Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary)

Elections in Wisconsin, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 17 (online or mail), or Nov. 2 (in-person)
• Early voting: Varies by locality
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: Yes
• Voter ID: Photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Attorney General • Secretary of State • State executive offices • State Senate • State Assembly • Special state legislative • Supreme court • Appellate courts • Local judges • State ballot measures • Local ballot measures • School boards • Municipal • Recalls • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2022 → ← 2014
Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2018
Primary: August 14, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Scott Walker (Republican) Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Wisconsin
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Wisconsin executive elections
Governor Lieutenant governor Attorney general Secretary of state Treasurer

Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) won the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary. Evers received 41.7 percent of the vote to Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin President Mahlon Mitchell's (D) 16.4 percent.

In the past decade, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's gubernatorial nominees have been defeated three times by incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R). Walker ran for a third term in 2018, leaving Democrats with the task of choosing a challenger in an August 14 primary.

Evers, who led in most Democratic Party polling, emphasized his victory in three statewide superintendent races as evidence that he was the candidate best-suited to defeat Walker. He described himself as "an educator my entire adult life" and said that his run was motivated by a belief that "what's best for kids is best for our state." His endorsements included former Sen. Herb Kohl (D) and former Reps. Steve Kagen (D) and Dave Obey (D).

Mitchell ran with the support of the Wisconsin branches of the AFL-CIO and Service Employees International Union. He was the Democratic lieutenant governor candidate in the 2012 gubernatorial recall election. Mitchell emphasized his role in promoting labor policy.

Former Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Matt Flynn (D) ran on the slogan of Forward with Flynn, arguing that "it’s time to restore clean, open and honest government to Wisconsin." Flynn argued that his approach to the general election, which he characterized as more direct than his opponents', was the party's best chance at unseating Walker. Former Gov. Tony Earl (D) endorsed him.

Former state Rep. Kelda Roys (D) touted "her proven record of progressive accomplishments, her effective leadership in state government, her executive experience in the private and non-profit sectors – and most of all, her passion and positive vision for our state’s future." She said that her experience as an attorney and as a small business owner before she entered politics would give her additional insight on managing the state's economy. Roys' endorsements included EMILY's List, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Demand Universal Healthcare.

Three-term Madison Mayor Paul Soglin (D) ran a Bernie Sanders-inspired campaign for governor, calling himself "that rare elected leader unafraid to do what’s right" and stating that he was the first Democratic gubernatorial candidate to oppose Act 10. Soglin emphasized his private sector experience and his mayoral record.

State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout (D) highlighted her background as a western Wisconsin legislator and her experience on the Audit Committee.

Also in the running were former Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Director Mike McCabe (D) and attorney Josh Pade (D).

Pundits rated the general election as Lean Republican.

The winner of the general election was involved in the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Wisconsin state law, the state legislature is responsible for drawing new maps for U.S. House and state legislative seats following the completion of the census. The governor has the power to veto these district map proposals. Click here for more information on redistricting procedures.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on gubernatorial candidates, 2018

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

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Wisconsin

		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.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete 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)

Endorsements

Democratic candidate endorsements
Endorsement	Date	Evers	Flynn	Mitchell	Wachs	Roys
Federal officials
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA)	July 26, 2018			✔
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)	July 18, 2018					✔
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)	November 14, 2017			✔
State figures
Former gubernatorial candidate Andy Gronik (D)	June 24, 2018					✔
State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa (D)	June 19, 2018					✔
Former State Sen. Jessica King (D)	June 11, 2018					✔
State Rep. Amanda Stuck (D)	June 5, 2018					✔
Former Gov. Tony Earl (D)	January 29, 2018		✔
Former Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton (D)	October 26, 2017	✔
State Rep. Christine Sinicki (D)	October 23, 2017				✔
State Rep. Tod Ohnstad (D)	October 20, 2017				✔
State Rep. Dianne Hesselbein (D)	October 18, 2017				✔
State Rep. Nick Milroy (D)	October 16, 2017				✔
Former Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)	October 16, 2017	✔
Former Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI)	October 14, 2017	✔
State Rep. Dave Considine (D)	October 6, 2017				✔
Former Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI)	September 29, 2017				✔
State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Steve Doyle (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Jill Billings (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Mark Spreitzer (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Lisa Subeck (D)	Unknown				✔
State Rep. Terese Berceau (D)	Unknown				✔
State Sen. Mark Miller (D)	Unknown	✔
State Rep. Sondy Pope (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Rep. Bob Turner (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Sen. John Lehman (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Rep. Spencer Black (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Rep. Mandy Wright (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Rep. Fred Clark (D)	Unknown	✔
Former state Sen. Calvin Potter (R)	Unknown	✔
Local figures
Former Madison Mayor Sue Bauman	January 10, 2018	✔
Former Madison Mayor Joel Skornicka	January 10, 2018	✔
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (D)	October 31, 2017		✔
Milwaukee Alderman Cavalier Johnson	Unknown				✔
Milwaukee Alderman Nik Kovac	Unknown		✔
Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman	Unknown		✔
Milwaukee Alderman Terry Witkowski	Unknown		✔
Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy	Unknown		✔
Milwaukee County Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez	Unknown		✔
Former Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve Bablitch	Unknown		✔
Green Bay City Councillor Barb Dorff	Unknown	✔
Former Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson	Unknown	✔
Former Brown County Executive Nancy Nusbaum	Unknown	✔
Former Dane County Executive Rick Phelps	Unknown	✔
Organizations
Women's March Wisconsin	July 10, 2018					✔
EMILY's List	June 20, 2018					✔
National Organization for Women	May 15, 2018					✔
NARAL Pro-Choice America	May 15, 2018					✔
AFSCME	May 24, 2018			✔
Wisconsin AFL-CIO	May 17, 2018			✔
Service Employees International Union-Wisconsin	February 15, 2018			✔
Operating Engineers Local 139	December 4, 2017			✔

Campaign finance

The following campaign finance figures are taken from Fall Pre-Primary 2018 reports filed with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. They cover all contributions and expenditures made between the beginning of the campaign cycle on January 1, 2017, and the end of the reporting period on July 30, 2018.

• In addition to the figures reported below, Tony Evers (D) entered the campaign cycle with $117,328.63 in his campaign account from previous elections.
• Mahlon Mitchell (D) entered the campaign cycle with $6,322.07 in his campaign account.
• Kelda Roys (D) entered the campaign cycle with $15,907.28 in her campaign account.
• Kathleen Vinehout (D) entered the campaign cycle with $4581,36 in her campaign account.

Debates and forums

February 25 candidate forum

Five of the then-declared candidates seeking the Democratic nomination appeared at a candidate forum in Door County on February 25, 2018. Matt Flynn (D), Andy Gronik (D), Bob Harlow (D), Kelda Roys (D), and Paul Soglin (D) were in attendance at the forum. Mike McCabe (D) and Dana Wachs (D) were represented by surrogates. The following issues were discussed:

• Firearms regulations: Candidates were asked for their stance on firearms regulations.
  • Flynn: Flynn stated his support for universal background checks and a mandated waiting period as part of the sale of a firearm. He added, "We will not arm teachers. That is crazy."
  • Gronik: Gronik stated his refusal to accept campaign contributions from the National Rifle Association. He called for a ban on particular varieties of firearms, as well as on modifications that allow a semi-automatic firearm to fire multiple rounds without multiple pulls of the trigger and on military-grade ammunition.
  • Harlow: "Traveling the state, everybody I talk to, especially gun owners, especially hunters, whether they are Republicans or Democrats, they all think, No. 1, the NRA is crazy, and No. 2, nobody should be able to purchase or own an assault weapon...Common sense gun legislation is needed."
  • McCabe: McCabe's surrogate stated McCabe's support for stricter regulations on firearms.
  • Roys: Roys criticized a vote in the state Assembly against mandating universal background checks for firearms sales.
  • Soglin: "The NRA has been on a mission to get as many guns into the hands of as many people as they can..So the response to this will be to get more guns out in society so we can all shoot each other."

• Foxconn contract: Candidates were asked for their stance on a contract the state had signed with Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Foxconn.
  • Flynn: "I respectfully disagree with my friends on this panel...That deal can be stopped. One of the first things I will do is start litigation to stop it."
  • Gronik: Gronik stated his belief that the contract could not be broken.
  • Harlow: Harlow stated that he "will not rest until we turn over every avenue to stop the Foxconn deal, and I believe there is a very good chance we can get this done."
  • McCabe: McCabe's surrogate stated that McCabe opposed the contract.
  • Roys: Roys stated her intention to attempt to "roll back some of the most horrific provisions of the Foxconn deal, but as an attorney, I think it would be irresponsible for me to commit to saying I will be able to stop it."
  • Soglin: "Let me be the lawyer who splits hairs here...There’s a principle in law that if a private party relies on an action by government and the action by government is illegal, then the agreement can be violated and the government is not liable for any expenditures the private party has made in reliance on that government mistake. So, Matt Flynn and I are in agreement."
  • Wachs: Wachs' surrogate stated it would not be easy to prevent the deal from going forward.

February 24 candidate forum

Nine of the then-declared candidates seeking the Democratic nomination appeared at a candidate forum in Eau Claire on February 24, 2018. Michele Doolan (D), Tony Evers (D), Matt Flynn (D), Andy Gronik (D), Bob Harlow (D), Mike McCabe (D), Jeff Rumbaugh (D), Kathleen Vinehout (D), and Dana Wachs (D) appeared at the forum. During the forum, audience members broke into small groups. The candidates rotated between the groups and answered questions posed by group members in a town hall format. Among the issues discussed at the forum were firearm regulations, the economy, and the environment.

January 28 candidate forum

Nine of the then-declared candidates seeking the Democratic nomination appeared at a candidate forum in Madison on January 28, 2018. Tony Evers (D), Matt Flynn (D), Andy Gronik (D), Mike McCabe (D), Mahlon Mitchell (D), Kelda Roys (D), Paul Soglin (D), Kathleen Vinehout (D), and Dana Wachs (D) were selected for inclusion in the event based on the hosts' assessment of their campaign infrastructure and financial health.

The nine candidates did not differ on the majority of the issues discussed at the 90-minute forum, but two areas of disagreement were marijuana policy and the fate of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Although all nine candidates supported the legalization of marijuana for medicinal use, they were divided on legalization for recreational use; seven of the nine argued in favor of legalization, while Evers called for a referendum to gauge public opinion and Vinehout declined to state her policy. Candidates were also asked what their stances were on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), a public-private partnership created in 2011 by sitting Gov. Scott Walker (R) as a replacement for economic development services previously provided by the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. While some of the candidates in attendance were in favor of dissolving the WEDC and re-establishing the Department of Commerce, others called for the elimination of the WEDC without the creation of a replacement agency.

Campaign tactics and strategies

Noteworthy events

Calls for Matt Flynn's withdrawal

On June 26, 2018, state Reps. Chris Taylor (D) and Melissa Sargent (D) called on Matt Flynn (D) to suspend his campaign, citing documents they had reviewed which purported to contain information on Flynn's work representing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The request followed a call for Flynn to withdraw made by Women's March Wisconsin on May 22, 2018. Flynn represented the archdiocese between 1989 and 2004. A series of lawsuits were filed against the archdiocese alleging that it had not sufficiently responded to allegations of sexual misconduct among clergy, culminating in a settlement reached on August 4, 2015, as part of the archdiocese's bankruptcy proceedings.

The documents referenced by Taylor and Sargent, which were released in 2014, allege that Flynn had impeded internal investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct, had overseen payments to outgoing members of the clergy accused of misconduct, and had neglected to inform civil authorities of cases of misconduct. Flynn denied the allegations, saying that "I worked with others to put into place procedures to identify and remove abusive priests, notify the authorities, and prevent their transfer...It was imperative that we work to create a system that would ensure that crimes such as these could never be committed and allowed to persist." Flynn said that Taylor and Sargent's call for his withdrawal was politically motivated, stating that primary opponent Tony Evers (D) had recently called on him to withdraw, which Evers spokeswoman Maggie Gau denied.

Following the calls for his withdrawal, Flynn published a response on his campaign website. The response stated that the allegations against Flynn had no basis in truth and originated with the Republican Party of Wisconsin.

Reactions to the results of the December 12, 2017, U.S. Senate special election

Following the December 12, 2017, special election to the U.S. Senate in Alabama, in which former U.S. Attorney Doug Jones (D) defeated former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore (R), candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor of Wisconsin argued that they were well-positioned to regain control of the governorship in 2018. Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) argued that "the fact that Moore lost a state that Trump won by 28 points shows that voters are sick of these destructive politics." Members of the Republican Party of Wisconsin countered that the results of the Alabama election had little to do with Wisconsin, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R) arguing that "Alabamans didn’t want somebody who dated 14-year-old girls."

Campaign advertisements

Tony Evers

Support

"Best" - Evers campaign ad, released August 3, 2018

"Vision" - Evers campaign ad, released July 30, 2018

"Mismanaged" - Evers campaign ad, released June 21, 2018

"Crystal's Story" - Evers campaign ad, released March 21, 2018

"Courage" - Evers campaign ad, released December 18, 2017

"Foxconned" - Evers campaign ad, released August 28, 2017

Matt Flynn

Support

"One Candidate" - Flynn campaign ad, released July 18, 2018

Josh Pade

Support

"That Says It All" - Pade campaign ad, released April 17, 2018

Kelda Roys

Support

"Tell Them" - Roys campaign ad, released July 19, 2018

"Cost" - Roys campaign ad, released June 6, 2018

Mahlon Mitchell

Support

"New Leader for Wisconsin" - Mitchell campaign ad, released July 31, 2018

Paul Soglin

Support

"Making Wisconsin Ours Again" - Soglin campaign ad, released August 3, 2018

Context of the 2018 election

• Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting governor was Scott Walker (R), who was first elected in 2010, won a recall election in 2012, and was re-elected in 2014. On October 18, 2017, Walker announced that he would seek re-election to a third term in 2018.
• As of the 2018 election, Wisconsin was under a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since 2011, when Walker took office and Republicans gained majorities in the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin House of Representatives. Wisconsin was also under divided triplex control.
• In the past five presidential election cycles, Wisconsin was won by the Democratic candidate in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 and by the Republican candidate in 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's 14 percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 0.22 percent margin in 2000.
• Wisconsin was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.

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.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Race ratings: Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2018	October 30, 2018	October 23, 2018	October 16, 2018
The Cook Political Report	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

Election history

2014

See also: Wisconsin gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2014

Mary Burke defeated Brett Hulsey by a 66.8 percent margin in the 2014 Democratic primary.

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mary Burke	83.4%	259,926
Brett Hulsey	16.6%	51,830
Total Votes		311,756
Election results via Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

Campaign themes and policy stances

Campaign themes

Tony Evers

“	Public Education in Wisconsin As a former educator, principal, district administrator and now as Wisconsin’s State Superintendent of Schools, Tony has dedicated his life to helping our kids. Our public schools are the heart and soul of so many Wisconsin communities but they also are essential to sustainable, innovative and long-term economic growth and workforce development. From “Divide and Conquer” with our educators to cutting over $1 billion from our schools, Scott Walker has not been a friend of public education. Since 2011, over 1 million Wisconsinites have voted to raise their own property taxes because Scott Walker and the Republican legislature have not adequately funded our public schools. Tony believes what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our future. As Governor, Tony will: Increase investments in early childhood education and quality childcare, which also includes helping Wisconsin families with skyrocketing childcare costs Increase funding for our public schools and restore respect and professionalism towards all our hardworking educators Increase investments in both our technical schools and UW System Support and reward research and innovation from student and faculty alike, and after graduation we must do everything we can to keep these young people in Wisconsin Allow Wisconsinites to refinance their student loans at a lower interest rate, just like a home mortgage As a member of the Board of Regents, Tony has seen firsthand the damage Scott Walker has inflicted on higher education in Wisconsin. He’s cut more from our UW System than almost any other Governor in the country. When other states began reinvesting in higher education, Wisconsin chose not to and it’s resulted in fewer classes and quality educators for our kids. Our possibilities are only limited by our own willingness to take no for an answer – it’s time we look to the future. Infrastructure and Transportation As Governor, Tony will focus on solving problems, not picking fights. One of Tony’s first priorities will be to solve Wisconsin’s transportation crisis. Our road quality ranks 49th in the country; towns and villages are returning to gravel and we’re borrowing so much money that Tony’s three-year-old grandson will be paying for our roads when he’s grown-up. Our local roads have been so inadequately funded, five counties and 18 cities have passed vehicle fees and taxes since 2011 to help cover road maintenance costs because the state has fallen down on the job. There are bipartisan long-term solutions for Wisconsin’s transportation system, however Scott Walker hasn’t shown the political will to get it done. Drawing a line in the sand is not leadership. Not only do we need to improve Wisconsin’s roads, but we need to make strong investments in Wisconsin’s ports, airports and railways. A strong infrastructure is more than just patching potholes. This is key for successful economic development – both in terms of drawing new businesses to Wisconsin, expanding existing businesses in Wisconsin and creating good-paying Wisconsin jobs. As Governor, Tony will: Work with both Democrats and Republicans alike to implement a sustainable, long-term fix for how we fund our roads Invest more in local road maintenance Increase funding for public transit Ensure our highways and bridges are no longer a liability, but an asset for bringing new industries and businesses to Wisconsin Repeal changes made to Wisconsin’s prevailing wage laws that simply take money out of Wisconsin’s workers pockets Healthcare Too few people have access to affordable health insurance and the cost of healthcare in Wisconsin continues to be too high. Period. There’s only one reason that folks in Minnesota pay half the price Wisconsinites do when purchasing health insurance through the state exchanges – Minnesota accepted the Medicaid expansion dollars and Wisconsin did not. As Governor, Tony will: Take immediate action to accept the federal Medicaid expansion dollars which would insure thousands more Wisconsinites who are struggling to find affordable health insurance Do everything in his power to stabilize health insurance markets and bring down costs – including prescription drug prices Invest in preventive health programs, especially for Wisconsin women, that have been defunded over the last seven years. Having to drive four hours round-trip for a mammogram, simply isn’t acceptable. Extend protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing health conditions. It is estimated that half of Wisconsinites have some kind of pre-existing health condition like cancer, diabetes, a heart condition, obesity or depression. We cannot afford to return to the days where health insurance companies held all the power and could cut off patients who simply cost them too much money. Protecting Our Natural Resources Wisconsin is at a dangerous crossroads. Our lands and natural resources are being auctioned off to the highest bidder, our lakes and streams are disappearing and our wetlands are being destroyed. Too often, our drinking water is unsafe making our kids sick. We must restore balance and commonsense to our natural resources management. From our state parks to the Great Lakes to the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program – Scott Walker has stopped investing in the very things that make Wisconsin great. Enough is enough. It’s time we reinvest in our future. We can grow our economy and increase our national security by producing renewable energy here at home rather than buying our energy from foreign countries and hostile nations. We can create new jobs and boost existing industries in Wisconsin, like logging and small-scale agriculture, by increasing the innovation, sustainability and value of their products. As Governor, Tony will: Make sure Wisconsin families have clean water to drink and clean air to breathe Ensure our kids learn the critical thinking skills to help them make informed, science-based decisions for our future Return Wisconsin’s rich legacy of conservation by restoring independence to the DNR, so decisions are based on facts and public input – not on catering to campaign donors, politicians and special interests Invest in our natural resources to create new outdoor recreation opportunities for hunters, snowmobilers and silent sports enthusiasts alike, while also protecting these resources for our future generations to use and enjoy Pledge Wisconsin’s support of the Paris Climate Change Accords Economic Development For over seven years, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has been a constant source of controversy, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. Millions have been lost or unaccounted for, taxpayer-funded loans have been used to buy luxury cars and Scott Walker still hasn’t met his 250,000 jobs promise from 2010. Despite over a billion dollars in tax breaks for big corporations with the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit (MAC), manufacturing jobs have decreased, manufacturing wages have gone down and western Wisconsin led the nation in farm bankruptcies in 2017. With MAC fully phased in, 11 multi-millionaires (making over $35 million a year) received $22 million in tax breaks and they didn’t have to create one single Wisconsin job. Trickle-down economics doesn’t work and neither do $4.5+ billion Hail Mary passes to foreign corporations like Foxconn. As Governor, Tony will: Disband WEDC and return the majority of economic development dollars to local communities and regional organizations. We shouldn’t make businesses come to Madison to beg for help – we should work within our communities and local chambers of commerce to rebuild our main streets and grow our existing businesses. Ensure access to high speed broadband in every Wisconsin home and business Invest in our roads, bridges, ports and airports, which not only brings new businesses and industries to Wisconsin, but leads to more good paying Wisconsin jobs Increase our investment in education, includes starting kids off right with strong early childhood programs, fully funding well-rounded k-12 public schools and returning to the Wisconsin Idea that values higher education, research and a commitment to making our community a better place. Racial Equality Advancing racial equity and increasing opportunities for children, families and communities of color across the state is imperative to Wisconsin’s healthy and sustainable future. Tony believes that building upon the strengths of these communities and the shared values of all Wisconsinites we can collectively address the existing disparities in poverty, unemployment, incarceration rates, graduation rates and infant mortality that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and in particular the African American community. Facing the challenge of being the state with the worst ranking for black child well-being in the nation is one Tony is willing to take head on, unlike Gov. Walker who continues to ignore these realities as well as continue to pass punitive policies that hurt not help Wisconsin families rebuild and grow. We have to invest in people, not prisons, to meet these challenges. As State Superintendent, Tony has worked to make every child a graduate and address the racial disparities and inequities in our schools, but Wisconsin needs all its leaders committed to this work. We need to make investments in local neighborhoods and ensure government decision-makers, corporate leaders, and educators reflect the growing diversity of our state. We must address the grievous problems in corrections system, expand alternatives to incarceration and reform the criminal justice system – especially for juveniles. We should empower local communities and ensure our workforce - from classroom educators to local law enforcement to health care providers - is more diverse and reflects our changing communities. Finally, we must reject the hateful rhetoric and division that’s consuming our country. Tony will use all resources at his disposal to ensure equality, opportunity, justice and fairness to all Wisconsinites. As Governor, Tony will: Treat all Wisconsinites with respect and dignity, giving a seat at the table to voices that too often are unheard Reform the criminal justice system (see more below), including specialty courts, diversion programs and restorative justice strategies as alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders Make diverse appointments drawn from strong community leaders across Wisconsin to lead state agencies, fill judicial vacancies, and serve on boards and commissions Prioritize equity and local communities in state budget decisions Repeal controversial drug testing requirements and adopt health and welfare policies that improve quality of care and strengthen families, rather than punish them Criminal Justice Reform According to The Sentencing Project, African Americans are more than five times more likely than whites to be in imprisoned. However, here in Wisconsin, that ratio is doubled (10:1). From education to health care to criminal justice – bold reforms must be made. The fact Wisconsin spends more on Corrections, than the entire UW System speaks volumes about our priorities as a state. There are a number of policies that we as a state must change. As Governor, Tony will support: Ending crimeless revocations Banning the box Eliminating mandatory minimums Ending the use of solitary confinement (especially with juveniles) Investing in drug courts, Treatment and Diversion (TAD) programs and restorative justice strategies Increased transparency, accountability and communication within policing Fixing our broken parole and supervision system which only contributes to our high incarceration levels while also keeping families apart Increasing access to affordable housing, employment with good wages, and other needed support for a successful re-entry for those who have completed their sentence Voting Rights Over the last seven years, Scott Walker and the Republican legislature have chipped away at Wisconsin’s fair elections laws. They’ve changed our voting dates, kicked hundreds of thousands off our voting rolls, implemented Voter ID with no evidence of credible voter fraud, made intimidation at the polls easier and gerrymandered our legislative maps to secure their power. We shouldn’t be making it harder for Wisconsinites to vote, we should be making it easier! Wisconsin should be following the lead of states like Oregon that have automatic voter registration for their residents. As Governor, Tony will work to make sure every single vote counts and increase opportunities for all Wisconsinites to participate in our democracy. Women's Health The health decisions that a woman makes should reside with her, her family and her physician – not the politicians who represent her. These are individual choices that we should trust women to make. While Wisconsin’s politicians think they know what’s best, there’s no question that Wisconsin women really know what’s best for themselves. As Governor, Tony will: Trust women, not politicians, to make their own health care decisions Invest in life-saving preventive health programs that keep Wisconsin women healthy Reverse Governor Walker’s decision to defund Planned Parenthood and thus ensure that thousands of Wisconsin residents are still able to access important health services like breast and cervical cancer screenings, physical exams, birth control and STI testing LGBTQ Rights Tony believes that all Wisconsinites should be able to marry who they love – plain and simple. Even with our recent victories on this front, there are still important LGBTQ protections we need on the books here in Wisconsin to ensure fairness and equality for all. Our work is not done. Tony is a strong ally who will continue to fight back against clandestine legislation that discriminates against LGBTQ people. He opposes attempts by the Legislature to outlaw local non-discrimination ordinances that protect people’s basic rights. He also has been a vocal opponent of the so-called “bathroom bills” and other attacks on LGBTQ youth. Worker's Rights It’s no secret Scott Walker has made his career by attacking Wisconsin’s workers time and time again. This ends in an Evers Administration. It’s time we started treating all Wisconsin workers – including our public employees – with respect and compassion. Tony is committed to filling his appointments with people who actually have expertise and knowledge in their respective fields, not simply filling government with more political hacks who will rubberstamp his policies. We must give our workers a seat at the table - listening to their concerns and hearing their ideas. We can do this on day one and don’t need to pass a bill to treat Wisconsinites with the dignity they deserve. Tony opposes Act 10, Right-to-Work and changes made by the GOP to Wisconsin’s prevailing wage laws. He also would support repealing legislation that eliminates the opportunity for local communities to pass living wages and other pro-worker protection policies. Minimum Wage In 2014, voters in 13 Wisconsin counties and cities had the opportunity to vote on a referendum asking lawmakers to raise the minimum wage. Every one of the referendums passed including places like Wood County, where Scott Walker won with 57% of the vote and the minimum wage referendum passing with 56% of the vote. Tony supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hour and indexing to inflation. However, like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Tony also believes that this should be phased in over multiple years. Marijuana Legalization Tony believes it’s time for Wisconsin to join nearly 30 other states and the District of Columbia in legalizing medical marijuana. As a cancer survivor himself, Tony is all too familiar with the side effects of a major illness that can make everyday tasks, like making your bed or even showering, a challenge. This is an evolving issue. For many Wisconsinites, medical marijuana will alleviate chronic pain, which is why organizations like the American Legion support legalization because of the documented health benefits for our veterans. It’s no secret that Wisconsin, like red and blue states across the country, is battling an opioid and painkiller crisis that is killing thousands of Americans every year. The fact remains that states that have legalized medical marijuana have observed double digit decreases in both opioid abuse and overdose related hospitalizations. Tony would support and sign medical marijuana legalization legislation. In regard to full legalization – Tony believes this is a decision that should reside with Wisconsin residents and would support a statewide referendum on the issue. Non-Partisan Redistricting Tony is strongly in-favor of non-partisan redistricting reform. Politicians should not be picking their constituents, the people should be picking their politicians. Campaign Finance Reform From Waukesha to Osceola to Reedsburg, nearly 120 communities across Wisconsin have expressed their support for overturning the 2010 Citizen’s United court decision. Our elections should not be awarded to the highest bidder. In 2015, Scott Walker and legislative Republicans overhauled Wisconsin’s campaign finance laws that resulted in them banning political corruption investigations, allowing for more cooperation between candidates and special interest groups, and doubling the amount of money candidates can accept. It’s time we returned power to the people of Wisconsin. As Governor, Tony would support legislation overturning Citizens United and other commonsense campaign finance reform that would clean up Wisconsin’s elections. Revitalizing Rural Wisconsin The farms and forests of rural Wisconsin are a core part of our identity. The prosperity of rural Wisconsin is directly tied to the health of agriculture and working forests and the dollars they circulate in local economies. When farm families suffer, our rural communities also suffer. Under Scott Walker’s eight years in office prospects for rural Wisconsin have gone down by every measure. From 2009 to 2014 more than thirty of our rural counties lost population – the highest trend of population loss in decades. Wisconsin is now losing more than one dairy farm every day. In parts of Wisconsin the rate of farm bankruptcies is the highest in the nation. Rural schools are on the brink of closing and suffering from woefully inadequate funding. While we’re on a spending spree to build more highways for Foxconn, our rural roads are falling apart. And far too many communities still lack broadband internet, which limits economic development and education opportunities just as much as the lack of electricity did in rural areas one hundred years ago. Tony Evers has seen first-hand the impacts of failure to invest in rural communities in every part of Wisconsin. And he knows how important is to restore healthy, vibrant rural communities, not just in our cities but in every part of Wisconsin. Diversified Agriculture Wisconsin’s farms are a tremendous asset with more than 68,000 farms occupying 14.3 million acres of farmland. To keep our farm economy strong Wisconsin needs to re-invest in diversified agriculture, value added farm products and food processing, and farm product marketing. As Governor Tony will: Convene a blue ribbon commission to advance agriculture and economic opportunities in rural Wisconsin Re-orient our economic development agencies to increase incentives to support agriculture and rural businesses through training, labor attraction, market development and business support Provide additional support for business investment in value added processing for farm products Ensure that our farm marketing labels support Wisconsin-grown farm products (Ex: Something Special from Wisconsin) Strengthen our support for forest owners and protecting jobs in our $26 billion forest products sector Work across the globe to increase international export development initiatives Renewable Energy Our farms and working lands should be producing the energy to power our state. We need to restore incentives and policies to produce more solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energies here in rural Wisconsin. Wisconsin citizens pay some of the highest rates in the nation for electricity. We can become more energy independent, and keep more of our energy dollars here at home by producing our own renewable energy - generating year-round income to help diversify operations for farms of all sizes. As Governor Tony will: Support policies to encourage farm operators and third-party system operators to invest in small and mid-scale producer-owned solar and wind Strengthen state incentives for renewable energy and adopt consistent rules on utility rates for customer-produced power Increase our investment in research, development and installation of renewable energy power sources through our UW System and UW-Extension Supporting Agriculture Wisconsin farmers are in a crisis as prices within the farm economy have been below production costs for more than three years. Farm families are enduring bankruptcy, health issues, and even suicides as rural Wisconsin loses more than one dairy farm every day. Farm policies have encouraged over production which has resulted in financial stress to dairy farm families, causing many of them to have to exit the industry. As Governor Tony will: Convene a blue-ribbon commission to advance economic opportunities in rural Wisconsin Strengthen our State University Extension system to offer support and market assistance to help farmers navigate brutal commodity markets. Extension was key to building up agriculture in Wisconsin – they need to again be a part of finding solutions. Work with Governors and farm leaders in neighboring states to find regional solutions, led by farmers, to maintain a strong dairy economy Rural Broadband Internet Broadband internet is an essential resource for schools, businesses, and homes. Without fast internet rural communities, farms, businesses, and students will always be at a disadvantage. Barely a month into his governorship, Scott Walker’s administration returned $23 million in federal stimulus money that would have built broadband connections for 380 Wisconsin communities — including 385 libraries and 82 schools. Tony Evers knows how important broadband internet is for everyone in rural Wisconsin and he’ll make it a priority to re-invest in internet access for everyone. Every home, school and business in Wisconsin should have access to 100 MB of high speed internet. Internet is the interstate of the 21st Century, we must begin treating it like a utility that all Wisconsinites deserve access to. As Governor Tony will: Call for a complete analysis of broadband needs in rural communities. Internet should be treated like a utility and through robust investments and partnerships we can dramatically improve broadband internet access in underserved areas. Advance policy to allow Wisconsin’s successful and efficient BadgerNet internet system to become a hub for internet access in underserved rural communities.	”
—Tony for Wisconsin

Matt Flynn

“	Jobs I have been traveling across our state, to our small towns and big cities, hearing from our fellow Wisconsinites about what we need to move Forward again. I hear over and over about our state's economy. Wages remain too low for too many Wisconsin workers. We are lagging behind the rest of the country. Too many are working several part-time jobs just to get by. Too many are struggling to provide for their families, living paycheck to paycheck, without opportunity for advancement. As governor, I will Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Reverse Act 10 and Right-to-Work. Restore Prevailing Wage. Create a fairer, more progressive tax structure. Invest in our small businesses, education, health care, and infrastructure. Provide greater local control to our counties, municipalities, and school districts. Health Care Donald Trump is trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act. As Governor, I will support the Affordable Care Act and work to make health care more affordable. Scott Walker turned down hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid payments by the federal government. This was merely the return of our own federal taxes. I will lobby for and accept all federal funding to meet our health care obligations. I am not willing to put politics ahead of people’s lives. To improve our health care system, we will: Support BadgerCare for All. This sensible law will allow patients to buy an affordable health plan through BadgerCare Plus as Trump shrinks access to the private market. Accept federal funding for Medicaid expansions. Clean Water Walker and the Republicans have seriously lowered Wisconsin’s environmental and water standards. Those standards were developed over decades by governors and legislators from both parties. High capacity wells and CAFOs are taking too much water out of our state and have contaminated wells in some areas. Some Wisconsinites drink bottled water because of the pollution. Walker exempted Foxconn, a foreign company, from important Wisconsin laws protecting our clean water. But Wisconsin companies like Harley Davidson and Miller Brewing have to obey those laws. I do not want Chinese industrial water management anywhere in Wisconsin. If foreign companies come to our state, they will obey Wisconsin law. To protect our clean water resources, we will: Restore water quality standards to protect our families. Restore a fully independent DNR with adequate resources and an adequate number of scientists. Create a state fund to assist municipalities and residents in removing lead service lines. Require all foreign companies to obey all American and Wisconsin laws. Education Wisconsin used to be known for having the best public education in the country. Then came Scott Walker. We will fully fund public education in this state. We will stop the Walker policy of slashing education after his election and then restoring a little funding before his re-election. The long-term impacts of his education policies are disastrous for Wisconsin’s economy. Teachers are leaving the profession or the state in droves. This means we will fully fund our public schools, technical colleges, and the UW System. We particularly need to restore the University of Wisconsin’s status as a premier research institution. Walker has vandalized the University of Wisconsin, tried to change the mission statement, eliminated statutory tenure, and made deep cuts to funding. It also means fixing the student loan crisis. Banks, abetted by their Republican cohorts in the Legislature, are profiting at the expense of our students. We should not force a lifetime of debt on those young people who are trying to find a place in the 21st Century economy. To restore the excellence of public education in Wisconsin, we will: Fully fund public education in this state, in both urban and rural districts, including transportation and broadband. This will require fixing the funding formulas so that no district is unfairly disadvantaged. Fully fund the UW System campuses and WTCS. Ensure that up to two years at Wisconsin’s public universities, colleges, or technical schools will be tuition free for in-state residents. Reaffirm the mission statement of the University of Wisconsin. Restore statutory tenure. Promote and advertise the excellence of the University of Wisconsin. Fight to pass legislation that allows borrowers to refinance their student loan debt when rates drop. Establish the Wisconsin Student Loan Authority to regulate and guarantee student loans at Wisconsin colleges and universities, based on the best practices of existing Student Loan Authorities around the county. Roads The plan of Walker and the Republicans for roads and infrastructure is neglect and debt. We have rural areas going back to gravel roads. Walker also turned down more than $800 million in train funds from the federal government which was simply a return of our federal taxes. To restore our roads and state infrastructure, we will: Lobby for and accept all federal funds for transportation and infrastructure projects. Pay for necessary road and infrastructure projects through a combination of user fees on gas, registration, and trucks. Political Reform Wisconsin has a long history of clean government reforms going back to the 19th Century. Scott Walker has progressively corrupted this state over the past seven years. He broke up one of the best government accountability agencies in the world and tried to gut the state’s open records law. He created and still oversees a giant slush fund in the form of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to benefit his donors. Every policy must start with clean government. I will clean up the corruption in Madison. In particular, I will reform the WEDC to a department that makes honest loans by honest standards, without regard to political contributions. I will restore a clean government accountability agency, and I’ll work with journalists, legislators, and citizens to make our state the most transparent in the country. To restore clean, honest government, we will: Reform the WEDC to a department that makes honest loans by honest standards, without regard to political contributions. Reaffirm our commitment to open records and transparency in government. Create automatic voter registration. Every American citizen living in Wisconsin who gets a license at the DMV will be automatically registered to vote. Licensees would be allowed to opt-out of voter registration if they choose. Establish a neutral reapportionment commission to redistrict legislative districts every ten years to prevent partisan legislators from picking their voters, rather than voters picking their legislators. Foxconn Scott Walker got taken to the cleaners in the Foxconn deal. He does not have the skill or experience to negotiate a $4.5 billion deal. He gave away our state’s resources to a foreign corporation in exchange for a promise to create jobs near the Illinois border. But there are no guaranteed number of jobs and no guaranteed wage levels. Part of the $4.5 billion could have been spent on our most important economic public assets, including the University of Wisconsin System and public education. Part of it could have been used to invest in start-ups and small businesses in all 72 counties of our state. Part of it could have been used to repair our roads. These three things would have created more jobs statewide and brought more money into all communities, including rural communities and urban communities, throughout Wisconsin. As governor, I will move to stop the Foxconn deal with immediate litigation once in office. Cannabis Reform Upon review of cannabis legalization in other states, I believe it is time for Wisconsin to legalize marijuana. I am concerned about the impact of mass incarceration on our society, including both the social and financial impact. Under present law, people can easily acquire a felony record that effectively bars them from most employment for the rest of their lives. The financial burden on the criminal justice system is also unacceptable. I also believe that legalizing marijuana will simply recognize a fact of life for many people, including the increasing use of medical marijuana by senior citizens to alleviate pain. Another result of legalization, although not the main reason for my position, will be the increased tax revenue and safety benefits that legalization will bring. When elected I will: Support a public referendum on cannabis legalization in Wisconsin Support action to remove marijuana from the federal list of Schedule I narcotics, standing up to Trump and Sessions Pardon nonviolent offenders convicted of Marijuana possession	”
—Forward with Flynn

Andy Gronik

“	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

Bob Harlow

“	A Healthcare System that Works for Wisconsin Every Wisconsinite deserves as many healthcare options as possible. For years Scott Walker has helped private insurance companies fix prices and wrongfully deny claims. As Governor, I will give Wisconsinites another option. By expanding Badgercare as a public option for health coverage, Wisconsinites will be able to choose a health plan where their money will never be spent on extravagant advertising bills as private insurers do. A plan where their money will not be used to hire armies of lobbyists and lawyers to look for new legal loopholes to wrongfully deny claims as private insurers do. If you choose Badgercare as your health plan, your hard earned dollars will go directly and simply to reimbursing you doctor for the care you receive. Let's Turn Wisconsin Technologies Into Strong Wisconsin Businesses that Create Good Paying Jobs I know that a governor’s most important responsibility is to achieve an economic climate that creates good paying jobs. Economic assessments routinely show that every dollar invested in our University of Wisconsin system returns over $20 to our Wisconsin economy. Indeed, by investing in our University of Wisconsin system, we make every Wisconsinite richer. We can go further. The University of Wisconsin is consistently in the top 5 for the number of patents produced by a university per year. By that metric, the technologies developed at the University of Wisconsin are literally driving our national economy. Yet Wisconsin is ranked dead last in new startups. We can change this and enact policies that will help Wisconsin technologies stay in Wisconsin and become strong Wisconsin businesses that create good paying jobs. Let's Come Together as Wisconsinites and Build a Strong Wisconsin Economy As I travel our state, the message I hear from voters is clear. It is time for Scott Walker’s politics of division to end. I know that much more brings us together as Wisconsinites than divides us. I am running for governor to bring Wisconsin together around the vision of prosperity for Wisconsin that we share.	”
—Harlow for Wisconsin

Mike McCabe

“	McCabe: I Won't Live in Governor's Mansion once Elected Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe announced today that he will decline to live in the Governor’s Mansion if elected but will leave it up to the people of the state to decide what to do with the residence. “Governors should be servants, not masters. To me, that means a governor is under the people, not above them,” McCabe said. “It doesn’t seem right to move into a 20,000-square-foot mansion in the name of public service. I’ve never lived in a mansion in my life and getting elected to represent the people is no reason to start.” He went on to say: “We have a poisoned political culture that glorifies greed and dooms us to a government and economy that work great for the rich and powerful at everyone else’s expense. Concern for the common good has fallen out of fashion. Genuine public service has given way to a lot of back scratching, nest feathering and ladder climbing. Bringing back true public service for the common good requires leadership by example.” If elected, McCabe will continue to live in the 1,400-square-foot home he shares with his wife and teenage son. He won’t decide the future of the Governor’s Mansion, however. “The house belongs to the people of Wisconsin. Let the people decide what to do with it,” he said. “If they want it sold, it should be sold. If they want to keep it for some future governor to live in, it should be kept. If they want to turn it into a museum, then that’s what should happen. Hell, if they want to make it into an Airbnb, it’s up to the them.” McCabe Won't Accept Full Salary of Governor once Elected Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe announced today at a rally in La Crosse that if elected he will insist on an annual salary that is one dollar less than the average Wisconsin worker makes in a year.... The current salary of the governor is $147,328 a year. According to the most recent figures available from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage in Wisconsin is in the neighborhood of $45,000 annually, or less than a third of the governor’s salary. McCabe previously announced he will not live in the Governor’s Mansion if elected. “Governors should be servants, not masters. That’s why I won’t live in the mansion once elected and won’t accept the full salary of the governor. I’ll be paid one dollar less than the average Wisconsin worker makes,” he said. If state law or administrative procedures prevent the salary of the governor from being adjusted to reflect his commitment, McCabe will either return the excess amount of salary to the state treasury or donate it to charity. McCabe to Lead by Example on Money in Politics Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe announced today that he will not accept any single donation of more than $200 for his campaign, despite state law allowing candidates for governor in Wisconsin to take $20,000 checks from individuals and $86,000 donations from political action committees. “These huge donations that flow so freely in our elections amount to legal bribes. I cannot in good conscience accept them,” McCabe said. “Our campaign is going to have to be people-powered and crowd-funded.” Supporters will be allowed to give more than once but not more than $200 at a time and no more than a total of $1,000 for the entire campaign. America’s political system is fueled – and corrupted – by large donations from a tiny sliver of the public. A mere one-half of 1 percent of the U.S. population make political donations of more than $200, but those contributions account for more than two-thirds of all the money given to candidates. “There is risk involved in taking this stand against the influence of big money. But there is an even greater risk if everyone keeps going along with the corrupt way election campaigns are regularly being funded. If big money rules again in the next election for governor, some candidate will win but the people will lose,” McCabe said. “If money decides the election, the people will continue to be stuck with elected representatives who scratch the backs of those who scratched theirs, and our government will continue to be controlled by the wealthy and well-connected. Breaking free of this trap involves risk. It requires faith and the courage of conviction,” he said. “Political insiders will call this unilateral disarmament. No, it’s acting on principle. The insiders say you have to spend four or five hours a day begging rich people for money if you want to be taken seriously. That’s exactly what has gotten us into the mess we’re in.” In 1995 McCabe was a founding member of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group that specializes in tracking the money in state elections and works to make people matter more than money in politics. He led the group for 15 years as its director and during that time exposed money’s influence and called out wrongdoing by state officials, earning a reputation as a leading government whistleblower and one of the nation’s best political money trackers. Before the Democracy Campaign came along, the only way to see who was donating to elected officials and candidates for office was to travel to the old state Elections Board office in Madison and personally examine mountains of paper reports. The Democracy Campaign entered all of the information on those reports into an electronic database and published it online, making it vastly easier to follow the money in Wisconsin politics. For its efforts under Mike’s leadership, the Democracy Campaign was named the Citizen Openness Advocate of the Year in 2012 by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Change One Word in State Law and Make BadgerCare an Option for All Badgers, McCabe Proposes Speaking at the March for Health in La Crosse’s Cameron Park, governor candidate Mike McCabe called for a one-word change in state law to make Wisconsin’s whole population eligible to get health insurance through the BadgerCare program. “BadgerCare should be there for all Badgers who want or need it. What government does needs to be done for our whole society, not just a few,” McCabe said. “BadgerCare provides excellent insurance coverage and is affordable. It should be a public option that anyone in the state could choose in the insurance marketplace.” BadgerCare is Wisconsin’s version of Medicaid but existing state law has restrictive requirements including income limits that make only the poor, elderly and disabled eligible to enroll. Changing a single word in state law would allow BadgerCare to be listed as one of the options on the health insurance exchange that currently only includes private insurance plans, McCabe said. State law now says “An individual is eligible to purchase coverage...if all of the following apply:” and goes on to list the requirements. Changing the word “all” to “any” would open up BadgerCare to the general population. No one would be required to enroll, but anyone could if they choose to, McCabe said. Analysis done by the health care advocacy group Citizen Action of Wisconsin estimates that BadgerCare’s cost is on average 23 percent lower than other policies in the health insurance market. It also covers 100 percent of medical expenses, unlike many plans with sky-high deductibles and co-payments that leave patients paying for much of their care out of pocket. “Getting everyone in Wisconsin access to high-quality and affordable medical insurance not only will make our state healthier but also will stimulate the economy,” McCabe said. “There are so many people out there with great ideas for a new business who’ve dreamed of starting their own company but can’t leave a job that provides insurance for their families. If they could access BadgerCare, many could go ahead and start that new business.” McCabe Advances Clean Government Blueprint Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe today put forward a comprehensive plan for freeing state government from the clutches of cronyism, corruption and what amounts to legal bribery of state officials. “Wisconsin was once known from coast to coast as a beacon of clean, open and honest government. Our state no longer deserves that reputation. I want a Wisconsin that is worthy of it again,” McCabe said. Once elected, McCabe will seek approval of a package of reforms to: Create full disclosure of political donations and election spending, and set tighter limits on campaign contributions that are a quarter of what current state law allows. Update Wisconsin’s conflict of interest law to prevent state public officials from taking actions benefiting donors who have contributed more than $1,000 to their campaign committees or spent more than $5,000 on election advertising favoring the officials. Take redistricting out of the hands of elected officials who stand to benefit from the legislative district boundaries they draw and assign the task to an independent, nonpartisan legislative service agency in a process modeled after Iowa’s system. Restore independent oversight of elections and government ethics by replacing party-affiliated elections and ethics commissioners with a nonpartisan agency headed by a board whose members cannot belong to a political party and cannot endorse or financially support candidates for partisan office. Bring back civil service protections for government hiring to ensure those getting state positions are chosen based on what they know and not who they know. Repeal discriminatory voter suppression measures such as Wisconsin’s Voter ID law. In the mid-1990s, McCabe helped start the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group that focuses on exposing the influence of big money in state government and works to make people matter more than money in politics. He led the group for 15 years as its director. For its efforts under McCabe’s leadership, the Democracy Campaign was named the Citizen Openness Advocate of the Year in 2012 by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council and the state chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He left the Democracy Campaign at the end of 2014 to start Blue Jean Nation, a grassroots citizens group working to organize people locally to challenge the political establishment to change its ways. As a candidate for governor, McCabe is leading by example by refusing to accept any single donation of more than $200 for his campaign, despite state law allowing candidates for governor in Wisconsin to take $20,000 checks from individuals and $86,000 donations from political action committees. Supporters are allowed to give more than once but not more than $200 at a time and no more than a total of $1,000 for the entire campaign. Make state pension system an option for everyone in the state, McCabe proposes Speaking at a meeting of the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, governor candidate Mike McCabe said Wisconsin’s entire population should be eligible to participate in the state’s retirement system..... “What government does needs to be done for our whole society, not just a few. The closer we can get to the point where everyone pays and everyone benefits from what government does, the better off we all will be,” McCabe said. “In keeping with its name, the Wisconsin Retirement System should offer retirement security to all of Wisconsin. Employees and employers in every sector of the economy should be able to buy into the WRS, not only the public sector.” Currently, about 600,000 people are eligible to participate in the Wisconsin Retirement System, or only about one-eighth of the adult population of the state. “Wisconsin has one of the most financially sound retirement systems in the country. Making participation an option for everyone in Wisconsin would make it even stronger,” McCabe said. “More people invested in the system means even greater financial stability. It also means more people with a stake in sustaining the retirement fund and defending it against political attacks. Social Security has lasted for more than 80 years because every working American pays for it and everyone stands to benefit.” Employers in the private sector who want to provide a retirement benefit to employees should have the WRS as an option and so should those who are self-employed and want to set aside money for their own retirement, McCabe said. No one should be required to participate, but everyone should be eligible to buy into the system, he added. McCabe charts 5-year path to living wage for all workers Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe today put forward a plan for yearly increases in the state’s minimum wage that take into account differences in the cost of living across the state, with the earnings floor reaching $15 an hour once fully phased in after five years. After that, the wage would be adjusted for inflation each year to keep pace with the cost of living. Turning the minimum wage into a living wage will have ripple effects up and down the wage scale, also boosting wages for those currently earning above the minimum. Putting more money in the pockets of workers will stoke consumer demand and stimulate the economy. “Wisconsin’s goal should be nothing less than an economy where if you work you won’t be poor,” McCabe said, noting that so far in the 21st Century no state has seen more shrinkage of its middle class than Wisconsin. “Low wages are a killer for our economy. They suppress consumer demand and inhibit sales.” A key feature of McCabe’s proposal is regional flexibility that recognizes the cost of living is higher in some parts of the state than in others, with the new minimum wage pegged to the average wage in each of Wisconsin’s 20 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most recent BLS figures show average wages for the state’s metro and nonmetro areas range from just over $18 per hour to nearly $26.50 per hour. In the first year, McCabe’s plan raises Wisconsin’s minimum wage from the current $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour to put Wisconsin’s wage on a par with neighboring states. The second year, the wage floor goes up to $10.50 per hour or 55% of the area average, whichever is less. Based on current BLS figures, the wage would be around $9.90 per hour in Wisconsin’s lowest wage area. In the third year, the minimum wage is raised to the lower of $12 per hour or 60% of the area average, generating an earnings floor of roughly $10.80 per hour in the state’s lowest wage area. The fourth year, the wage is boosted to $13.50 per hour or 65% of the area average. The minimum in the lowest wage area would be about $11.70 per hour. In year five, Wisconsin’s minimum wage goes to $15 an hour or two-thirds of the area average, with yearly adjustments for inflation thereafter. In the lowest wage area, the earnings floor would be in the vicinity of $12.10 per hour based on current BLS figures. Under McCabe’s plan, employers are allowed to pay employees 17 years of age or younger 85% of the new minimum wage. McCabe proposes test run for basic income program Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe said today once elected he would move to start a small-scale pilot program to test whether establishing a Basic Income for vulnerable workers could help ensure that everyone shares in Wisconsin’s future economic growth, making Wisconsin a state-level testing ground for moving nationally toward expansion of Social Security eligibility to all age groups. The experiment is needed to prepare for the future as the global economy rapidly transitions to industry providing less human employment, with automated factories and roboticized production and driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence making many jobs of the past disappear. Wisconsin is especially vulnerable as the state’s economy relied more on heavy manufacturing than most states, and manufacturing employment here has been on the decline. Tech titans Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Richard Branson and others have called for creating a Universal Basic Income (UBI) because of the severe job losses that will inevitably accompany the application of new technologies in manufacturing and other industries. A few nations and communities in the U.S. are experimenting with the concept, but McCabe’s proposal would make Wisconsin the first state in this country to test it. “We can’t afford to stick our heads in the sand about how the economy is changing. Robots are here. Driverless vehicles are coming. Many of yesterday’s jobs are in jeopardy today and are going to be gone tomorrow,” McCabe said. “Working people aren’t blind, they can see what’s coming. It’s why most Americans believe our kids will be worse off than their parents. That bleak future can be avoided if we renegotiate the social contract. Totally new approaches to maintaining social stability and cohesion in an increasingly jobless economy are going to have to be considered. The sooner we figure out which approaches work best, the better. We’re all in this together.” McCabe’s proposal calls for a $9-million-a-year program for 1,000 participants, with 500 people receiving a Basic Income of $1,000 a month and another 500 individuals receiving $500 per month for comparison purposes. The experiment will evaluate how participants fare economically compared to the rest of the state’s population. “If it has a positive impact, great. This could pave the way to Social Security for All nationally. If it doesn’t work or it has too many negative side effects, then we take what we learn and develop better ways to create economic and social stability so no one is left behind,” McCabe said. McCabe calls for ending 2 state subsidies benfiting select few to invest in community prosperity Wisconsin governor candidate Mike McCabe today suggested a rule of thumb for evaluating government spending priorities that should be applied when the next state budget is put together to free up funding for needed investments to empower working people in Wisconsin. “If a program works, keep it and fund it. If it doesn’t work, get rid of it,” McCabe said. “By that standard, the state’s corporate welfare office should be closed and taxpayer-subsidized private schooling should end.” Phasing out Wisconsin’s school voucher program and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation would save close to $700 million in Wisconsin’s two-year budget that could be used to make education and job training more affordable and bring high-speed Internet to parts of the state currently lacking access. Two other measures McCabe favors to empower working people involve no additional state spending and can be done without creating any new program or state bureaucracy. These include boosting wages by turning the state’s minimum wage into a living wage and expanding access to health care by changing a single word in state law to make nearly every state resident eligible to get affordable health insurance through the BadgerCare program. Handing out state-funded subsidies that make taxpayers pick up the tab for more than 33,000 Wisconsin students to attend private schools will cost the state in the neighborhood of $580 million over the next two years. Nearly 900,000 students attend public schools in Wisconsin. When the voucher program was started in 1990, it was pitched as a way to boost student achievement, improve school quality and give families more educational choices. Test scores and other indicators mostly show voucher students are not doing any better than those attending public schools and by some measures are actually doing worse. Overall school quality in Wisconsin has slipped. Most families receiving vouchers already were privately schooling their children before receiving vouchers, shooting a hole in the argument that the program provides choices that didn’t previously exist. “This private school subsidy program has been around for 27 years and has failed to deliver the promised results. Student achievement hasn’t increased. Wisconsin’s education system has not been made better, it’s been made worse. Families aren’t getting more choices, taxpayers are mostly just subsidizing the decisions some families already were making and previously were paying for themselves,” McCabe said. “Resources are being siphoned away from community schools, weakening them badly, especially in rural areas of the state. After all these years, it’s clear the voucher experiment hasn’t worked. We shouldn’t throw good money after bad. We should pull the plug on this failed subsidy.” The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation was created in 2011 to promote new business start-ups. WEDC’s budget is slightly more than $50 million a year, or over $100 million for the next two-year state budget. Wisconsin has ranked last in the nation in new business start-ups for the last three straight years. A 2015 audit of WEDC was harshly critical of the agency’s financial management and internal operations. A subsequent 2017 audit concluded that WEDC couldn’t account for the number of jobs its assistance programs had helped create or retain. “WEDC is a train wreck. It’s done a lousy job of keeping track of taxpayer money and has had chronic internal management problems. But most importantly, it has failed in its mission. Its purpose is to promote new business start-ups and Wisconsin is dead last in the nation in new business start-ups three years running,” McCabe said. “Why flush more money down this toilet? There are so many better uses for the funds being wasted on WEDC.” Under McCabe’s streamlining plan, three existing agencies – the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Workforce Development – would share responsibility for business development efforts and protecting the economic interests of the people of Wisconsin.	”
—Commoners for McCabe

Mahlon Mitchell

“	Economic Opportunity Wisconsin needs an all hands working economy. We can’t get there by cutting our way to prosperity while giving handouts to the wealthy and corporations. We do it by building an economy that works for everyone. We will create jobs, support Wisconsin businesses and strengthen our economy while expanding opportunity to every corner of our state. Working people will see more money in their pockets, local municipalities will grow, and small businesses will be able to reinvest, and responsible budgeting will lead to economic growth in Wisconsin. I believe in economic opportunity for everyone and my administration will get Wisconsin working again. Raise the minimum wage to $15 hour. Wisconsinites deserve a living wage. No one should need to work two or three jobs just to make ends meet. Anyone who works full time should be able to support themselves and their family. Expand the child care tax credit. It’s hard work raising a family and taking care of children. It’s even harder when money is tight. We need to expand the child tax credit to help more low and middle income families access early education for their children. End the Manufacturers and Agriculture tax credit. It’s time to stop giving tax giveaways to the top earners in our economy by ending the Manufactures and Agriculture tax credit that is currently costing the state nearly $300 million each budget cycle. With more revenue from those who can afford it we can put more money in the hands of working families. Pay off the state debt. My administration will be responsible with our budget and stewards of our tax dollars. It’s our obligation to future generations to pay down our state debt. The longer we wait, the more it costs and the greater burden we shift to our children. Empower local governments through shared revenue. Madison should be empowering local communities, not using them as a source of revenue. The best example is Milwaukee, when in 2015 it sent $1.37 billion to Madison while the state returned only $227 million. That’s a difference of over $1 billion. Wisconsin has an obligation to aid local governments so they have the resources they need to provide services to their residents. Strengthen food assistance programs. Low-income residents have enough hurdles to overcome, restricting options and forcing them to jump through hoops to access vital food assistance is not the answer. We need to expand eligibility to give our most vulnerable the help they need to get back on their feet. Expand program eligibility for renting assistance. Everyone has a right to live in safe, clean housing without being “stuck” where they don’t want to be. Working Wisconsinites should have the freedom to live where they need to be, not where they’re forced to live. Support our Veterans There are more that 370,000 veterans in Wisconsin. It’s important that we provide opportunities for housing, job training, and healthcare as they re-enter civilian life. Education Wisconsin is the birthplace of the progressive tradition. The Wisconsin I know proudly believes in the power of education and the importance of funding our public schools and universities. Under my leadership as governor, Wisconsin will be a state that reinvests in education once again. We will fulfill the Wisconsin Idea and give students opportunities that are second to none. Fully invest in K-12 education. Making Wisconsin stronger than it’s ever been starts from the ground-up. My administration will value and support our K-12 teachers, students, and schools by adequately funding our public education and reducing class sizes. Fully invest in the UW-System. Our universities aren’t just an educational asset – they are huge drivers of economic growth. I believe in the Wisconsin Idea, where higher education can provide opportunities for everyone. We will work to reverse the massive cuts to our UW System and provide new investments for the next generation. Allow refinancing for student loans. People are able to refinance their mortgage or auto loan. The same should be true with student loans. Putting money back in the pockets of young professionals provides new opportunities, economic reinvestment, and creates stability for an entire generation of Wisconsinites. Create a student loan forgiveness program. Americans owe more in student loans than they do credit cards. To combat this, we will institute a student loan forgiveness program upon commitment to public service. If you attend a Wisconsin state university, you’ve made an investment in the state of Wisconsin, and we want to make an investment in you. Whether a K-12 teacher or police officer, if you’re giving back to your community, Wisconsin will thank you for your service. Support our technical colleges. Technical colleges give students the opportunity to gain the skills necessary to obtain a family sustaining job. I will restore the heavy cuts made to our technical college system and work on expanding programs to meet the demands of our changing economy. Devote resources to apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship programs are a pathway to family-sustaining jobs. Investing in these programs ensures all students can gain new skills for a new job. Healthcare I believe that healthcare is a right. There are still too many Wisconsinites without coverage, and many more who are covered but struggle to afford the care they need. We’re going to close these gaps and make sure that everyone in Wisconsin has the healthcare they need to live full and productive lives. Expand Medicaid, which will expand healthcare to over 80,000 Wisconsinites. For too long, Governor Walker has refused to accept federal Medicaid dollars, which has prevented tens of thousands of low-income Wisconsinites from accessing health coverage. This is unconscionable, and as governor I will not stand for it. One of my first acts as governor will be to expand Medicaid to ensure coverage of an additional 80,000+ Wisconsinites. Make BadgerCare a public option. There are still 300,000 Wisconsin residents without coverage. Making BadgerCare a public option will allow anybody who wants to purchase healthcare coverage to be able to through the state. Support Women’s Health. I support a woman’s right to choose and make her own healthcare decisions. I would restore full funding to Planned Parenthood, a critical health care provider for women in Wisconsin. Expand the SeniorCare program. Our seniors deserve the best care and access to services they can get. It’s time to make SeniorCare permanent. Expand Family Care. Long-term care is a crucial component to ensure those around us in our communities have the services they need. Seniors and adults with disabilities need a long-term and stable approach to the best care available. Lower the cost of prescription drugs. We need transparency laws to see the true costs of prescription medications to ensure Wisconsinites aren’t being taken advantage of by pharmaceutical companies, and work to lower costs for patients. Fight the opioid crisis. The growing opioids crisis has led to far too many overdoses and deaths across Wisconsin. It’s time we take strong steps to combat it. We will give help to those who are already addicted and also give support to families and communities that have been ravaged by this crisis. Criminal Justice Reform Our criminal justice system is broken. Our state currently spends more tax dollars on the Department of Corrections than it spends on the UW System. Since 1990, Wisconsin’s prison population has tripled. Wisconsin’s prisons are designed to house about 16,000 inmates. Today they hold roughly 23,000. We are misusing resources and it’s preventing our state from reaching its full potential. It’s time for real criminal justice reform in Wisconsin that focuses on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. We also need to address the factors contributing to Wisconsin having the highest rate of incarcerated African-American males in the country. End “truth in sentencing”. This is a failed program that has led to prison overcrowding and greater recidivism. We need to provide rehabilitation opportunities, and work to bring prisoners back into society. Expand the Early Release Program. We need to focus on rehabilitation for non-violent substance abuse offenders. The ERP is a treatment program to address alcohol and other drug abuse needs. There are 5,900 inmates on the waiting list for a treatment bed in the ERP program. “Ban the box.” We know that finding a job can be hard enough as it is. But it’s nearly impossible to find employment when needing to list criminal convictions on an application. Formerly incarcerated individuals who have paid their debt to society need a fair shot at getting a job and giving back to their community. Strengthen gun safety laws. I support universal background checks, mandatory two-day waiting periods for gun purchases, and limiting the sales of semi-automatic rifles. Legalize marijuana. I support the legalization of marijuana and using tax revenue to fund opioid recovery, and education. I also support commuting sentences for marijuana convictions. Invest in job training and workforce development. Our criminal justice system should be focused on rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. We need to create pathways for prisoners to learn new skills and reenter the workforce upon release. Reform the juvenile detention system. I support moving juvenile detainees to smaller regionally facilities, ending solitary confinement for juveniles, and focusing on rehabilitation. Transportation and Infrastructure The state of Wisconsin continues to lack adequate funding for transportation and infrastructure projects. The last state budget, passed in September of 2017, was 11 weeks late after disagreement on how to fund the $1 billion deficit in the state's transportation fund. Our roads are ranked the second worst in the nation, it is time we made improving our infrastructure a priority. Fix our local and county roads. Deteriorated roads cost taxpayers hundreds of dollars a year in car repairs. We need to ensure safe roadways for residents and businesses in our state. Support rail investments. I support using federal funds for a Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail line. Investing in high-speed rail is smart, economical, and brings the people of our state and region closer together. Index the state gas tax to raise infrastructure revenue. By indexing the state gas tax based on the consumer price index (CPI) we will be able to responsibly fund transportation projects. Restore prevailing wage for state infrastructure projects. For every dollar spent with an out of state contractor, two dollars are lost in economic activity. It is also harder to enforce quality standards for infrastructure projects. Restoring prevailing wage would lift workers and keep state money in Wisconsin. Leverage all federal infrastructure money. My administration will comply with the federal government to increase the vital federal dollars available for infrastructure projects. Environment and Renewable Energy Wisconsin can be a national leader in renewable energy and a green economy. We’re going to create a clean environment for generations to come by setting ambitious goals that make substantial investments in our future. This benefits both our environment and the future of Wisconsin’s economy. Incentivize renewable solar and wind power. Extend tax credits to businesses and homeowners looking to invest in solar and wind energy. Fully fund and depoliticize the DNR. In order to protect our environment, we need a fully funded, independent Department of Natural Resources. Set new energy goals. States are taking the initiative across our country and we should too. By 2040, we will strive to have 50% of our electricity in our state come from renewable energy sources. Use clean energy in government. Set goal to make all state government buildings powered by clean energy by 2030. Take the initiative on protecting our environment. Wisconsinites are proud of our environmental tradition and strive to a higher standard. I will continue to apply for a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to set our own, more focused, stricter environmental standards. Improve the quality of our waterways. Communities and businesses across Wisconsin rely on clean water. We will enforce restrictions on dangerous chemicals that affect our groundwater, lakes, and streams. Support a clean-energy economy. Create incentives for companies that build and invest in green jobs and clean environmental technology, not companies like Foxconn, in order to encourage the next generation of jobs to invest in Wisconsin. Agriculture Farming is a generational Wisconsin tradition and provides nearly $90 billion to our state’s economy and over 400,000 jobs. We have an obligation to ensure family farms are successful, grow, and remain a family enterprise. Protect our family farms. Corporate farms have an unfair competitive advantage over family farms. It’s important for Wisconsin to protect those family farms that have invested their time, money, and labor in our state for generations. Support loan access to small farms. We will create new state financial programs for family-owned and other small farms to ensure they have access to the capital necessary to make new investments and remain sustainable. We will also explore the option of creating a dedicated financial institution dedicated to family-farm lending to protect our important heritage. Help small farms get their product to market. We will make investments in state trade efforts to increase these exports geared toward small farms to larger markets across the country. Enact the “Family Farming Initiative”. This initiative is a package of reforms and protections to ensure that family farms are able to be passed down from one generation to the next, that they aren’t taxed unfairly, that the market remains fair, and their land is assessed at a fair value. Voting Rights and Fair Elections Wisconsin once enjoyed a rich tradition of progressive, transparent government that was open and accessible to everyone. It’s time we support a basic tenet of democracy – the more people who vote, the better – not only to restore what has been rolled back in recent years, but to make big steps forward to ensure our state government serves the peoples' interests and that everybody has the ability to vote. End Voter ID. Voter ID requirements disenfranchise and discriminate against Wisconsinites. Voting should be easy, open, and free. Restrictive policies that inhibit anybody’s ability to cast a ballot are wrong. Automatic voter registration. Make voter registration is automatic when acquiring a state issued ID or upon turning 18. Expand early voting. Having only one day to vote is archaic and does not reflect the reality of voters' busy lives. Expanding the early voting period will give people more time to cast their ballot. Reinstate the Government Accountability Board. Eliminate the partisan elections and ethics commissions and return to an accountable and independent oversight. End gerrymandering. Voters choose their politicians, politicians shouldn’t choose their voters. We will end partisan gerrymandering by passing non-partisan redistricting reform.	”
—Mahlon Mitchell for Governor

Kelda Roys

“	Economy “For decades, an ever increasing share of the wealth in our country has gone to those at the very top. It’s time to build an economy that works for everyone, based in the values opportunity and fairness. As governor, I will strengthen and expand the middle class, and help those who have been left behind.” For Wisconsinites to share in the American dream, we must foster a growing economy with fair rules and shared prosperity. Economic growth comes from increases in labor productivity, judicious application of capital, and innovation. Our government’s role is to ensure a level playing field, reduce uncertainty that hinders innovation, and to invest in the labor and infrastructure we need for a strong, vibrant economy. Tax cuts and giveaways to big corporations are one of the least effective ways to create jobs – but politicians tout them because of the undue influence that big businesses and the wealthiest have have over our political system. We must make strategic investments to ensure that workers and businesses are able to succeed today and long into the future. My plan to ensure a strong economy and family-supporting jobs will: Help small businesses and homegrown innovators, because they are the key to a growing economy. The vast majority of net new jobs come from new businesses – startups and early state companies. As an entrepreneur and small business owner myself, I understand the challenges of starting a company and will prioritize the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs willing to take a risk on an idea. Under Gov. Walker, Wisconsin has been dead last in startups for the last three years – I will change this and help build Wisconsin’s economy to finally thrive. My Small Business Plan will help new and existing entrepreneurs to succeed, while leveling the playing field for all workers and employers. Repair and maintain our aging infrastructure. Too much of our infrastructure, which is our public wealth, needs significant maintenance or to be replaced and updated. While roads and bridges are part of this, we also must upgrade our rail corridors for passengers and freight. Many of our water systems are in desperate need of repair, both drinking water and sanitation/sewage systems. We should retrofit schools and public buildings for energy efficiency and remove toxic or environmental hazards. Invest in the 21st Century infrastructure we need to succeed in a global economy. We need statewide broadband connectivity, wireless infrastructure, and computing power, just as communities needed electrification and telephone connectivity in the 20th Century. Make Wisconsin a leader in clean energy tech/manufacturing. Our state has no fossil fuels, so every dollar we spend on dirty energy leaves our state and contributes to climate change. We can become energy independent by fostering local, clean, sustainable energy production, “smart” grids, better power storage, and multimodal transit options for people and goods. Wisconsin already has skilled workers and an advanced manufacturing base, and with a strong state commitment to renewable energy, we could help this burgeoning industry provide thousands of good-paying jobs. Finally, we should employ emerging technologies to increase the efficiency of industrial processes, for instance in waste management, to save energy and money, and to reduce the strain on our environment. Increase our investment in education and training – no modern economy can thrive without skilled, educated workers. We must ensure that quality public education is available to all Wisconsinites. As governor, I will invest in public education, including universal access to early childhood education, K12 schools, higher education, and workforce development. Ensure workers are treated fairly and have the right to bargain collectively. Workers deserve a voice in the workplace; I fought for and support collective bargaining rights for workers in the public and private sector. The decline in unions corresponds to the decline in the middle class – that’s because even non-unionized workers see higher wages and better benefits when unions are prominent in their communities. Make sure every worker earns a fair wage and has benefits. No one who works 40, 50, or 60 hours a week should live in poverty. Our minimum wage should be raised to $15 an hour (it’s currently set at the federal minimum of $7.25/hr), and local communities should have the power to set their own standards for workers. Similarly, no one should risk losing her job because she is sick, has a baby, or needs to care for a dying parent or spouse. Provide universal paid family and sick leave to all workers. I will make sure every full time worker has twelve weeks of paid leave to use when having a baby, caring for a loved one, or dealing with a serious illness. Paid leave is a basic necessity that every other developed nation already provides, and that states are beginning to adopt. Paid leave will help Wisconsin attract and retain younger workers who are leaving our state in droves. Making coverage universal, rather than based on individual companies, will level the playing field, helping small businesses compete for employees and allowing would-be entrepreneurs to take the risk of starting a business. It also disproportionately helps lower income and middle class workers, who are less likely to have the flexibility and financial cushion to take time off for family or medical needs. No one should risk losing his or her job or housing because of illness, a new baby, or caring for a family member. Make the Wisconsin Retirement System open to all workers and companies. As a state legislator, I paid into to the WRS – one of the strongest and best run public pension programs in the United States. Every worker – public and private – and deserves a secure retirement after a lifetime of work and should have the option of buying in to the program. Every small business should have access to the kinds of pension programs that large employers can provide. Creating a parallel pension fund that private sector and nonprofit workers and employers could buy into will help increase the number of Wisconsinites with a financially secure retirement, while strengthening the WRS by increasing the number of people who benefit from it. Ensure equal pay for women. Unlike Gov. Walker, who repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay laws, I believe that women should be paid equally for the same work, and that no worker should have to face discrimination or harassment at the workplace. Healthcare “Healthcare is a right – not a privilege. As governor, my first act will be to accept federal healthcare dollars. I’ll make Badgercare a public option and available to all to buy in. I won’t rest until every single Wisconsinite has access to quality, affordable, comprehensive healthcare.” Every other industrialized nation recognizes the government’s obligation to ensure its citizens have healthcare. While Obamacare established the principle of universal coverage, much work remains to ensure affordable, quality, comprehensive care for all. Our current system still rations healthcare based on ability to pay, employment status, geography, etc. To be competitive, workers and businesses need to be free from the insecurity, inefficiency, cost-shifting, and skyrocketing costs of our current employer-based for-profit insurance system. Healthcare access increases individual freedom. When coverage is determined by employers, people are less free to change jobs, retire, start a business, take time to care for a child or loved one, or pursue education — they can’t risk going without coverage. Making Badgercare available to all would help unleash people’s economic potential and afford them flexibility in caring for their families. Increased access to healthcare will help our businesses compete. Right now, small businesses like mine have a hard time affording high-quality health insurance, making it difficult to attract and retain employees, and costs are unpredictable. America’s medium and large businesses are at a disadvantage in a global marketplace, because their international counterparts do not pay for health insurance. Build on the protections of the Affordable Care Act, making Badgercare a public option. I will build a Wisconsin exchange to reign in costs and provide more options than currently available. I also support increasing the medical loss ratio over time, to ensure that insurance companies become more efficient and use our premiums to provide care rather than line the pockets of executives. Expand successful pilot programs to reduce health care costs and increase quality. Many successful programs have proven it is possible to both improve patient outcomes and quality of life while decreasing costs. Many of these programs have changed the payment model away from fee-for-service to allow providers to be paid for keeping patients healthy. This is especially important for populations like the elderly and those with chronic diseases, who may require more care and incur higher costs. Accept federal Medicaid expansion dollars. Rejecting federal healthcare money has cost our state a lot: over $1 billion in healthcare funds, 10,000 lost healthcare jobs, and nearly 80,000 Wisconsinites lost access to affordable health care. Treat mental and behavioral health needs in the healthcare system, not the criminal justice system. Too often, people struggling with substance use disorder or mental illness are funneled into jails and prisons, where they don’t get the services they need and their challenges are exacerbated. With Wisconsin’s opioid crisis continuing to grow, this is even more urgent – we must redouble our focus on prevention, treatment, and harm reduction, using evidence-based public health strategies. Ensure culturally competent, non-discriminatory care for all populations. We must work to eliminate healthcare disparities based on race, class, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity, age, or any other factor. Every person deserves access to high quality care. Politicians should never interfere in private medical decisions. Environmental health affects human health. Pollution can cause or exacerbate human ailments; we must protect clean air, water, and soil for the wellbeing of people and planet. Guarantee reproductive health care access. I have been a champion for reproductive rights and justice my entire career. Women and men deserve access to comprehensive healthcare, including the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, from family planning and contraception, to healthy pregnancy and birth, to abortion care, to the right to parent healthy children. Politicians should never interfere with the most personal, private, family healthcare decisions. Education “As a mother, an employer, and a proud graduate of Wisconsin’s public schools, I care deeply about making sure that every Wisconsinite has access to the best educational opportunities. Wisconsin used to be the education state, before the current governor slashed billions from our K12 schools, colleges, and universities. As governor, I will reinvest in education at all levels so that every child has the opportunity to learn and succeed in Wisconsin.” Wisconsin’s constitution guarantees a free, quality public education to every child; public education is the cornerstone of our democracy. Wisconsin’s schools have been under relentless attack from the GOP – from slashing over $1 billion in funding, to demonizing educators, to privatization schemes. That ends the day I become governor. Here are my priorities for education: Prepare kids for success in a modern economy. Our children need to develop skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow. We ought to emphasize STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) as core areas for learning, in addition to critical thinking, communication, and cooperation skills. All students should have the opportunity to participate in the arts, humanities, and physical education/athletics, regardless of their parents’ income levels. Provide equitable and sufficient funding for urban and rural schools. I will reverse Walker’s massive cuts to our schools and restore public education as a core priority for Wisconsin. For too long, politicians have focused on affixing blame rather than having the courage to truly commit to funding our schools at a level and in a way that would ensure educational excellence. It’s time for the state government to fulfill its obligation to provide a great education for every child. All kids in low-income areas should be able to have free breakfast and lunch, to ensure they are ready to learn. Recruit and retain excellent teachers. The most important factor in a child’s success is the teacher at the front of the room. We must attract the best and brightest young people to careers in education, and keep them in the classroom with adequate professional development and mentorship, sufficient prep time, and student debt forgiveness for taking on challenging teaching assignments. That means ensuring dedicated young people an affordable college education, wages that support a family and a middle class life, a voice in their workplace, and above all, respect for their profession. One cannot value education and disrespect the educators who provide it. Free 2 year college. Wisconsin should make its two-year colleges and technical schools free, increasing access to low- and moderate-income students who don’t have family support. Several other states have seen significant increases in the number of students, especially students from low-income households, by utilizing a “last dollar” scholarship that minimizes the cost to the state and greatly increases career and earning prospects of people who otherwise might not be able to afford higher ed. Reduce student loan debt. A college education is no longer possible for most Wisconsinites without taking on massive debt that impedes their ability to buy a home, start a business, have children, or get on sound financial footing. We must provide more public support to public universities to reduce the massive tuition increases that have priced many Americans out of a college education. We should increase availability of grants and subsidized loans for students who need assistance. We should regulate predatory for-profit schemes that don’t deliver results for their students. And we should make it possible to refinance all student loans just like you can refinance a mortgage or auto loan. Offer universal early childhood education. The more we learn about brain development, the more we’ve understood how critical the early years are, particularly birth through age 5. Wisconsin should address the high cost of childcare by expanding the availability of early childhood education. We should make 3K and 4K universally available to all children in Wisconsin. This will not only ensure that all kids have a safe environment in which to play and develop emotionally, socially, and intellectually, but it will help prevent racial and economic disparities, and help parents with the huge cost of childcare. Build a culture of lifelong learning. In today’s global economy, it is increasingly difficult to maintain a middle-class life with only a high school education. We should provide more training and employment assistance to displaced workers, and help employees keep their skills up to date. In addition, we ought to expand educational and training opportunities for adult learners – including vocational and technical college and universities – to help workers succeed in a knowledge-based economy. Finally, we must make libraries a priority again – access to the world’s knowledge ought to be available for every citizen in our democracy, and in today’s interconnected world, libraries are safe, welcoming community spaces for kids and seniors alike. Use evidence-based policymaking for educational excellence. Many educational reforms are based on political ideologies and assumptions rather than solid evidence of what works to help children learn and succeed. Our educational policies should be based on evidence of classroom success, not rhetoric that serves the needs of politicians. Ending Gun Violence “This mom is having no more thoughts and prayers. I demand action. When I am governor, Wisconsin will stand up to the NRA and do what’s right so our kids can go to school without being shot to death or fearing it.” End the NRA’s stranglehold on our politics. The gun manufacturers’ lobby has spent over $3.5 million to back Gov. Walker. I have never taken a penny from them and I never would. I urge all recipients of NRA money to donate it to organizations supporting responsible gun ownership laws or those supporting victims of gun violence. Address gun violence as the public health emergency it is. The vast majority of Wisconsinites and Americans – gun owners and non-gun owners alike – support common-sense reforms because we all want our kids to be safe in school and in our communities. Wisconsin’s hunters and sportsmen and women know that gun ownership comes with responsibility, and that includes basic laws like background checks. We must address the rising epidemic of gun violence, including mass shootings, by keeping guns out of dangerous hands. I support common sense gun reform for public safety. Among the many proposals I support to reduce gun violence are: Buyers: Require universal background checks for all gun sales, closing the private party and gun show loopholes. Prohibit people on the terrorist watch list from buying weapons. Prohibit anyone convicted of a violent crime, including a domestic violence misdemeanor, from possessing firearms. Allow “Red Flag” laws so family members or law enforcement could petition a judge to temporarily suspend someone’s gun buying privileges if he is a danger to himself or others. Sales: Reinstate Wisconsin’s 48 hour waiting period, especially important for preventing domestic violence and suicides. Raise the age of purchase for guns to 21. Limit the number of firearms that can be purchased at once and within a month. Require gun dealers to secure all weapons prior to sale. Weapons: Ban assault weapons as well as high capacity magazines, bump stocks, silencers, armor-piercing bullets, and other equipment that makes mass shooting easier. Enforcement: We should also consider ending state preemption of local gun laws, banning replica guns, restricting the movement of weapons across state lines, and building a law enforcement database to allow for tracing weapons. No guns in schools. I oppose arming teachers and increasing the presence of other armed guards or firearms in schools. Children should be free to learn without gun violence or the presence of guns – they should be free from the fear of violence too. We should not turn our schools into prison-like atmospheres, with locked doors and metal detectors and armed personnel. Expand access to health care, including mental health care, to better help people who might harm others or themselves. While people struggling with mental illness are not likely to be mass shooters, and are in fact more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators, every person deserves mental health care and this can help our communities be safer. It should not be easier to obtain an assault weapon than a doctor’s appointment. Implement and fund effective violence prevention and reduction strategies, so we can change our culture that too often equates violence with strength. Stop pretending gun reform is about hunters and sportsmen. Wisconsin has a great tradition of hunting and sportsmanship that is part of our heritage. That has nothing to do with whether we should pass responsible gun reforms to keep dangerous weapons out of the wrong hands. Every responsible gun owner knows that having a weapon comes with responsibility, and that’s why the vast majority of them support common sense measures to improve safety. I grew up with firearms: my dad carried a gun as a law enforcement officer and his service weapon was in our home. My stepdad and many family members are hunters. That has nothing to do with whether or not a dangerous or disturbed person can get unlimited weapons and ammunition at any time with no checks or regulation.	”
—Kelda Roys for Governor

Jeff Rumbaugh

“	Environment Rebuild Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources. Protect inland waters. Monitor phosphorous and nitrogen levels. Maintain and improve fish populations. Work with Farmers to: Make small decreases in cattle herd sizes to reduce threat of manure. Develop and enhance the use of Manure Digesters and other related technology. Coordinate and share information on best practices regarding manure use and disposal. Work proactively with wastewater treatment facilities. Fight Invasive Species. Protect & monitor endangered and fragile species: Revive the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee population. Return “Wisconsin Natural Resources” magazine to bi-monthly status. Oversee and maintain public lands. Monitor and study ungulate herds and other creatures in Wisconsin to maintain and foster healthy populations. Issue and oversee applicable licenses and documentation. Continued partnering in research with the UW system. Protect the Great Lakes. Work with communities along Lake Michigan & Lake Superior. Help coordinate Adopt-A-Beach and other localized clean-up programs. Establish closer ties with concerned American and Canadian elected officials, industrial entities, and Great Lakes advocacy groups. Exercise utmost caution when assessing requests for water extraction. Utilize available technology to remove different types of waste. Study and maintain fish and other aquatic populations. Make decisions using science-based empirical evidence. Tax Industrial Polluters. Create revenue for the DNR and also public school funding. Force businesses to adopt environmental best-practices. Reinstate the Mining Moratorium. Outlaw Fracking. Respect and engage with Tribal Elders in applicable discussion and decision-making processes. Recycling, Packaging & Waste Modernize (as needed) and maintain existing facilities. Provide tax incentives to businesses creating and marketing eco-friendly packaging and re-useable containers. Continually assess ways to move away from and reduce the use of plastic. Make varying increases in the number of trash and recycling containers across the spectrum of Wisconsin’s park system. Work with businesses and consumers to reduce waste. Tax industries (when applicable) who are not utilizing post-consumer waste materials. Integrate scientific applications in helping to break down materials already in land fills. Integrate the study of plastics, recycling, and waste management into the public education curriculum. Planned Parenthood I will keep Planned Parenthood’s doors open in Wisconsin. I believe in a woman’s right to choose. I believe Planned Parenthood is an important part of society. Over 90% of the services provided by PP include: Education about safe sex and STDs General health care Pregnancy testing & services Patient education LGBT services Birth control On-line care Men’s and women’s services “Spot On” app for women to track their menstrual cycle Approximately only 3% of PP services actually involve abortion/abortion referrals. PP’s main goal as an organization is to prevent unwanted pregnancies altogether. Law Enforcement Body Cameras. Body cameras are proactive in that they: Increase the likelihood that justice will prevail. Serve as a form of checks and balances. Accrue valuable footage that can be used to train future cadets. Can work in tandem with cameras on police vehicles. Additional/Enhanced Training: Terrorism. Explosives. Review urban layouts. Mental Health. Increase awareness of mental health conditions. Connect with psychiatric and community support networks. Increase the potential for safe interactions between civilians and police. Community Integration. Public School visits for Q&A sessions. “Police Academy”-style educational programs for interested students (6-8). State Troopers. Ready to assist other states in times of need (not fossil fuel corporations). Marijuana Full legalization of cannabis in Wisconsin. Eco-friendly industry. Utilizations: Medicinal. Agricultural. Recreational. Decrease number of inmates jailed for minor drug charges. Large-scale economic boost for the state. Foreign Policy Diplomacy should be employed whenever possible. Against building a wall between the border of the United States and Mexico. Continue to build positive relations with Canada. Commerce. Environmental Concerns. Access routes/transportation concerns. Communication. Build greater ties with China and other SE Asian nations. Expand markets for the Wisconsin cranberry. Food/Food products. Cookbooks. Jellies/Jams/Sauces. Beverages. Teas. Juices. Alcoholic. Homeopathy/health-related. Repair, rebuild and improve our relations with allies and other countries. Military Against nuclear weapons. WI National Guard. Ready to assist other states and territories in the event of a natural disaster. Close Guantanamo Bay. LGBT soldiers proudly serve without stigma. Women can assume all combat duties. Firearms This campaign is about Gun Safety, not Gun Control. Finding a symbolic means to express the desire for safety on both sides. Guns in the hands of mentally unstable individuals threaten all members of society. “Agree on Three” (#AgreeOnThree) IS the gesture. All firearms subject to a three-day waiting period solely in the name of safety. Prevent the mentally unstable from carrying out violence on a whim. Individuals who are familiar with firearms and respect the capacities of firearms understand the danger of such a tool in the wrong hands. Anti-gun advocates realize that any change has to start somewhere, and Agree on Three is much better than current legislation. Not a solution, but symbolic enough to finally admit the ultimate concern for safety on both sides of the issue. Firearms should be registered with the state. Promote justice. Help prevent gun owners from being incriminated in scenarios where a firearm is stolen. Assist law enforcement with investigations. Investigate the effects of lead bullets used for hunting on the environment and humans. Particles/fragments from ammunition found in game. Children under six and pregnant women at greatest risk to lead exposure. Toxicity factor as opposed to other types of bullets. Copper. Bonded. Support Net Neutrality Stymying the use of the internet based on class misrepresents freedom. Civil Rights Support Affirmative Action. Against the Death Penalty. Support gay marriage. Support Equal Pay. Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Voting High School students become registered to vote upon graduation. Individuals automatically registered to vote when renewing their drivers license. Voting districts redrawn accurately by independent GAB. Anti-gerrymandering legislation. Support Black Lives Matter. Support equal rights for LGBT citizens.	”
—Jeff Rumbaugh for Governor

Paul Soglin

“	Economy We normally discuss Wisconsin’s economy in terms of economic development programs administered by the state. An inclusive economy designed to improve the standard of living for the people of the state starts with the household, not attracting outside investors. Five critical areas need our attention if we are to support and sustain families. Housing. And housing is first. Without affordable and safe homes, children struggle to learn, health care is compromised, and employment opportunities are compromised. Wisconsin does not have a housing program – the last-minute Walker initiative to provide tax credits in a limited number of communities is too little too late. Utah, Arizona, and Minnesota have housing programs and so can we. There should be a state-wide initiative to eliminate homelessness in every county in the state. That should be augmented by a commitment to build affordable workforce and starter homes. The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) does an excellent job with the federal low-income housing tax credit program but it is a federal program in short supply. We can use tax credits, expansion of TIF revenues, housing bonds to support affordable housing construction and renovation in every county. Transportation. Both urban and rural areas of the state lack adequate transportation resources. New jobs must be accessible. State transportation needs vary from road construction, and public transit, to sidewalks and bicycles lanes. We need to raise the gasoline tax, create Regional Transportation Authorities with taxing power, and establish a state inter-county ride system with proper safety standards. Quality Child Care. Wisconsin children in rural and urban areas are falling behind the nation. Quality child care is essential and it requires good wages for trained and skilled staff. Health Care. The Walker years must be reversed, and Wisconsin must embrace the Affordable Health Care Act, accept Medicaid funding and expansion, join the marketplace and make sure there is access to health care statewide. Our objective is single payer. Often overlooked aspects of health care are behavioral health and nutrition. Our neglect of our mental health system means too many communities rely on local police departments. Expansion of school food programs, especially during the summer is critical. Hungry children suffer -- they do not thrive and do not learn. Education and Job Training. We must renew our commitment to our public schools. Two of the essential elements for quality education already exist in Wisconsin: concerned parents and a quality teaching staff. Now we must invest in our outdated public schools and restore a liberal arts education to every district in the state. Our kids must learn how to think. That means offering quality recreational, athletic and cultural programming as well as academics. Higher education is critical to job development. Greater funding is needed for job, trade, and apprentice programs, and our universities and colleges. Minimum Wage Unemployment is low nationwide, but Wisconsin is 34th out of 50 in job creation, and has one of the worst records when it comes to the shrinking middle class. In Madison we will successfully finish our three-year program in 2019 to establish a minimum wage for city employees of $15 per hour. Here is what I will do as Governor to improve wages statewide: Put the state on a three year plan to raise the minimum wage for state government employees $15 per hour. Raise the minimum wage for all workers in Wisconsin to $12 an hour. I would want to talk with economists as to what is a reasonable phase-in period that leads to $15 an hour by 2022. Adopt a state policy to ensure that no company gets state financial incentives unless they agree that for all jobs created, there is a minimum wage of $15 an hour, full health insurance benefits, and an acceptable pension plan. The incentives would be a fraction of what was provided to Foxconn. State Development Programs In partnership with the private sector, through a competitive bid process I will ensure we bring broadband – high speed internet – to every part of the state. The public sector portion would probably cost $500 million, a fraction of what's being doled out to Foxconn. We wired the state for landline telephones and electricity 100 years ago: high speed broadband is just as critical today. Develop a sense of place in every community. Let's focus on what entrepreneurs want for their own families when they make location decisions: great public schools, transportation systems, safe and healthy communities with an emphasis on recreational and cultural opportunities, and a clean and sustainable environment. Notice in that list I did not include starting "a race to the bottom" by lowering taxes. End the race-to-the-bottom. We must stop handing out bankrupting tax packages to foreign companies. Jobs are created by locally owned small businesses, not large corporations that require $250,000 subsidies per job. Wisconsin should recognize what experts say. First if you want to create jobs, support small locally owned businesses. They create jobs at the fraction of the price of a Foxconn. Second, the investment should not be in the big corporation but in the needs of the community: roads, schools, clean water. Cooperatives Wisconsin has a rich history of investing in cooperatives. We have them in financial services – our credit unions and mutual insurance companies -- and in agriculture, energy, and worker-owned businesses like engineering firms and taxi cab companies. We could take $250 million, a fraction of the cost of Foxconn, and invest in cooperative businesses. Then we would not have to worry about the jobs moving out of state, conglomerates buying them out, and the wealth created belongs to our people. They in turn, will make local purchases, pay taxes, and make contributions to their favorite Wisconsin charities. Public Markets, Family Farms, and Food Aggregation Wisconsin family farms are a source of healthy food, a vibrant economy, and the high community standards. Special treatment for corporate farms is destroying our family farms, the environment and our state’s best source of fresh healthy food. Wisconsin needs an agriculture policy that encourages the profitability and economic security of the family farm. That means protecting diary prices, insurance against natural disasters, and making sure that markets are accessible. Wisconsin needs a food policy, one that will lead to regional year-round public markets in every area of the state and accompanied by improved aggregation and transportation centers for locally grown crops. A successful program can be implemented for $200 million, a fraction of the $4 billion for Foxconn, with profits for Wisconsinites. Respecting Labor Wisconsin is the home of the hardest working people in the United States. They deserve the fair share of their labor. They deserve safe working conditions and the knowledge that their job is secure. To ensure that they are fairly compensated, we will not only raise the minimum wage but also will restore collective bargaining rights to Wisconsin workers, and that will include honoring prevailing wage and labor peace agreements. Education From the beginning of my public life I recognized that the future of a community is driven by its public schools. Our schools are good, but we can do much better. The success of a school system depends upon the quality of the teaching staff, parents’ involvement in their children’s education, and funding of the system. Within our communities we can control the first two. Our local board of education hires the superintendent who in turn hires the teachers. We need to continue to encourage and empower parents to be engaged. Funding is another matter. The state has not kept up with shared revenues for our schools and our local property tax base can take only so much. We need to spread the cost of public education over a greater tax base – one that can afford to pay. I will support an increase in the income tax at the highest brackets – that is what a progressive tax is about – or if necessary, an increase in the sales tax which will generate part of the revenues from all the visitors to our state. These revenues should be distributed to our school districts based on enrollment and need – the poorest communities will get more than the wealthiest communities. There will be no strings attached. Local school districts will decide whether to spend the money on school safety, lower class sizes, athletics or cultural programs. Grandparents hope their children will remain in the community and raise their family there. When schools are underfunded that will not happen. Better schools make children better prepared for whatever path they choose, for and that makes the community more attractive for families and the businesses that employ them. Broadband In the twenty-first century access to broadband, a system based on net neutrality is as critical as electricity and landline telephone service was one hundred years ago. A student’s education and the state’s economy are dependent upon high speed access. Many rural Wisconsinites still lack adequate access to the internet, and many suburban and urban consumers and businesses are also faced with limited broadband options and speeds. A primary reason is that much of Wisconsin are captive customers of a few big corporate broadband providers, who offer limited capacity at unreasonably high prices. While state government has begun to fund buildout of broadband networks, the bulk of the funds has gone to the same few big corporate broadband providers. The solution lies in two commitments from state government. First, a public private build out which will require an estimated $500 million from the state which is to be matched by a $1 billion commitment from competitive private sector providers. Secondly, a state net neutrality provision similar to Washington state making it illegal for internet service providers to manipulate their networks to slow down or speed up service for specific customers. Wisconsin can and should do more. Wisconsin needs a statewide broadband development program for the 21st Century akin to the rural electrification program of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Just like the rural electrification program, a statewide broadband program requires increasing government spending and empowering communities–not just companies–to invest in future buildouts. Helping students and families, especially the economically disadvantaged and those living in rural communities, is crucial to building a workforce for the 21st century. That’s why we should encourage co-ops, the UW, municipal utilities, and rural nonprofits to become broadband providers where private-sector service is inadequate. Repealing 2003 Wisconsin Act 278, which discourages municipal broadband, would be a good start. Repealing Wisconsin Statutes Section 36.585, which prohibited the University of Wisconsin System and its campuses from providing broadband service to nearby libraries, schools, technical colleges, and other public entities, would be another important beginning. Both laws protect existing corporate broadband providers by eliminating likely public competitors. Beyond these first steps, a robust program of government funding for broadband expansion such as the State of New York’s “Broadband For All” project is needed to be sure that in Wisconsin, internet connectivity is no longer a luxury. Broadband is as vital a resource as water and electricity to Wisconsin’s communities and is absolutely critical to the future of our economy and our education. The $500 million public commitment, which is one seventh of the ultimate public cost of the Foxconn travesty, will ultimately provide far more jobs, economic growth, and educational attainment – a benefit to the entire state. Wisconsin also requires a regulatory program that treats broadband as the important public utility it has become. Wisconsin needs a watchdog over corporate providers, rather than the cheerleader the Public Service Commission has become under the Walker administration and the provider-friendly statutes his cronies in the Legislature have passed. Specifically, much of 2011 Wisconsin Act 22 should be repealed. Passed in a particularly destructive Special Session that Walker called in early 2011, Act 22 decimated much of the statutory authority of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) to investigate consumer complaints about the adequacy of telecommunications service or fairness of rates, eliminated PSC oversight of traditional landline telephone service (critical lifelines for seniors), eliminated price regulation for AT&T Wisconsin and Frontier North (formerly Verizon), and largely freed telecommunications companies from any significant state regulation. One further step a new Governor can take immediately: protect Net Neutrality in Wisconsin. Recently dumped overboard by the Trump FCC, Net Neutrality is the legal concept that the internet should not be a toll road: all content should be treated equally and not be slowed down if a premium “toll” isn’t paid to the broadband provider. For some reason, perhaps greed, providers like AT&T and Charter, believe that they should have the right to charge extra to not delay or impede content such as video. Already, the Governors of Montana, New York, New Jersey, and Hawaii have issued executive orders barring state agencies from doing business with internet service providers that violate Net Neutrality, effectively assuring that the major broadband providers in those states will not do so. The Department of Administration in the Soglin. Administration will issue similar orders and enact appropriate legislation. Universities and Colleges For most of the past 100 years Wisconsin spent more money on its universities than on prisons. Now, under Scott Walker, the Department of Corrections has the biggest budget of any agency. There are two reasons for this. First, we are not spending enough on education. As a result, students are saddled with too much debt, schools cannot offer enough courses to meet the demand during the freshman year, and quality faculty leave the state. Second, at an enormous cost, we are imprisoning individuals who could have been safely released long ago, and we are incarcerating nonviolent people who need more help and less punishment. Wisconsin should be known for its quality higher education not -- as is the case now -- for a criminal justice and corrections system with some of the worst racial disparities in the nation. The funds for improving higher education will principally come from reductions in the Corrections budget — cuts which will eventually total over $100 million. Shifting investment to higher education will mean: Lower tuition Loan repayment support for students who remain in Wisconsin Restoration of tenure Improved faculty and staff pay scale competitive with other Midwestern schools More freshman classes so students do not have to enroll beyond eight semesters for a bachelor’s degree Agriculture Wisconsin's Food System We should produce abundant foods using sustainable methods in order to benefit both consumers and producers, and which will be resilient in the face of change. Farmers and Farming Wisconsin farmers should make a decent living, enabling them to contribute to a safe, abundant, nutritious and affordable food supply while sustaining natural resources and strengthening their communities. The State can help shape policy, build and maintain infrastructure, and provide incentives to advance that vision. We need to develop a more effective system of price supports -- or insurance -- that protects farmers from the vagaries of weather, disease, and fluctuations created by changes in import/export policies and tariffs. The state must have a governor and administration that thinks out the consequences of providing financial incentives designed to increase production. For example, will increased production lead to oversupply and lower prices putting all producers at risk? Support Grassroots Efforts The State of Wisconsin should support a network of regional statewide food policy councils to promote coordination among stakeholder groups on local food system issues. We can start by building on existing public markets, farmers markets, and cooperative efforts. While these markets can capture retail dollars from tourists and those interested in prepared food, the emphasis should be on providing producers a reliable outlet of fresh nutritious food to consumers. Incentivize Sustainable Food Production I will work with the agricultural community to conduct a systematic review of Wisconsin’s laws and regulations. We will make necessary changes to incentivize farming practices that reduce erosion, use water efficiently, improve soil health, reduce runoff, promote regional food systems, shorten food transportation distances, promote diversified, climate-change hearty crop cultivation, reduce greenhouse gases, and diversify the regional supply chain. Fresh potable water in our rivers, streams, lakes and aquifers is a high priority for both urban and rural residents. To protect our water, we must collaborate with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reduce contamination by phosphorus, nitrates, salts, as well as herbicides and pesticides and other pollutants or runoff. Build a Better Department of Natural Resources I am strongly committed to de-politicizing the DNR, so that it can become a robust, independent monitor of environmental laws, regulations, and permitting procedures that protect our free flowing water, ground water, and air. We must ensure adequate staffing levels to support aggressive monitoring and enforcement. Create a Climate Adaptation Plan for Agriculture I understand that Wisconsin’s agricultural system will continue to face profound, growing impacts from climate change. Preparing for these changes is urgent and essential. I will work with the agricultural community to create a comprehensive Agricultural Climate Adaptation Plan. The plan will be based on a view of farms and fields as integrated, bio- diverse landscapes and will: address necessary and ambitious changes in the agricultural system overall; include locally focused adaptation strategies; provide technical and financial support for farmers working to implement effective adaptations; identify necessary investments in adaptive agricultural infrastructure; assign specific implementation responsibilities; and create specific resources to implement planned strategies. Strengthen Agriculturally Related Transit and Internet I am committed to creating and maintaining a healthy highway infrastructure that includes rural roadways and provides for the transport of agricultural products and the movement of modern agricultural equipment while incentivizing freight optimization and the creation of low-emission long-haul vehicles. Again, everyone in Wisconsin must have access to high-speed broadband. Support Local Control, Especially Regarding CAFOs As a longtime mayor, I strongly support local control of siting decisions for industrial livestock operations or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). I will work to ensure the right of local governments to exceed state standards and requirements when it is best for their residents. CAFOs can create a terrible burden on town and county roads. Just as urban developers must pay for infrastructure, counties should be able to require CAFOs to pay for the increased road costs associated with their trucks. In addition, counties should be able to require security deposits or bonds from CAFOs to guarantee clean up, should they go out of business. In addition, I will work to strengthen the rights of local governments to regulate GMO and pesticide use. Create Fair Redress for GMO and Pesticide Drift I support the enactment of state laws that strengthen the rights of organic farmers to seek fair redress for GMO and pesticide drift that contaminates their lands and destroys the value of their products. Enlarge the Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grant Program We must expand our Buy Local programs. It is estimated that as little as 5% of the food consumed in Wisconsin is produced here. Nutritious food costs more but we can start by reopening school kitchens and providing fresh meals, not frozen, empty calories from out of state. I will triple the annual expenditure (from $200,000 to $600,000) for the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection’s Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grant program. This program has demonstrated its ability to increase local food sales, stimulate investment, and preserve and create jobs while keeping profits in Wisconsin. Promote Sensible Food Recovery I will support the development of robust food recovery systems and services including intelligent policies concerning food donation and diversion efforts for farm fresh foods. Become a Responsible Consumer The State of Wisconsin purchases a lot of food for its prisons, juvenile facilities, colleges and universities, office and service buildings, healthcare facilities, as well as meetings and conferences. The state should systematically review its purchasing policies and procedures to incentivize the development of supply chains grounded in local and regional sustainable food producers. Lift Up Urban Agriculture As governor, I will ensure urban agriculture can expand and thrive. These are a few of the steps I will take: Require the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to establish an Office of Urban Agriculture to promote, coordinate, and support the development of urban farming. Review and revise state building codes to ensure supportive policies that properly identify, permit, and regulate urban agriculture, including emerging indoor gardening approaches such as hydroponics, vertical gardens, aquaponics, and greenhouses. Consider model statutes that have been effective in California, Louisiana, Missouri, Kansas and Utah to incentivize the development of urban agricultural zones via permissive changes in property appraisals and related cropland rate taxation for urban parcels placed in agricultural use. Act 10 Mayor Soglin was the first of the gubernatorial candidates to oppose Act 10. On Saturday February 12, 2011 he joined a group of University of Wisconsin graduate teaching and research assistants in a march to the state capitol in opposition to Scott Walker’s proposal to destroy public employee unions. The following week, he made repeated public statements in opposition to Act 10 including multiple posts on his blog, Waxingamerica, the first post going up on Sunday, the following day: "The way to improve public services and reduce costs is to trust public employees and give them the opportunity to do quality work." This was not the reaction of at least one other candidate in the Democratic primary for Governor. From Politifact: (Mahlon) Mitchell was effusive in his praise of Walker in a statement he issued on Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin letterhead on Feb. 11, 2011, a week before he protested Act 10 in Madison: We are pleased that Gov. Walker recognizes the critical work that we do protecting the residents of our communities. We are there 24 hours every day, 7 days every week. We do our jobs regardless of conditions that we face. We also know that all public employees across this great state are hardworking, dedicated individuals. We all make sacrifices every day but the Governor recognizes that what we do is unique and we applaud him for recognizing that. Governor Walker from the time he was a State Representative has demonstrated that he understands what we do and why we do it and why it is so important to our communities. We know that state and local governments are facing tough economic times. We look forward to working with Gov. Walker, state legislators of both political parties, local officials, and other public sector unions in an effort to help solve the severe economic problems that our state is facing. Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for Mitchell’s campaign, said in an email that the statement came before union officials "understood the full consequences of the legislation and the devastating effect that it would have on Wisconsin's workers." "As soon as the bill came out and they saw really what the effects would be, they came out against it," Smith said. "You can’t say he wasn’t one of the leaders against Act 10 when he was out there day after day after day fighting it." Eleven days after the statement, Mitchell said at a Capitol news conference that firefighters would be willing to take the same pension and health care changes as other unions if the governor would drop his push to limit collective bargaining rights. Elected as mayor in April of 2011, Mayor Soglin lead the way in finding new protections for workers by instituting the “employee handbooks” which codified the defunct labor agreements in the post-Act 10 world. Paul Soglin on Act 10 There a number of actions by the Walker Administration that need to be reversed. They are all important. They include weakening of environmental regulations and the DNR, obstructions to democracy like Voter ID and limiting voting hours, the decision to fight the Affordable Health Care Act, assaults on a woman’s right to choose her health alternatives, stripping local control from school boards and city councils, and of course destroying protections for Wisconsin workers in the enactment of Act 10. Act 10 was devastating. It did more than destroy public employee unions. Valuable, experienced teachers and public works employees retired depriving us of their experience and institutional knowledge. It left many public agencies with no process to deal with employee grievances and discipline. When Act 10 was introduced, Wisconsin had one of the lowest ratios of public employees per capita among the states; the quality of Wisconsin public service was among the best. We are still good but the long range prospects are questionable as a result on Act 10: the best and the brightest are no longer as enthusiastic to stay in Wisconsin and teach and serve. People ask me if I support repealing Act 10. The answer is not that simple. We have to do more. We need to restore full collective bargaining rights for public and private employees, strengthen the role of unions, and end the race to the bottom. Many Wisconsinites were unhappy that they did not have the pensions and health insurance received by public employees. The solution was not to undermine public employees but to improve everyone else’s benefits. Leadership is instinctively knowing what to do. Wisconsin needs a governor who will do the right thing when there is no playbook. Guns Prohibit persons convicted of domestic violent crimes or subject to restraining orders from acquiring or possessing firearms; All domestic violence and drug abuse prohibiting records should be entered into background check systems. Those convicted of such crimes and misdemeanors must turn in their weapons. Ban replica handguns designed to look like real weapons. Supports a universal law enforcement data-base allowing for the tracing of all weapons. Opposes programs to arm any non-law enforcement personnel (including teachers) in public schools. Supports public safety legislation requiring background checks for all firearm sales regardless of site (brick and mortar store, mail order, internet, gun shows). Opposes “stand your ground” and “shoot first” legislation and a return to the traditional standard derived from English Common Law of “The Castle Doctrine” i.e. required to retreat unless there is no safe place or the individual or others are in life threatening danger. Supports an effective ban on military-style assault weapons such as the AK-47 and its component parts Supports no guns for those on terrorist or do-not-fly lists. Supports limits on the number of firearms that can be purchased at one time and within a month. Supports a ban on anyone other than a licensed dealer moving multiple weapons across state lines, unless the firearms are used as part of educational, scientific, museum or competition activity. Supports a ban on non-law enforcement owning, possessing, or using armor piercing bullets. LGBTQ The Record In his first term as mayor Paul Soglin in 1975, working with Rev. James Wight, Director of the Equal Opportunities Commission, passed Madison’s non-discrimination ordinance on the basis of sexual orientation. This placed Madison in the first dozen cities in the country to enact such an ordinance. In his second term as mayor Paul Soglin, working with gay Republican Alder Jim McFarland and building on the work of the Madison Institute for Social Legislation (MSIL), led the effort to pass full domestic partner benefits for gay and lesbian families in Madison. Madison was the first city in the state of Wisconsin to recognize gay and lesbian families. Soglin also joined other mayors in the 1993 effort to cancel the nation’s mayor’s meeting in Colorado when that state had passed an anti-gay rights law. In his present term mayor Paul Soglin has worked to ensure that Madison has scored 100% on the Equality Index for LGBT citizens put out by the Human Rights Campaign. Madison has achieved that score every year since 2013. The Issues As Governor, Paul Soglin will: Amend Wisconsin non-discrimination law to include transgender individuals. Work with state agencies to increase vigorous non-discrimination enforcement for all equal rights. Highlight an annual Governor’s report on discrimination matters and hate crimes to ensure protection and public safety to all Wisconsin citizens. Increase access to competent and affirming health care for transgender individuals. Restore transgender health benefits for state employees taken away in 2017. Benefits such as health matters should be decided on a medical basis. Oppose legislative efforts like the current pending SB 634 that would destroy local ordinances protecting non-discrimination across Wisconsin including local labor agreements. Oppose any “bathroom” bills and work to ensure state facilities provide gender neutral and family bathrooms. Support legislation to ban so called “conversion therapy” for minors in the state which can pose youth health risks. Milwaukee has already enacted a ban on youth conversion therapy. Create an inclusive administration by appointing LGBT people to positions throughout state government as Soglin has have done in the city of Madison. Soglin will recreate the Governor’s Council on LGBT Issues, first created by Governor Tony Earl in 1983.	”
—Soglin for Governor

Kathleen Vinehout

“	Education “We have to rethink how we go about educating our children and what we want to accomplish. The creativity, excitement and challenge of teaching have been stifled by rules, regulations and testing requirements. We spend so much time and money on testing and evaluating that teachers don’t have the time to teach or the resources and energy to try innovative approaches. We need a different plan.” –Kathleen Vinehout Public schools educate most of Wisconsin children. They represent our future and are at the heart of community life. The fallout from Act 10 and the criticizing of public school teachers had profound effect on schools. Teachers left and retired. Fewer college students are going into education. School districts have trouble filling vacancies. Standards for teachers were lowered. Morale is low. Student opportunities were diminished. Cuts in state aid have forced taxpayers to pass referenda and raise property taxes just to keep their schools running. Despite increases in the Governor’s election-year budget, schools haven’t recovered from the massive cuts in state aid in 2011. In real dollars schools will be getting less in the next two years than a decade ago. Likewise, our University of Wisconsin has been underfunded and demoralized. I will restore the cuts and stem the exodus of top professors to states where political leaders give them respect. In the alternative budgets I have written over the past eight years, I took dollars from, among other sources, corporate tax breaks and cash payments. I rearranged existing dollars to show how we can change how we pay for schools and not harm any district in the state. I also showed, with existing dollars, how we could replace the dollars taken from the University in past budgets and invest $100 million in UW needs based financial aid. We need to reduce our reliance on the property tax to fund schools. The cornerstone of school funding should be state aid. Since the formula was first enacted, our demographics have changed, our economy has changed. It is time we rethink the way we fund schools. Tinkering around the edges is not enough. Health Care “It's our responsibility as a society to make sure that nobody goes without health care. People who are sick shouldn't have to worry about how to pay the bills. They should focus on becoming healthy. Fixing health care is my passion. Healthcare is more than a right. It is a moral obligation of civilized society to all of its members.” –Kathleen Vinehout The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is here to stay. Wisconsin needs to accept Medicaid expansion, cover 79,000 more people and have about $286 million in cash to spend on other needs such as mental health and substance abuse programs. We must create a Wisconsin based marketplace. The Badger Health Benefits plan that I have authored in four different legislative sessions would, under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, give Wisconsin the ability to assure patients and providers that our healthcare system will be stable despite changes at the federal level. In addition, our own marketplace could use the state’s regulatory authority to review, justify, and if necessary, stop rate increases, keeping plans affordable for small businesses and those who buy insurance on their own. Further, creating our own marketplace provides Wisconsin the vehicle to offer BadgerCare as a public option, something Minnesota’s governor proposed in his last budget. Solving Wisconsin’s health care crisis has been at the top of my list since I first ran in 2006. In 2007, before the ACA, I was one of three Senate authors of Healthy Wisconsin, a plan that covered everyone in our state. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel called the changes to health insurance I was able to pass, “the most extensive in a decade”. Fixing health care is my passion. I won’t rest till it’s done. Environment “We put people first when our air, water, natural resources are preserved and enhanced for everyone’s use and enjoyment. We put people first when our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren inherit the blessings of the land, sky and water from us. Their future welfare is our obligation.” –Kathleen Vinehout Don’t put pollutants into the air for others to breathe. Don’t put contaminants into water for those downstream to drink. Go back to having DNR run by an independent Secretary appointed by the Natural Resources Board rather than a Secretary appointed by the Governor. Restore authority to the Conservation Congress. Rehire all the scientists who have been fired. Put them to work addressing problems like climate change and chronic wasting disease. Monitor our groundwater across the state. Hire enough employees to monitor and enforce our regulations. Let scientists share their research on our state websites. One of the goals for our state’s environmental policy should be what economists call “internalizing costs”. All of the costs associated with producing a product or engaging in an activity should be borne by the person or company producing the product or doing the activity. It is basically what we were all taught as children. Clean up your own mess. Wash your dishes. Make your bed. So, sand mines don’t release small particles for neighbors to breathe, or put arsenic into the ground water that kills the horse on the farm next door. So, high capacity wells don’t make surrounding wells dry. So CAFOs don’t contaminate the groundwater with nitrates and e. coli. We don’t avoid costs by not cleaning up – we just shift them. Energy companies may have saved money by not putting scrubbers on coal fired power plants 30 years ago. But, we are paying a lot more today rebuilding Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico because the CO2 buildup is causing climate change. Women's Health “We can do better in making sure all women and babies are safe and healthy. We know that more than half of the unplanned pregnancies result from the few women who can't easily access women’s health services. As Governor, I will expand pre-natal care, child care, and support services for mothers with young children. I have a son, Nathan, who is the greatest joy in my life. Having a baby or an abortion is an intensely personal decision. Such a decision is private and emotional: one that a woman makes with her doctor, her family and her faith. We must respect her choice.” –Kathleen Vinehout One of my sisters almost died of a self-induced abortion. I have seen firsthand the horror of what happens when access is limited and needed medicine, medical procedures, or care is not available. That is why I have voted throughout my career to make abortion legal, safe, and accessible. I have voted to support women’s health and voted against bills that would hurt a woman’s right to make her own health decisions. President Trump’s recent roll back of the federal requirement that employers must include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans is an enormous step backwards for women’s health. Reducing access to contraceptives is wrong as well as misguided. The contraceptive coverage mandate gave 55 million women access to birth control without co-payments. The roll back will hurt the health of thousands of women without resources to purchase contraceptives. Sadly, it will also result in an increased number of abortions, which should be safe, legal, and available but also rare. Opportunities and Supports “All of us at some time need support from our community. We put people first when, as a community, we provide those supports that give individuals the opportunity to live their lives more fully.” –Kathleen Vinehout We put people first when those who work don’t have to worry about child care. Recently, a mom told me she spends half her salary on child care. Wisconsin is ranked third worst in 50 states for affordable family-based infant child care. We put people first when we fund alternatives to incarceration. When we provide treatment instead of punishment for addiction and mental health illness. We put people first when we provide support for those with disabilities. Every one of us is one bad day away from being disabled. Let’s make sure getting out of bed and getting dressed doesn’t become a barrier to leading a full life. Many of these and other services are delivered by our local governments. They need to be adequately funded. The revenues the state shares with local governments have not kept up with either inflation or increasing need. Especially serious is the need for community-based mental health and drug addiction treatment. In addition to providing adequate funding, I will make sure Wisconsin recognizes counties, tribes and municipalities as full partners in delivering services. Our local governments and tribes know the need. They are on the ground doing the delivery. They should be partners in making decisions. Inequality and Race “To address the problems surrounding inequality, race, and justice will take a lot of hard work by a lot of people, in every community, and from every walk of life. We have to change the political, economic and social structures that continue to contribute to our present experience.” –Kathleen Vinehout If we want to make progress, poverty and inequality must to be alleviated. We need a living wage of $15 an hour. The free tuition I have proposed for our technical colleges and 2-year campuses will remove a barrier for everyone to have access to technical skills or a college education. We have to change our criminal laws so we are not jailing twice as many of our citizens as Minnesota. Truth in Sentencing standards need to be changed. Bail procedures must be changed. We need treatment alternatives to prison for those with substance abuse and mental health problems. We need more effective probation and parole. Supports are essential in helping those released from prison to reintegrate into our communities. We need to improve our inner city public schools. We must recognize that many children from low income families cost more to educate because their parents didn’t have the resources to prepare them for kindergarten. Changes to our funding formula that address the pervasive effects of poverty will help both urban and rural districts. We need to reform our housing statutes so landlords are held accountable to maintain the properties they rent. Renters are not evicted unjustifiably. Foreclosures are not arbitrary. We need to build trust between our citizens and law enforcement. President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing shows us detailed steps toward building this trust. Finally, we must move toward more local control so that people who live in a community do have a real say in how the community is run. Budget Choices “Budgets are a blueprint of our priorities. What we spend state dollars on truly reflects what we value for our people and our communities.” –Kathleen Vinehout My vision for tomorrow is far different from where the state is today. It is a vision that puts people first -- at the center of state policy and the priority for spending state dollars. That means funding education and changing the formula that distributes those dollars so districts are not continually in crisis and having to pass referendums. It means free tuition at our technical colleges and 2-year campuses so people of every age can learn the skills needed in today’s economy. It means restoring cuts to our universities. It means making health care affordable and accessible to every one of our citizens. It means changing our criminal justice system to reduce incarceration, provide alternatives to prison, and treatment instead of punishment for addiction and mental health illness. It means supporting our counties, tribes, towns and cities that deliver so many of our social programs. It means local control so people can make the decisions that affect the quality of life in their own communities. In the last four budget cycles I have written alternative budgets that use the same total dollars, but take money from corporate tax breaks and cash payments and put those dollars into programs that support people. When government provides the supports that increase opportunities for people, the economy thrives. The corporate think tanks tell us that the “business climate” is good when the choice is low taxes and few regulations. But, research tells us the states with good public services are the states that thrive. Changing Our Politics “Democracy is a set of rules that allows all of us to participate in making community decisions. At its best, democracy puts people first. People are first when the rules make voting easy, allow for more public participation, more openness, more disclosure, and more public discussion. Restrictions on voting, floods of corporate money, and speed and secrecy in the making of laws are the tools of those who seek to centralize control, restrict democratic practices, and take power from the people.” –Kathleen Vinehout In recent years, laws passed by the Republicans have diminished democracy and made our politics worse. Voting has been made more difficult. Restrictions on lobbying and campaign contributions have been eased. Oversight of elections has been turned over to a partisan appointed board. Speed and secrecy in the passing of controversial laws has become commonplace. Participation by the public has been made more difficult. More and more decisions are removed from the control of local voters and local officials. I fought these changes in the Senate. I am committed to rolling them back as Governor. If democracy is corrupted, the people have no power. Economy and Jobs “Study after study demonstrates people want to live and businesses want to locate where there are great schools, good transportation, safe streets, recreation opportunities, clean air and water, and amenities—all things that are the traditional jobs of the public sector. If the public sector does these things well, does its own job well, our communities will thrive, businesses will locate, jobs will come.” –Kathleen Vinehout The governor doesn’t create jobs. The state doesn’t create jobs. Giving tax breaks and cash payments to corporations doesn’t create jobs. This administration has tried that and it doesn’t work. The Republican theory is that the private sector will grow when taxes are low and there are no regulations – trickle-down economics. That hasn’t worked. Wisconsin has spent hundreds of millions of dollars luring corporations. Environmental and other regulations were gutted. What are the results? We still don’t have the 250,000 new jobs promised eight years ago. Wisconsin is behind: we recovered from the recession one full year after the nation did, and two years after Minnesota. What the state can do is create an environment in which the private sector thrives. Over the last 3.5 years Eau Claire has added 3,000 jobs – the same number promised by Foxconn. And it didn’t cost the state $3 billion. The companies that started in Eau Claire said they came because of good schools, a quality university, efficient transportation, recreation, arts – just a good place to live. The public sector should be focused on enriching the economic soil so that all plants can start and grow, not just the few selected by our political leaders. Local Control “Putting people first cannot be accomplished unless the decisions that affect people and our local communities are made by the people who live in the local community. I trust local elected officials. I trust local voters.” –Kathleen Vinehout Local control of local decisions by local officials has deep roots in American history. The arbitrary rules imposed on the colonies by the English king motivated the New England patriots to take arms starting the Revolutionary War. There has always been resistance to the centralization of power. People instinctively know that when decisions are made in faraway places, their interests will not be well served. Back in December, 2016, just before Christmas, Governor Walker wrote to then president-elect Trump. “Too often states have become mere administrative provinces of an all-powerful federal government … forcing states to accept policies and priorities that do not meet the needs of taxpayers, and do not reflect local needs, conditions or values.” I repeat those same words loud and clear to the Governor and our Republican legislative leaders: stop forcing local communities to accept policies and priorities that DO NOT REFLECT LOCAL NEEDS, CONDITIONS OR VALUES. Since 2010, the Republican controlled legislature has passed and Governor Walker has signed more than 128 measures to limit or take away local control. Local control of certain commercial activities, wages, environmental standards, zoning restrictions, building codes, consumer protections, and even local referenda has been taken away. Many of these changes benefit outside private interests at the expense of local residents. The ability of people to determine what kind of community they want has been diminished. Fundamental to my vision of putting People First is the principle that local community decisions must be made by local residents.	”
—Voters for Vinehout

Dana Wachs

“	Economy To grow Wisconsin jobs, we must invest in Wisconsin’s people. I am committed to putting Wisconsin workers and families first. Unfortunately, Wisconsin families and workers are getting left behind while the rest of the nation grows. As governor, I will champion innovative solutions to ensure economic opportunity for all. From ensuring Wisconsin workers have the skills for 21st century jobs, investing in paid family leave and a living wage, to fostering a green and growing economy, I am committed to moving Wisconsin forward. Some issues include: Develop a broad economic agenda that isn’t dependent upon a single investment with a wealthy foreign company like Foxconn. Ensure economic fairness for all. Connect Wisconsin workers currently in the state and those who have left but want to return to good-paying careers in our state. Ensure security for Wisconsin workers who are retired or are planning to retire. Invest in Main Street Wisconsin, rural Wisconsin, and our Wisconsin’s major cities. Support working people by fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage, paid family leave, child care, and retirement security. Support innovation and the next generation of Wisconsin small businesses and startups. Make doing business and earning a living in Wisconsin affordable by reforming taxes. Grow Wisconsin’s green, agriculture, energy, advanced manufacturing and forestry/paper economies. Healthcare I believe in access to affordable healthcare for every Wisconsinite. Unfortunately quality healthcare is out of reach for many in our state. ​ I support common-sense reforms to ensure Wisconsin families are healthy, safe, and secure. I will fight to protect people with pre-existing conditions, ensure folks have access to good affordable care, and work to guarantee our veterans and seniors the dignity and independence they deserve. ​ Some issues include: Ensure access to healthcare for all by improving access and affordability. Prioritize access to mental health care and addiction services, and address our state’s opioid crisis. Ensure all Wisconsin children have the chance to live healthy lives. Protect access to healthcare that is inclusive. Ensure healthy environments, clean water, and clean air for all Wisconsinites. Support Wisconsin veterans and improve access to critical healthcare services. Support healthcare that allows Wisconsin seniors independence. Education I believe in quality education for all Wisconsin students no matter where they live. I believe that every Wisconsin learner deserves the tools and resources they need to succeed. ​ From early childhood through elementary, middle and high school and beyond, I will work to ensure Wisconsin’s reputation as a world class leader in education is restored. ​ Some issues include: Work to lower the cost of college education and relieve the crushing weight of student loan debt. Invest in strong public schools. Work with educators, parents, and schools to get education right to narrow the achievement gap and ensure accountability. Invest in the future of all Wisconsin children from infancy to early childhood education and access to Wisconsin 4k. ​Connect Wisconsinite and graduates with good-paying jobs that will support careers right here at home. Environment As a hunter, fisherman, and outdoor enthusiast, I understand the importance of clean air, water, and land in Wisconsin. Our families should not have to worry about the quality of the water when they turn on the tap or the quality of the air they breathe. I will fight to ensure Wisconsin families can enjoy our great outdoors for generations to come. Wisconsin’s economic security relies on a clean, green, and growing economy. ​ Some issues include: Ensures healthy environments, including clean drinking water, replacing dangerous lead pipes, addressing CAFO pollution, and protecting our air, water, land, and wetlands. Protect the great outdoors and Wisconsin’s legacy of incredible tourism, hunting, and fishing. Invest in a green, clean and growing economy. Invest in smart transportation and transit solutions for all of Wisconsin. Support Wisconsin veterans and improve access to critical healthcare services. Support healthcare that allows Wisconsin seniors independence. Justice & Equality I’ve spent my life fighting for justice and equality in the courtroom. Unfortunately, today too many people face harassment, discrimination, and inequality. As governor, I will fight to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to live the American dream. Some issues include: Fight alongside Wisconsin women for their rights, equal treatment, equal pay, and safe, harassment-free environments. Support a woman’s right to choose. Build strong communities and ensure safe neighborhoods, including criminal justice reform and alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders. Protect justice for all Wiscoinsinites, including LGBTQI and transgender people. Ensure all communities have the right to experience our great outdoors. Work to build inclusive communities across our state. Fight a culture that tolerates sexual harassment and assault. Fight corruption and build a clean, open government. Honor Wisconsin’s veterans. Ensure all eligible Wisconsinites have the right to vote and the means to exercise that right. Support all working people. Restore and ensure fair justice for all Wisconsinites who find themselves in the criminal justice system. Fight to ensure fair redistricting and representation in Wisconsin government. Support and value all people with disabilities. Value and protect immigrants in Wisconsin many of whom are the backbone of our state’s workforce. StartUp Wisconsin Wisconsin has long been known for its ingenuity. Some of the world’s most recognizable companies got their start right here in the Badger State. Unfortunately over the last seven years, Wisconsin’s reputation has taken a hit. Under Gov. Scott Walker’s leadership, Wisconsin is now dead last in entrepreneurship, lagging in creating new good-paying jobs, worker wages are stagnant, and our cutting-edge researchers are under attack from the right wing in our state’s capitol. Dana is committed to restoring Wisconsin’s leadership in innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation. If you have a creative idea, want to start a business or make a difference in the world, Wisconsin should be be the place for you. Working together, we can unleash ingenuity, open our doors to innovation, and move Wisconsin from worst to first for new small business startups that will employ tens of thousands of Wisconsin workers. Dana’s vision for Wisconsin includes: investing in Wisconsin's people and our ideas instead of foreign corporations, creating economic opportunities in every corner of the state, and attracting young people and entrepreneurs to Wisconsin through our actions not just flashy advertising. The Plan Create the Wisconsin Innovation Fund. The fund would be created through a voluntary check-off for participants in the Wisconsin Retirement System to invest a percentage of their money into emerging Wisconsin businesses and entrepreneurs. This is similar to the variable fund that SWIB manages today. Allow Wisconsinites and young people who relocate to Wisconsin the ability to refinance their college debt at ultra-low interest rates. Increase funding to end waiting lists, expand training for Wisconsin workers, and expand technical college and four-year college programs in high-demand occupations such as software development, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, healthcare, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, among others. Expand high-speed internet access to every corner of the state. Protect the lifesaving research being conducted at the University of Wisconsin from political interference. Gun Safety Dana believes that common-sense gun safety reforms are within reach. During his time in the Wisconsin Assembly Dana authored and supported legislation to re-institute a 48-hour waiting period on gun purchases, among other reforms. On February 16, he released a plan to keep dangerous weapons of war out of the hands of people who intend to harm others. His plan addresses a broken system that contributed to gun violence in American schools and the everyday gun violence that hurts our communities. A Message from Dana We can and must do something. And it cannot wait. American children and their teachers were gunned down with an AR-15 that is designed specifically to kill humans. Real hunters don’t shoot deer with an AR-15. It’s time we do what Congress has failed to do -- protect our children and ban assault weapons. Parents in other developed nations around the world do not have to fear that their children will be gunned down learning to read or studying multiplication tables. They don’t have to fear that by sending their child to school, a place that is supposed to be safe, that they might later have to bury their child. What will it take for Republicans and the gun lobby to wake up? Dana’s plan includes: a ban on the sale of assault weapons, including on AR-15s, mandatory background checks and a 48-hour waiting period for all firearm purchases, closing the gun show loopholes on firearm purchases, a ban on bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, a “No Fly, No Buy” law to prohibit people listed on federal terrorism watchlists from purchasing any firearms, and requiring firearm dealers and sellers to securely store all firearms prior to the point of sale. Week One Day One Healthy Badger Initiative Expand eligibility to BadgerCare for people with low incomes. Allow BadgerCare buy-in by creating BadgerCare Advantage Program for folks making too much for BadgerCare but who are unable to afford insurance coverage in the private marketplace. Develop a BadgerCare Exchange to lower insurance costs for small businesses and individuals. Establish protections for pre-existing conditions, allow folks to stay on their parents' insurance coverage through age 26, protect access to women's health services, and expand coverage of essential health benefits. Increase access to critical preventative services, such as dental, mental health, and substance abuse treatment by increasing reimbursement rates and rewarding providers who focus on maintaining and improving patient health. Day Two Grow & Innovate Wisconsin Initiative End state programs that waste Wisconsin tax dollars and that encourage out-of-state workers to take Wisconsin jobs. Ensure that hard-working folks who have multiple part-time jobs or who work in low-wage jobs have access to skills training to help them succeed. Eliminate waiting lists and expand worker training for Wisconsin workers in high-growth occupations such as advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, healthcare, clean water, and technology. Dramatically increase mobile job and training assistance in the places Gov. Walker has left behind like rural communities and Milwaukee. Advance legislation and establish a Wisconsin wage board to increase the minimum wage in Wisconsin to $15 an hour, address gender and racial pay equity gaps, ensure workers have access to paid family and sick leave, and expand access to high-quality childcare. End corporate handouts that fail to create jobs. Retool economic development programs prioritizing the export of Wisconsin products and assisting small businesses and high growth new business start-ups that have been proven to create jobs. Create a Governor’s Office of Innovation to support Wisconsin entrepreneurs, researchers, and small businesses grow and thrive in Wisconsin. Direct the Public Service Commission to develop a plan for extending high-speed broadband to every corner of the state. Expand support to industry clusters throughout Wisconsin. Issue an executive order creating the Wisconsin Builds Initiative focused on developing sustainable solutions to address our state’s crumbling roads and bridges, and to ensure we have necessary infrastructure to support an expanding economy.​​ Invest in the University of Wisconsin System and Cooperative Extension regional economic development programs. Day Three Wisconsin’s American Dream Initiative Create a Governor’s Office of Equality focused on coordinated resources across Wisconsin to tackle the racial and gender disparities. Increase funding and support for housing, Wisconsin’s veterans, folks who are homeless and Wisconsin’s seniors. Increase efforts to strengthen and grow minority-owned and woman-owned businesses. Enact a Wisconsin equal pay law and prohibit employers from asking job applicants about their salary history Increase early childhood and public school funding particularly in underserved communities so that every child is ready to succeed. Renew Wisconsin’s commitment to working cooperatively with Wisconsin’s Tribes. Day Four Great Outdoors Initiative Restore science-based decision making at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and an independent DNR Secretary who is free from corporate political interests. Establish a task force charged with growing a clean and green economy and with reducing Wisconsin’s carbon dioxide emissions. Bring together scientists, hunters, and officials to combat Chronic Wasting Disease and to adopt a common-sense deer management plan that includes double fencing around deer farms. Expand funding to promote Wisconsin’s critical tourism industry. Create a municipal finance program to help homeowners who want to replace old, lead-ridden water pipes and improve their energy efficiency. Adopt common-sense regulations to protect our natural resources and our sporting heritage from out-of-state developers and mining interests. Increase support for Great Lakes restoration efforts and take steps to prevent the spread of invasive species. Day Five Achieve Wisconsin Initiative Restore Gov. Walker’s cuts to our public schools, the University of Wisconsin system, and Wisconsin’s technical colleges. Create a Wisconsin Badgers Achieve program to ensure that a technical college, two-year college or four-year university is within reach for any student who works hard and gets good grades. Resolve funding inequities between wealthy and low-income school districts and increase funding for schools in rural districts to make sure every child has the same opportunities to achieve no matter where in Wisconsin they live. Finally allow Wisconsinites with college debt to refinance their student loans similar to the way millions of Americans are able to finance their home mortgages. Increase access to quality early childcare programs throughout Wisconsin. Give our teachers the respect they deserve and remove the mandates that tie their hands and stifle innovation in education.	”
—Wachs for Wisconsin

Ramona Whiteaker

“	Raising the minimum wage, not only allows workers financial stability; it raises revenue, creates jobs, and increases the economy, thereby creating a solid foundation, while strengthening the middle class without raising taxes on the middle class. As States have already started increasing their minimum wage, Wisconsin should not be lagging. I do support a $15.00 an hour minimum wage, without hurting small business, that would start at a $10.00 minimum wage in 2019 with increases to reach $15.00 within the next 3 to 5 years. Every one of us are in contact with someone who is using drugs. Many of whom know someone who has died because of drugs. Hard drugs, the ones that kill, heroin, cocaine, crack, and Opioids, are at epidemic proportions, and we need to stop it now! There is only one way to accomplish this by implementing the correct programs that these people need to succeed in life, and as governor, I will make this my mission, as well as reducing the amount of gun violence in Wisconsin. Our children are our greatest asset and yet we stopped teaching them the life skills they need to succeed in life whether they go on to college or choose to do what they love. We cannot ignore advancement in technology, but we cannot ignore the arts, and music, or shop classes either. Furthermore, the "NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND" has left many children behind. We need smaller classrooms, great teachers including teachers of color, and give the children the skills, and confidence they need to succeed in their education, and life while paying our teachers a living wage. Investing in rebuilding our infrastructures will make our roads safer for travel. It will create jobs, strengthen our communities, and build a strong economy. These projects include our bridges, roads, schools, libraries, neighborhood parks, abandoned houses, expanding broadband, and renewable energy. I will also try to bring back the high-speed rail to Wisconsin that connects Chicago to Minneapolis, creating lasting jobs, an increase in revenue, an increase in tourism, and allows businesses to make Wisconsin their home. As governor, I will repair the rails in Wisconsin making it easier, not just for new businesses to call Wisconsin home, but for travelers as well. It is the right of every person to have access to quality, and affordable healthcare from maternity care to newborn care, from well checks for everyone, to vasectomies, and birth control. Healthcare must cover regular check-ups to hospitalization. As governor, I will work with the healthcare professionals, as well as the law makers to implement a plan that will allow all the people of Wisconsin to have access to health insurance whether it be through the private insurances companies with affordable rates, or through a Badger Care buy in which I have already devised a plan that everyone can afford. Wisconsin is the dairy state. So, it only seems right that our farmers succeed through innovation, and forward-thinking programs to not only ensure that they have the capability to maintain their farms, but also be able to allow the people to consume their products. There is a great new resource I have found that will give the dairy farmers a new and exciting product. However, it is not just the dairy farmers that need to maintain their farms, it is all farmers. As governor, I will work with them all to come up with innovative ways for them to succeed in business. Global warming is real, and we need to continue to take strides in combating the emissions we produce. We want to provide the next generations with clean air and water. This can only be done if we continue to advance in renewable energy, and reduce our carbon footprint by putting laws back into place that limits the damage to our health, and environment by companies that produce harmful substances that pollute the air and our waterways. As governor, I want to invest in renewable energy, moving the State forward, making Wisconsin the leader in renewable energy and preserving the beauty that this State gives us! . Homelessness is a real problem. They do not want our pity, they want our help! People believe that they would not be homeless if they would work. Although there are some that want to stay where they are, most of these people had jobs, good jobs until the market crashed, jobs went overseas, and they lost everything. There is something we can do right now to help those who want the help, and as governor, I will make that happen! I come from a military family. Our Veterans deserve the best of the best! As governor, I will do everything in my power to make sure that our Veterans are taken care of. Ensuring that our hospitals are above the standard for care. Providing needed programs that empower our Veterans. When elected Governor, I would like to gather Veterans to a round table group that would meet with me to discuss the needs of our Veterans and how we can improve the programs that are already established to ensure that the best of the best is available to the men and women who risked their lives for our freedom. It is our Constitutional right to vote. As governor, I will end voter suppression by ending the Voter ID Law. Every person 18 or older, who is not serving a felony sentence, is a United States citizen, and resides in Wisconsin shall be allowed to register to vote. Making it easier to vote, redistricting, and ensuring that people have access to voting stations, will ensure that the voice of every Wisconsin resident is heard! Reducing Wisconsin’s deficit is a priority for me. I want to make Wisconsin number 1 in the United States. This will be accomplished by reducing the crime, establish a living wage, enhancing our assets for tourism, investing in improving our infrastructures, and innovation. As governor, I will implement the programs that will do just that without raising taxes! INVESTING IN THE PEOPLE. BRINGING A NEW VISION FOR WISCONSIN! Moving Wisconsin in the right direction, forward! How do we pay for these programs? The way they should have been paid for all along. We stop spending money where it is not needed, we raise more revenue by raising wages and job training, we end poverty by creating jobs, and we rid this State of the corruption that has plagued us for many years now. We elect someone into office that is not going to line their own pockets, and only care about their own interests, but invest in the people of Wisconsin! That person is me. Support Ramona Whiteaker for governor. I have no other agenda than to make Wisconsin the great State that it should be!	”
—Ramona Whiteaker

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Wisconsin heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats and Republicans each held one U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin.
• Republicans held five of eight U.S. House seats in Wisconsin.

State executives

• Republicans held six of 11 state executive positions, while one position was held by a Democrat and four were held by nonpartisan officials.
• The governor of Wisconsin was Republican Scott Walker.

State legislature

• Republicans controlled both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature. They had a 64-35 majority in the state Assembly and an 18-15 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Wisconsin was a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled the state government. Scott Walker (R) served as governor and Republicans controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Wisconsin elections, 2018

Wisconsin held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One seat in the U.S. Senate
• Eight U.S. House seats
• Governor and lieutenant governor
• Three lower state executive positions
• 17 out of 33 state Senate seats
• 99 state Assembly seats
• Municipal elections in Dane and Milwaukee Counties

Demographics

Demographic data for Wisconsin
	Wisconsin	U.S.
Total population:	5,767,891	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	54,158	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	86.5%	73.6%
Black/African American:	6.3%	12.6%
Asian:	2.5%	5.1%
Native American:	0.9%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.1%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	6.3%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	91%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	27.8%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$53,357	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Wisconsin. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2017, Wisconsin had a population of approximately 5,800,000 people, with its three largest cities being Milwaukee (pop. est. 600,000), Madison (pop. est. 250,000), and Green Bay (pop. est. 110,000).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Wisconsin Elections Commission.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Wisconsin every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Donald Trump	47.8%	Hillary Clinton	46.3%	1.5%
2012	Barack Obama	52.8%	Mitt Romney	45.9%	6.9%
2008	Barack Obama	56.2%	John McCain	42.3%	13.9%
2004	John Kerry	49.7%	George W. Bush	49.3%	0.4%
2000	Al Gore	47.8%	George W. Bush	47.6%	0.2%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Wisconsin from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Ron Johnson	50.2%	Russ Feingold	46.8%	3.4%
2012	Tammy Baldwin	51.4%	Tommy Thompson	45.9%	5.5%
2010	Ron Johnson	51.9%	Russ Feingold	47.0%	4.9%
2006	Herb Kohl	67.3%	Robert Lorge	29.5%	37.8%
2004	Russ Feingold	55.3%	Tim Michels	44.1%	11.2%
2000	Herb Kohl	61.5%	John Gillespie	37.0%	24.5%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Wisconsin.

Election results (Governor), Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Scott Walker	52.3%	Mary Burke	46.6%	5.7%
2010	Scott Walker	52.3%	Tom Barrett	46.5%	5.8%
2006	Jim Doyle	52.7%	Mark Green	45.3%	7.4%
2002	Jim Doyle	45.1%	Scott McCallum	41.4%	3.7%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Wisconsin 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2014	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2012	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2010	5	62.5%	3	37.5%	R+2
2008	3	37.5%	5	62.5%	D+2
2006	3	37.5%	5	62.5%	D+2
2004	4	50%	4	50%	-
2002	4	50%	4	50%	-
2000	4	44.4%	5	55.6%	D+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Ten years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twenty-three of 72 Wisconsin counties—32 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County	Trump margin of victory in 2016	Obama margin of victory in 2012	Obama margin of victory in 2008
Adams County, Wisconsin	21.92%	8.73%	18.35%
Buffalo County, Wisconsin	21.82%	2.93%	14.66%
Columbia County, Wisconsin	2.14%	13.58%	15.26%
Crawford County, Wisconsin	5.40%	19.98%	27.03%
Door County, Wisconsin	3.22%	6.99%	17.33%
Dunn County, Wisconsin	11.09%	4.97%	14.95%
Forest County, Wisconsin	26.58%	5.44%	15.16%
Grant County, Wisconsin	9.43%	13.77%	23.88%
Jackson County, Wisconsin	11.74%	15.01%	21.84%
Juneau County, Wisconsin	26.05%	7.03%	9.00%
Kenosha County, Wisconsin	0.31%	12.23%	18.06%
Lafayette County, Wisconsin	8.99%	15.37%	22.32%
Lincoln County, Wisconsin	20.60%	0.71%	12.48%
Marquette County, Wisconsin	24.09%	0.27%	5.28%
Pepin County, Wisconsin	23.08%	2.22%	12.89%
Price County, Wisconsin	25.00%	0.04%	13.40%
Racine County, Wisconsin	4.28%	3.54%	7.41%
Richland County, Wisconsin	5.50%	16.13%	20.63%
Sauk County, Wisconsin	0.35%	18.47%	23.04%
Sawyer County, Wisconsin	18.41%	0.49%	6.23%
Trempealeau County, Wisconsin	12.64%	14.08%	26.39%
Vernon County, Wisconsin	4.43%	14.73%	22.00%
Winnebago County, Wisconsin	7.34%	3.73%	11.66%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Wisconsin with 47.2 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 46.5 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Wisconsin cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 76.7 percent of the time. In that same time frame, Wisconsin supported Republicans slightly more than Democratic candidates, 50.0 to 46.7 percent. The state, however, favored Democrats in every presidential election from 2000 to 2012 before voting for Trump in 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in Wisconsin. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 43 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 36 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 34.6 points. Clinton won three districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.

In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 56 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 12.1 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 63 out of 99 state Assembly districts in Wisconsin with an average margin of victory of 19.4 points. Trump won two districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.

2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District '
District	Obama	Romney	2012 Margin	Clinton	Trump	2016 Margin	Party Control
1	49.45%	49.55%	R+0.1	40.19%	55.31%	R+15.1	R
2	45.06%	53.88%	R+8.8	35.98%	58.55%	R+22.6	R
3	46.37%	52.37%	R+6	39.25%	54.77%	R+15.5	R
4	47.96%	51.02%	R+3.1	42.82%	51.96%	R+9.1	R
5	45.84%	53.01%	R+7.2	35.60%	58.94%	R+23.3	R
6	44.15%	54.75%	R+10.6	30.90%	64.34%	R+33.4	R
7	57.11%	41.73%	D+15.4	55.20%	39.20%	D+16	D
8	86.53%	12.79%	D+73.7	82.43%	14.14%	D+68.3	D
9	74.69%	24.42%	D+50.3	71.60%	23.86%	D+47.7	D
10	89.76%	9.63%	D+80.1	89.09%	8.09%	D+81	D
11	86.92%	12.62%	D+74.3	85.40%	12.20%	D+73.2	D
12	80.00%	19.52%	D+60.5	79.28%	17.84%	D+61.4	D
13	41.61%	57.43%	R+15.8	46.60%	48.01%	R+1.4	R
14	42.53%	56.71%	R+14.2	49.36%	45.05%	D+4.3	R
15	44.86%	54.03%	R+9.2	43.63%	50.53%	R+6.9	R
16	90.18%	8.97%	D+81.2	88.16%	8.20%	D+80	D
17	86.03%	13.52%	D+72.5	85.53%	11.96%	D+73.6	D
18	89.18%	10.15%	D+79	87.03%	9.71%	D+77.3	D
19	69.95%	28.13%	D+41.8	72.67%	20.16%	D+52.5	D
20	58.37%	40.39%	D+18	55.33%	39.27%	D+16.1	D
21	47.93%	51.07%	R+3.1	44.81%	50.06%	R+5.3	R
22	42.44%	56.73%	R+14.3	35.41%	60.15%	R+24.7	R
23	34.62%	64.61%	R+30	50.43%	44.81%	D+5.6	R
24	43.05%	56.18%	R+13.1	45.71%	49.32%	R+3.6	R
25	46.93%	51.76%	R+4.8	35.85%	58.74%	R+22.9	R
26	45.64%	53.35%	R+7.7	38.91%	55.22%	R+16.3	R
27	45.07%	53.89%	R+8.8	40.39%	54.00%	R+13.6	R
28	43.68%	54.77%	R+11.1	32.63%	61.90%	R+29.3	R
29	48.16%	50.05%	R+1.9	38.58%	54.01%	R+15.4	R
30	46.24%	52.24%	R+6	42.51%	50.44%	R+7.9	R
31	46.56%	52.48%	R+5.9	40.68%	53.70%	R+13	R
32	41.42%	57.37%	R+15.9	34.97%	59.41%	R+24.4	R
33	39.95%	58.97%	R+19	35.54%	59.27%	R+23.7	R
34	44.59%	54.39%	R+9.8	35.28%	60.34%	R+25.1	R
35	46.89%	52.10%	R+5.2	34.68%	60.52%	R+25.8	R
36	46.49%	52.48%	R+6	32.07%	64.35%	R+32.3	R
37	45.97%	52.93%	R+7	39.87%	54.26%	R+14.4	R
38	41.66%	57.48%	R+15.8	38.23%	56.78%	R+18.5	R
39	42.12%	56.85%	R+14.7	32.76%	62.11%	R+29.4	R
40	45.04%	53.94%	R+8.9	32.61%	62.85%	R+30.2	R
41	48.58%	50.35%	R+1.8	36.02%	59.60%	R+23.6	R
42	51.09%	48.03%	D+3.1	40.26%	54.51%	R+14.3	R
43	58.46%	40.22%	D+18.2	50.24%	43.54%	D+6.7	D
44	63.57%	35.53%	D+28	55.44%	38.62%	D+16.8	D
45	63.99%	34.88%	D+29.1	52.83%	41.86%	D+11	D
46	63.63%	35.46%	D+28.2	61.74%	32.95%	D+28.8	D
47	71.05%	27.83%	D+43.2	71.89%	23.13%	D+48.8	D
48	77.21%	21.61%	D+55.6	76.06%	19.26%	D+56.8	D
49	56.34%	42.26%	D+14.1	42.01%	51.26%	R+9.3	R
50	54.10%	44.84%	D+9.3	38.35%	57.05%	R+18.7	R
51	59.12%	39.77%	D+19.4	48.42%	46.59%	D+1.8	R
52	45.04%	53.91%	R+8.9	38.03%	56.66%	R+18.6	R
53	43.36%	55.55%	R+12.2	34.18%	60.93%	R+26.7	R
54	57.39%	41.08%	D+16.3	49.16%	44.12%	D+5	D
55	47.32%	51.08%	R+3.8	41.80%	51.70%	R+9.9	R
56	43.05%	55.69%	R+12.6	37.98%	56.68%	R+18.7	R
57	58.41%	39.31%	D+19.1	51.73%	41.22%	D+10.5	D
58	31.25%	67.77%	R+36.5	28.43%	66.52%	R+38.1	R
59	31.24%	67.73%	R+36.5	25.52%	69.73%	R+44.2	R
60	31.82%	67.23%	R+35.4	32.35%	62.53%	R+30.2	R
61	44.42%	54.59%	R+10.2	36.49%	58.50%	R+22	R
62	45.73%	53.46%	R+7.7	41.17%	54.02%	R+12.9	R
63	42.73%	56.47%	R+13.7	37.80%	57.26%	R+19.5	R
64	58.84%	40.05%	D+18.8	52.63%	42.23%	D+10.4	D
65	67.06%	31.78%	D+35.3	57.76%	36.48%	D+21.3	D
66	75.23%	23.77%	D+51.5	68.34%	26.50%	D+41.8	D
67	48.07%	50.75%	R+2.7	36.41%	58.15%	R+21.7	R
68	51.24%	47.56%	D+3.7	40.11%	54.44%	R+14.3	R
69	43.65%	55.15%	R+11.5	34.08%	60.83%	R+26.8	R
70	48.55%	50.09%	R+1.5	36.82%	57.83%	R+21	R
71	57.55%	41.03%	D+16.5	50.34%	43.28%	D+7.1	D
72	48.68%	50.09%	R+1.4	36.95%	58.55%	R+21.6	R
73	60.93%	37.66%	D+23.3	47.53%	47.49%	D+0	D
74	57.74%	40.88%	D+16.9	46.22%	49.38%	R+3.2	D
75	47.55%	51.22%	R+3.7	34.53%	60.84%	R+26.3	R
76	81.64%	15.70%	D+65.9	82.30%	11.34%	D+71	D
77	82.23%	16.20%	D+66	83.80%	11.48%	D+72.3	D
78	71.91%	26.85%	D+45.1	75.62%	19.47%	D+56.2	D
79	60.89%	38.29%	D+22.6	62.65%	32.43%	D+30.2	D
80	63.93%	35.08%	D+28.9	62.12%	32.50%	D+29.6	D
81	61.46%	37.67%	D+23.8	51.23%	43.11%	D+8.1	D
82	43.03%	56.32%	R+13.3	43.69%	51.79%	R+8.1	R
83	31.12%	68.10%	R+37	29.71%	65.91%	R+36.2	R
84	42.31%	56.84%	R+14.5	41.43%	53.68%	R+12.3	R
85	52.04%	46.78%	D+5.3	44.67%	49.90%	R+5.2	R
86	43.96%	55.02%	R+11.1	36.19%	59.18%	R+23	R
87	44.81%	53.95%	R+9.1	30.93%	64.82%	R+33.9	R
88	48.79%	50.35%	R+1.6	43.75%	50.75%	R+7	R
89	46.02%	52.97%	R+6.9	32.41%	63.26%	R+30.9	R
90	63.31%	35.13%	D+28.2	53.29%	39.82%	D+13.5	D
91	60.63%	37.68%	D+22.9	55.95%	36.72%	D+19.2	D
92	55.89%	42.98%	D+12.9	40.90%	54.33%	R+13.4	R
93	47.10%	51.80%	R+4.7	38.30%	56.18%	R+17.9	R
94	51.53%	47.32%	D+4.2	45.50%	49.03%	R+3.5	D
95	64.46%	33.93%	D+30.5	58.03%	34.66%	D+23.4	D
96	55.57%	42.95%	D+12.6	42.90%	51.64%	R+8.7	R
97	39.90%	59.02%	R+19.1	39.37%	54.43%	R+15.1	R
98	33.69%	65.46%	R+31.8	35.20%	59.58%	R+24.4	R
99	26.70%	72.64%	R+45.9	28.97%	66.40%	R+37.4	R
Total	52.92%	45.97%	D+7	47.01%	47.78%	R+0.8	-
Source: Daily Kos

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The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Wisconsin governor Democratic primary 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018 (August 14 Democratic primary) - Google News

See also

Wisconsin government:

• Wisconsin state executive offices
• Wisconsin State Legislature
• Wisconsin courts

Elections:

• Wisconsin state executive official elections, 2018
• Gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Lieutenant gubernatorial elections, 2018
• Attorney General elections, 2018
• Secretary of State elections, 2018
• State executive official elections, 2018, 2017, 2016

Ballotpedia exclusives:

• State executives compensation
• State of the state addresses
• Trifecta control of state government

External links

Suggest a link

• Governor of Wisconsin official website

Footnotes

State executive offices

Offices

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Elections

2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010

Features

Chart of state executive officers • Compensation • How gubernatorial vacancies are filled • How vacancies are filled in state executive offices • State executive officials serving in home states • State government trifectas • State of the state addresses • Term limits

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