Here & Now

Trump On Ticket May Spell Trouble For GOP Legislators

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SO WHAT ARE ELECTED OFFICIALS HEARING FROM THEIR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY? FOR THAT WE TURN TO REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT KRUG, A REPUBLICAN FROM NEKOOSA, WHO JOINS US VIA SKYPE. REPRESENTATIVE, THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

SCOTT KRUG:

ABSOLUTELY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR PEOPLE IN YOUR DISTRICT WHICH IS CENTRAL WISCONSIN, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE STATE?

SCOTT KRUG:

IT’S REALLY AN INTERESTING DYNAMIC IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN. WE GET A LOT OF THE INFLUENCES FROM THE FOX VALLEY AND THE EASTERN SIDE OF MY DISTRICT. AND INFLUENCES FROM THE LA CROSSE AREA AND THE WESTERN SIDE OF MY DISTRICT. IT’S A REALLY INTERESTING AREA TO HEAR ALL THE INPUT THAT’S COMING IN ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION STUFF. YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMIC ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT PLAYS REALLY BIG, SO I THINK DONALD TRUMP HAS A LOT OF EARS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN LISTENING TO HIM AND HIS MESSAGE. IN THE END I SEE TED CRUZ COMING ON PRETTY STRONG HERE TOWARDS THE END. SO IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY CLOSE. I THINK TED CRUZ IS STARTING TO PICK UP THAT STEAM AND I THINK HE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

NOW, YOU ORIGINALLY ENDORSED SENATOR MARCO RUBIO AND RECENTLY HAVE ENDORSED SENATOR TED CRUZ; IS THAT CORRECT?

SCOTT KRUG:

I DID, JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO, DECIDED TO GIVE THE ENDORSEMENT TO SENATOR CRUZ. OBVIOUSLY, HE WASN’T MY FIRST CHOICE. SENATOR RUBIO HAD THE SAME TYPE OF MESSAGE I WAS KIND OF INTERESTED IN. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THOUGH, I THINK SENATOR CRUZ IS A REALLY GOOD OPTION FOR NOT ONLY CENTRAL WISCONSIN, BUT WISCONSIN AND THE UNITED STATES AS A WHOLE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WE’RE SEEING A LOT OF REPUBLICANS SWITCHING TO TED CRUZ, SOME OF THEM AS A PRAGMATIC IDEA THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP DONALD TRUMP. IS THAT YOUR OPINION AS WELL?

SCOTT KRUG:

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY CONCERNS ME IS AS WE SEE THOSE NATIONAL POLLS COME OUT AND THE HEAD TO HEAD AFTER THE PRIMARY, YOU SEE ONE CANDIDATE WHO HAPPENS TO BE OUR FRONT RUNNER RIGHT NOW LAGGING FAR BEHIND. THAT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK CENTRAL WISCONSIN REPUBLICANS ARE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT, IS THAT ELECTABILITY IN THE HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCH-UP COME NOVEMBER. I DON’T SEE DONALD TRUMP BEING ABLE TO OVERCOME THE NEGATIVITY THAT SURROUNDS HIM AND HIS CAMPAIGN WHEN IT COMES TO NOVEMBER.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE’S EXPANDING THE POOL OF REPUBLICANS, DRAWING IN SOME FORMER REAGAN DEMOCRATS OR EVEN NONVOTERS. ARE YOU HEARING THAT FROM PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA?

SCOTT KRUG:

NOT REALLY. IT’S AN INTERESTING DYNAMICS BECAUSE AS I GO AROUND TO EVENTS BETWEEN WOOD, ADAMS, PORTAGE AND WASHARA COUNTIES, THE MAJORITY OF THE CROWDS THAT I’M SEEING IN PERSON ARE THE TRIED AND TRUE REPUBLICAN INDIVIDUALS. THEY’RE ALL THE CRUZ AND RUBIO TYPE SUPPORTERS. IT’S RARE THAT I SEE A TRUMP SUPPORTER SPRINKLED IN. I DON’T THINK IF HE’S REALLY BRINGING IN OTHER VOTERS OR IF IN OPEN PRIMARIES STATES, VOTERS ON THE OTHER SIDE ARE SIMPLY JUST COMING IN TO TRY TO THROW A KINK IN THE WORKS. IT’S HARD TO TELL. I JUST DON’T SEE THE REAGAN DEMOCRATS THAT I TALK TO ESPECIALLY IN WISCONSIN RAPIDS BEING TRUMP SUPPORTERS AT THIS POINT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WHY HASN’T A SINGLE ELECTED REPUBLICAN IN WISCONSIN ENDORSED DONALD TRUMP?

SCOTT KRUG:

IT’S INTERESTING. AS I TALK TO MY COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, I SEE A COUPLE THAT HAD SOME INTEREST IN THE TRUMP CANDIDACY. BUT I THINK SPEAKER VOS MENTIONED ON CHARLIE SKYES SHOW EARLIER TODAY IN MILWAUKEE THAT WHEN YOU SEE DONALD TRUMP AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND THE UNFAVORABLES THAT GO ALONG WITH HIS CANDIDACY, IT SPELLS TROUBLE FOR LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICANS. THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THE BIG REASONS YOU DON’T SEE AN ENDORSEMENT FROM A LEGISLATIVE REPUBLICAN RIGHT NOW.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

REPUBLICAN JOHN NYGREN WAS ALSO A RUBIO SUPPORTER. HE RECENTLY SAID WHO WANTS MY SECOND PLACE ENDORSEMENT? WHAT IS THE POWER OF AN ENDORSEMENT AT THIS POINT IN THE PRIMARY?

SCOTT KRUG:

THE POWER OF AN ENDORSEMENT ESPECIALLY THIS WEEK LEADING UP TO THE PRIMARY REALLY GIVES YOUR CONSTITUENTS, WHO HAVE A GREAT LEVEL OF TRUST WITH YOU AS AN ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR YOUR VIEWPOINT BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU’RE DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE POLITICS OF THE AREA. IT GIVES THEM A LEG UP ON SOME OF THE STUDYING THEY MAY HAVE TO DO. I THINK ENDORSEMENTS ESPECIALLY THIS LAST WEEK ARE CRUCIAL FOR CENTRAL WISCONSIN, EASTERN WISCONSIN, ALL OVER THE STATE, I THINK. ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS ARE GOING TO BE PUTTING OUT EDITORIALS FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE CANDIDATES THEY SUPPORT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WE’VE GOT A LITTLE LESS THAN A MINUTE NOW BUT APRIL FIFTH ISN’T JUST THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. IT’S ALSO THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT ELECTION. HOW DO YOU SEE THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY IMPACTING THAT RACE?

SCOTT KRUG:

THAT’S THE MOST INTERESTING DYNAMIC ABOUT APRIL FIFTH. AS I DO MY SPEECHES AROUND THE DISTRICT, I TELL FOLKS REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO BE VOTING OR HOW YOU’RE GOING TO VOTE, IN PERSON OR ABSENTEE, MAKE SURE NOT TO STAY AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET AND GO ALL THE WAY DOWN. IT’S NOT JUST A SUPREME COURT RACE TOO. THERE’S A LOT OF LOCAL RACES, MAYORAL RACE IN WISCONSIN RAPIDS, COUNTY BOARD SEATS IN ALL FOUR OF MY COUNTIES. 40% TURNOUT IN A PRIMARY ELECTION IS GOING TO GIVE A LOT OF CREDENCE TO A LOT OF THESE CANDIDATES THAT HAVE SOME TIME TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE CONSTITUENTS ONBOARD WITH THEIR CANDIDACIES RIGHT NOW. UP AND DOWN THE WHOLE TICKET IT’S GOING TO BE VERY INTERESTING COME APRIL FIFTH TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY. WE APPRECIATE IT.

SCOTT KRUG:

ABSOLUTELY. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.