of our government reflects the composition of our people. Reuniting Wisconsin Andy Gronik has been traveling the state for more than two years now, listening to thousands of people living in the city and the country about the real-life challenges they face living in Wisconsin. When he’s in rural areas of our state, people ask him to not forget about them and to come back soon. And, when Andy’s in our cities listening to people living in poverty, they ask him to do the very same thing. Gov. Walker has spent the last seven years playing “divide and conquer” with the people of our state. And, he’s been successful transforming the place – and not in a good way. But, the truth is, we’re not that different, and we all want the same thing. People are sick of being pitted against their friends and neighbors, and they are sending a clear signal to Walker that his time is up. And, he’s scared — calling these signals a “Wake Up Call.” Andy will not participate in this “us or them” politics. While Andy’s made no bones about his disdain for Walker’s tactics and unwillingness to stand for all the people of our state, Andy comes into this process respecting people’s differences of opinions and is skilled at finding ways to build consensus and work together toward common goals. He sees Walker’s recent ploys to seem more moderate by contradicting actions he’s taken during his administration to be disingenuous, and Andy is confident these efforts will be transparent to Wisconsinites regardless of their political affiliation. Andy also rejects efforts to make this election about city or country, urban or rural. He will not participate in continuing to divide our state for political purposes. As far as Andy is concerned, we are one Wisconsin and he has one plan that builds on the strengths of our entire state. This election will not be about where you live for Andy. It will be about what Andy stands for, and he stands for making life in our state better for everyone who lives here. So, Andy will seek the very best ideas for our state, and he does not care where they come from as long as they put the people of Wisconsin first. Finding our Wisconsin again is going to take effort after all that Walker’s put us through to destroy our unity. Andy suggests that we begin by remembering that we are all neighbors of one another and that we owe each our loyalty. Veterans Our veterans have made a significant sacrifice to defend our freedoms, and they deserve our loyalty and utmost respect. It must be a solemn duty of our next governor to take care of our veterans when they come home. Andy Gronik believes Wisconsin can be a model for veteran’s care and offer it as a much broader end-to-end solution that makes it easier for veterans to find the services needed to live a healthy and productive life. He envisions a system where intake is centralized and fully assesses and addresses (to the extent possible) all of the needs of the veteran at that time. Intake then acts as the “quarterback” to efficiently coordinate the services needed by the veteran with various service providers. These needs can include but are not limited to: healthcare, counseling rehabilitation, education, financial aid, career services, housing assistance, family support, etc. As your governor, Andy Gronik will: Respect and honor the sacrifice of our veterans; Centralize the services needed by veterans to transition into civilian life; End homelessness among veterans; Help veterans receive the training needed to staff 21st-century jobs, apply their military training to qualifying for related private sector certifications, and start up new businesses; Protect the funds available for state-run veterans homes to ensure proper staffing, facility maintenance, and healthcare services. Women's Rights Andy Gronik applauds, as we all should, the hundreds of thousands of women and men that have participated in the women’s marches all around the state — and the country. They are sending the message loud and clear that we will never give up fighting for our shared values of justice and equity. These marches and the emergence of the #MeToo movement poignantly highlight the real disparity between women and men across every aspect of our society – power, influence, compensation, recognition, advancement, respect – you name it. For far too long, people in positions of power have not been listening. Brave women all around the country are making their voices heard, and they are using their voices to make concrete changes to the power imbalances we find in our everyday lives. Andy is in full support of women across the state demanding equal pay, access to reproductive healthcare, and freedom from sexual harassment and abuse. As governor, Andy Gronik will: Restore the WI Equal Pay Enforcement Act that was repealed in 2012; Ensure access to Constitutionally-protected family planning and reproductive healthcare; Support comprehensive sexual harassment training at all levels of state government; Make it a priority to appoint women to executive positions, so the makeup of our government reflects the makeup of our people; Advocate for paid family leave insurance that allows families to take paid leave from work to ensure economic stability following the birth or adoption of a child or in the midst of a family health crisis; Support affordable child care and afterschool programs that provide flexibility for working families. Workers' Rights Andy Gronik has always recognized the importance of treating employees like family — it’s called being a good corporate citizen. Paying people fairly, making sure they have affordable healthcare or other needed benefits, and making sure workers have a voice at the table are all important priorities for him. Good wages and fair labor practices are not just good for workers — it’s smart business, and ultimately, it is good for the economy. In the private-sector, Andy had the chance to help guide manufacturing businesses throughout the world, and he has always believed that labor working together with management toward common goals is how everything great has been built. Andy sees listening to workers and considering their input as the key to problem-solving and unleashing the economic potential of our state. Organizations that value the ideas contributed by labor have always been the ones to grow in Wisconsin, making our state the manufacturing center of America. As a result, lots of people, who came from nothing, were able to start and grow businesses so their families could join the middle class. Andy is running for governor because he believes in Wisconsin and its people. This is, after all, the state where progressives and workers succeeded in implementing the first worker’s compensation protections, the first unemployment compensation law, and the first protections against LGBTQ discrimination in employment. And we were the first state to give public sector unions the right to collectively bargain. We must realize that, especially here in Wisconsin, it’s important for us to carry on that legacy and fight for workers’ rights. That’s how we’ll move Wisconsin forward. As your governor, Andy Gronik will: Protect the right of unions to organize and collectively bargain for fair wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits; Repeal so-called Right-to-Work laws; Restore prevailing wage laws; Raise the minimum wage honoring the “Fight for $15” rallying cry but with thoughtful consideration to regional differences in the cost of living and temporary jobs serving the tourist industry may dictate wages higher or lower than $15/hour; Re-establish worker protections in Wisconsin; Keep the workplace safe; Encourage executives across the state to get out of the boardroom and work with their employees to find solutions to the problems facing their company.	”
—Gronik for Wisconsin

See also

• Governor of Wisconsin
• Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
• Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary)

External links

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