FREDERICA FREYBERG:

REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR RICK GUDEX OF FOND DU LAC DIED THIS WEEK OF A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND. THE 48-YEAR-OLD FATHER OF TWO HAD SERVED IN THE SENATE SINCE 2013 BUT HAD ANNOUNCED HE WAS RETURNING TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND WOULD NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. THIS NEWS HAS BEEN MET WITH SHOCK AND SADNESS ACROSS THE STATE. THE GOVERNOR HAS ANNOUNCED A SPECIAL ELECTION WILL NOT BE HELD SO CLOSE TO ELECTION DAY. THE OPEN SEAT IN WISCONSIN’S 18TH SENATE DISTRICT IS THE FOCUS OF A REPORT ZAC SCHULTZ HAS BEEN IN THE FIELD WITH THIS FALL AND WE BRING IT TO YOU TONIGHT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

16 OF THE 33 STATE SENATE SEATS ARE UP FOR ELECTION THIS NOVEMBER, BUT ONE RACE STANDS OUT: THE 18TH SENATE DISTRICT CENTERED AROUND THE CITIES OF OSHKOSH AND FOND DU LAC. MIKE DUFFEY IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN.

MIKE DUFFEY:

I THINK OUR FOCUS IS ON THE 18TH. IT’S BEEN COMPETITIVE RECENTLY. THERE’S NO DENYING THAT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

COMPETITIVE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. THE 18TH DISTRICT MAY BE THE ONLY TRUE TOSS-UP SEAT IN THE SENATE. IN 2008, THE REPUBLICAN WON BY JUST 163 VOTES. IN 2011 THE DEMOCRAT WON THE SEAT IN A RECALL. IN 2012, A REPUBLICAN WON IT BACK BY JUST 600 VOTES, BUT HE DECIDED NOT TO RUN AGAIN. AND BOTH CANDIDATES EXPECT ANOTHER CLOSE RACE IN 2016.

DAN FEYEN:

I SEE THIS RACE AS A 50/50 RACE RIGHT NOW.

MARK HARRIS:

THIS IS SUCH A CRAZY ELECTION YEAR THAT I THINK ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.

MARK HARRIS:

I’M MARK HARRIS. I’M RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE IN THIS DISTRICT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DEMOCRAT MARK HARRIS…

DAN FEYEN:

DAN FEYEN. I’M RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND REPUBLICAN DAN FEYEN ARE WORKING EVERY CROWD AND SHAKING EVERY HAND, KNOWING THIS IS THE RARE ELECTION WHERE ANY GIVEN VOTER COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VICTORY AND DEFEAT.

MAN:

YOU’RE GOING TO DO GOOD.

DAN FEYEN:

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.

MARK HARRIS:

I’M MARK HARRIS. I’M JUST SAYING HI TO PEOPLE. I’M RUNNING FOR STATE SENATE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

GIVEN THE NATIONAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, IT’S REFRESHING TO FIND TWO CANDIDATES WHO ARE RUNNING ON LOCAL ISSUES AND ACTUALLY SEEM TO RESPECT EACH OTHER.

DAN FEYEN:

NICE GUY. WE RUN INTO EACH OTHER QUITE A BIT ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL.

MARK HARRIS:

HE’S ACTUALLY A PRETTY DECENT GUY ON A FACE-TO-FACE LEVEL.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

FEYEN WORKS IN A PRINTING SHOP AND HAS BEEN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOND DU LAC REPUBLICAN PARTY FOR A DECADE. HE WAS RECRUITED TO RUN BY INCUMBENT WHO HELD THE SEAT, REPUBLICAN RICK GUDEX, WHO DIED EARLIER THIS WEEK.

DAN FEYEN:

AND I DO BELIEVE THAT SENATOR GUDEX HAS DONE A GREAT JOB FOR THE CONSTITUENTS IN THE DISTRICT AND THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. I WOULD LOOK TO CONTINUE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAS DONE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HARRIS IS THE WINNEBAGO COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND IS RUNNING ON HIS FISCAL RECORD.

MARK HARRIS:

THE COUNTY TAX RATE IS THE LOWEST IT’S BEEN IN A DECADE. THE COUNTY SPENDING IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE LOWER THAN WHEN I STARTED 11 YEARS AGO.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE 18TH SENATE DISTRICT IS HEAVY ON MANUFACTURING JOBS AND FEYEN SAYS HE’S RUNNING TO CLOSE THE SKILLS GAP AND FIX THE TRANSPORTATION FUNDING ISSUES.

DAN FEYEN:

TRANSPORTATION IS A TOUCHY ISSUE. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT SAY IT’S JUST FINE THE WAY IT IS, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE REALIZE THE SYSTEM’S BROKE RIGHT NOW.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HARRIS TALKS A LOT ABOUT CLEAN DRINKING WATER.

MARK HARRIS:

MANY AREAS OF WISCONSIN ARE SEEING NITRATE CONTAMINATION, MOSTLY FROM MANURE RUNOFF OR FROM FERTILIZER RUNOFF FROM LARGE AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS.

MARK HARRIS:

HI.

WOMAN:

HI.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HARRIS LIKELY HAS AN EDGE IN NAME ID BOTH BECAUSE HE’S BEEN ELECTED IN WINNEBAGO COUNTY MULTIPLE TIMES AND BECAUSE HE RAN FOR CONGRESS TWO YEARS AGO, EVENTUALLY LOSING TO GLENN GROTHMAN. BUT IT’S UNCLEAR IF THAT WILL MATTER ON ELECTION DAY.

MARK HARRIS:

I WOULD SAY THIS CAMPAIGN KIND OF STANDS ON THE SHOULDERS OF THAT ONE.

DAN FEYEN:

PEOPLE REALLY DON’T EVEN REMEMBER THAT ANYMORE. PEOPLE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES NOWADAYS.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE SHORT MEMORIES OF VOTERS MAY ALSO BE A FACTOR IN ANOTHER IMPORTANT SENATE RACE, THIS TIME IN THE NEIGHBORING 14TH DISTRICT.

BRIAN SMITH:

I GOT TO TELL YOU, I THOUGHT AT ONE TIME LUTHER WAS A FRIEND TO WAUPACA.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

LESS THAN A DECADE AGO, DEMOCRAT BRIAN SMITH VOTED FOR REPUBLICAN SENATOR LUTHER OLSEN. TODAY HE’S CHALLENGING HIM AND CALLING HIM A LIAR.

BRIAN SMITH:

HE’S BLATANTLY BASICALLY LYING TO PEOPLE ABOUT HIS RECORD.

BRIAN SMITH:

THANKS. THANKS FOR COMING IN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

BRIAN SMITH HAS BEEN THE MAYOR OF WAUPACA FOR 15 YEARS AND REMEMBERS WHEN OLSEN EARNED HIS REPUTATION AS A MODERATE REPUBLICAN AND A STRONG SUPPORTER OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SMITH SAYS THAT CHANGED SINCE 2011, AND THE ARRIVAL OF GOVERNOR WALKER.

BRIAN SMITH:

I DON’T FEEL HE’S CHANGED. HE HAS CHANGED. WE CAN LOOK AT HIS VOTING RECORD. HE HAS CHANGED IMMENSELY. HE’S WENT FROM WHAT MOST PEOPLE FELT WAS A MODERATE TO A VERY CONSERVATIVE PERSON.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

LUTHER OLSEN DECLINED MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR AN INTERVIEW FOR THIS STORY.

BRIAN SMITH:

YEAH. I THINK THIS SEAT IS OPEN TO BE TAKEN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

IT’S NOT JUST OLSEN’S VOTING RECORD THAT HAS SMITH OUTRAGED. IT’S WHAT HE HASN’T DONE. SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO THE WISCONSIN VETERANS’ HOME AT KING, A STATE-RUN SKILLED NURSING HOME. A RECENT INVESTIGATIVE REPORT BY THE CAPITAL TIMES NEWSPAPER REVEALED CONCERNS ABOUT QUALITY OF CARE AT KING. AFTER THE STORY BROKE, SENATOR OLSEN REQUESTED AN AUDIT, SOMETHING SMITH SAYS DEMOCRATS WERE TRYING TO GET HIM TO ASK FOR A YEAR BEFORE.

BRIAN SMITH:

QUITE HONESTLY, I THINK HE WAS LAZY AND DIDN’T COME TO KING, DIDN’T TALK TO EMPLOYEES, DIDN’T TALK TO ADMINISTRATION ABOUT IT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ANOTHER RECENT STORY SHOWED OLSEN SKIPPED A TOUR OF KING WITH REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN A PIE JUDGING CONTEST AT A LOCAL FAIR.

MARTHA LANING:

WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THAT, THEIR EYES JUST OPEN UP AND GO, ARE YOU KIDDING?

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

MARTHA LANING IS THE CHAIR OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OF WISCONSIN. SHE’S COUNTING ON MARK HARRIS AND BRIAN SMITH TO FLIP TWO SEATS TO THE DEMOCRATS.

MARTHA LANING:

THE ONE WAY WE CAN STOP THE REPUBLICAN AGENDA HERE IN WISCONSIN IS TO TAKE BACK THE STATE SENATE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

BUT REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE SENATE 19-14, SO DEMOCRATS NEED TO FLIP THREE SEATS TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE CHAMBER. MIKE DUFFEY WITH THE REPUBLICAN PARTY DOESN’T SEE THAT HAPPENING.

MIKE DUFFEY:

IT’S NOT JUST IN THE 18TH, IT’S STATEWIDE. REPUBLICANS HAVE THIS RECORD OF SUCCESS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. AND IT’S NOT JUST AT THE BALLOT BOX. REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS HAVE BROUGHT CONSERVATIVE, BOLD CONSERVATIVE REFORMS TO THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AND THE VOTERS HAVE REWARDED THEM WITH RE-ELECTION.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WITHOUT GOVERNOR WALKER ON THE BALLOT, STATE ISSUES AREN’T GETTING A LOT OF ATTENTION. TURNOUT WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. AND NOBODY IS SURE WHETHER TRADITIONAL REPUBLICANS TURNED OFF BY DONALD TRUMP WILL IMPACT THE RACES DOWN-BALLOT.

MIKE DUFFEY:

SOME FOLKS ARE TAKING THEIR TIME TO COME ON BOARD, BUT WE’RE SEEING IT MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY.

MARTHA LANING:

I THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO EITHER CHOOSE TO STAY HOME BECAUSE THEY’RE SO DISCOURAGED BY THE REPUBLICAN TOP OF THE TICKET OR THEY’RE GOING TO REALLY ANALYZE WHAT’S HAPPENED TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

MARK HARRIS:

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT’S OF CONCERN TO YOU?

WOMAN:

THE ONLY THING I’M WORRIED ABOUT IS TRUMP.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

BACK IN THE 18TH, MARK HARRIS AND DAN FEYEN AREN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT.

DAN FEYEN:

I RUN INTO REPUBLICANS THAT ARE A LITTLE CONFLICTED SOMETIMES. I ALSO RUN INTO DEMOCRATS THAT ARE CONFLICTED AS WELL.

MARK HARRIS:

I EVEN THINK THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE THAT WON’T VOTE FOR A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN THIS ROUND OR MAYBE VOTE FOR LIBERTARIAN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THEY JUST HOPE THEIR VOTERS WILL FOCUS ON THE 18TH.

DAN FEYEN:

WHEN YOU GOING TO DOORS, IT’S MORE ABOUT FOCUSING ON THE ISSUES AT HAND, NOT THE BIGGER PICTURE.

MARK HARRIS:

THIS ISN’T A VOTE FOR HILLARY CLINTON OR DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS A VOTE FOR WHO THEY THINK WILL BE THE BEST SENATE SENATOR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NEXT WEEK, ZAC SCHULTZ WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE ISSUE OF TRUST IN THIS ELECTION AND WHY IT APPEARS TO BE IN SUCH SHORT SUPPLY.