Howard Marklein:
How are you?
Zac Schultz:
Howard Marklein is not quite literally running for the state senate, just speed walking.
Howard Marklein:
Yeah, yeah. May I put a yard sign out?
Woman:
You bet.
Zac Schultz:
These are doors he’s knocked on repeatedly since he first ran for the assembly in 2010, yet he moves like a man running out of time.
Howard Marklein:
I don’t want to take anything for granted.
Zac Schultz:
The same straight-ahead style is what drove him to run for the 17th senate district in the first place.
Howard Marklein:
I’m running on my values, my record, and what we’ve done and what we will do in the future.
Zac Schultz:
There was no hesitation when Marklein announced in April of 2013 he was leaving the assembly and running for the senate, even though the incumbent, Republican Dale Schultz, had not declared whether he was running again. Assembly Republicans say Marklein was willing to challenge Schultz in a primary because of his votes against Act 10 and the budget. Marklein says he hasn’t received much negative feedback from Republicans in his district.
Howard Marklein:
I’m delighted with the reception that I’ve met.
Pat Bomhack:
My pledge is to carry forward the independent banner and tradition of Senator Dale Schultz.
Zac Schultz:
In a surprising twist, it’s the Democrat in the race, Pat Bomhack, who repeatedly invokes Schultz’ name on the campaign trail.
Pat Bomhack:
Our current state senator, Dale Schultz, he’s done a good job of, I think, trying to represent people, and not just a political party.
Zac Schultz:
Bomhack hopes moderates and independents will support him rather than the man who he says pushed Schultz out the door.
Pat Bomhack:
It’s very clear that there is a stark difference between myself and Republican Howard Marklein, and so I see this as a great opportunity to carry forward Senator Dale Schultz’ legacy of being independent-minded, and working together with people.
Howard Marklein:
I grew up one mile from where I’m sitting right now.
Zac Schultz:
Marklein agrees there’s a stark difference between the candidates, and it’s in who has roots in the district.
Howard Marklein:
He’s from Waukesha, and moved out here to run for a position. And I think people want somebody with deep roots in the district.
Pat Bomhack:
My name is Pat Bomhack. I’m from Spring Green, and I’m running for the state senate. I was called to southwest Wisconsin to intern for Judge Bill Dyke.
Zac Schultz:
Bomhack came to Iowa County in 2011 as a law student to intern for the local judge. In 2012, he ran for assembly and lost in the primary. This year he was running for the assembly again until Schultz retired, and then he switched to the senate race.
Pat Bomhack:
I am very much representative of the values and the viewpoint of this area, and Howard is out of touch.
Zac Schultz:
Democrats feel the numbers in the 17th are in their favor. President Obama won in this district with 56% of the vote. That brings us to the 19th. The only other Republican held senate district where President Obama won a majority of votes.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
I’m Penny Bernard Schaber, and I’m running for state senate.
Zac Schultz:
When Penny Bernard Schaber first got in this race, she was facing long-time incumbent Senator Mike Ellis. But when Ellis decided not to run, it became an open seat.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
It changes the dynamics a little bit. It makes it actually a little more difficult, because there was quite a contrast between myself and Senator Ellis.
Zac Schultz:
Bernard Schaber is a Democrat in the assembly.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
I represent the most urbanized part of the three districts.
Zac Schultz:
She decided to make the jump to the senate because her voice was lost in a Republican-dominated assembly.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
I needed to bring my problem solving skills out of the assembly and into the senate.
Roger Roth:
I was elected in 2006 to the state assembly.
Zac Schultz:
Her opponent is Roger Roth, a Republican who served two terms in the assembly.
Roger Roth:
Take Highway 41 west and north, that’s what I’ve represented before.
Zac Schultz:
Roth ran for congress in 2010 and lost in the primary. He went back to the family business of home building until this race opened up.
Roger Roth:
Life is all about opportunities and it’s all about timing.
Hi, how are you guys doing? Roger Roth, running for the state senate. I just wanted to say hi.
Zac Schultz:
Each candidate has represented one of the three assembly districts that make up the senate district.
Roger Roth:
This is the battleground right here, and that’s where we’re concentrating our efforts.
Zac Schultz:
Their focus is on the third assembly district, primarily made up of the city of Neenah.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
Neenah will be a place where the outcome of the race will be probably dictated.
Do you think I can count on your vote in November?
Woman:
Yes.
Roger Roth:
I’m Roger Roth, running for the state senate.
Woman II:
Hi, nice to meet you.
Roger Roth:
Thank you, likewise. Just wanted to leave you with a little information.
Zac Schultz:
Besides the open senate race, all three assembly races have open seats, meaning voters in the Fox Valley will have plenty of choices this fall.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
I think that the whole district is up for grabs. I think the Fox Cities has changed in the last 15 years to a much more moderate district.
Roger Roth:
I think this district is a conservative district, certainly a fiscally conservative district.
Zac Schultz:
We move to the ninth senate district, which can certainly be caused conservative. Mitt Romney won in the ninth with 53% of the vote. But Democrats are optimistic, largely because of their candidate and the fact that it’s yet another open seat.
Martha Laning:
Hi there, I’m Martha Laning, and I am running for the Wisconsin state senate.
Zac Schultz:
Martha Laning was not looking to run for office.
Martha Laning:
The Democratic party came and asked me to run.
Zac Schultz:
Her family convinced her to take a shot. And when the incumbent, Joe Leibham, decided to run for congress, her chances went up.
Martha Laning:
Once Senator Leibham was no longer running, now the playing field was going to become much more level.
Zac Schultz:
Laning calls herself a moderate Democrat and says she has strong support from across the aisle.
Martha Laning:
I have very strong Republican friends that will stay Republicans, they’re Republicans through and through, who are supporting me in this campaign.
Zac Schultz:
She says she developed those relationships when helping fund raise for Generations in Plymouth.
The center combines resources for young and old and everyone in between.
Martha Laning:
This is probably one of the proudest things of my lifetime, having worked on this project.
Devin LeMahieu:
Are you confident that this budget for next year is going to be closer to the target?
Zac Schultz:
Devin LeMahieu is the Republican in the race, and he has the benefit of some name recognition and the drawback of being overshadowed in the early part of this race. Overshadowed because most of the ninth senate district falls within the sixth congressional district which featured a tight Republican primary race.
Devin LeMahieu:
I'd knock on the door and people would want to know about who’s running for the assembly, what’s going on with Senator Grothman and Leibham.
Hello, this is Devin leMahieu calling to talk to you–
Zac Schultz:
But now LeMahieu's name ID can work for him. Not only has he been on the Sheboygan County board for eight years, but his father, Dan LeMahieu, served in the assembly for 12 years. But the first names he drops are the men who just ran for congress.
Devin LeMahieu:
I was inspired by the leadership of Senator Leibham and Senator Grothman who represented me for many years, and that’s the type of leadership I want to bring to Madison.Martha Laning:
I hope people just aren’t going to pay attention to the parties we’re in.
Zac Schultz:
Laning knows she will need to capitalize on the discontent with the voters.
Martha Laning:
They’re fed up with politics just in general, frustrated by people not working together, frustrated by things not getting better.
Zac Schultz:
And while LeMahieu wants to keep Governor Walker’s agenda moving forward–
Devin LeMahieu:
We need to keep reducing that tax burden on businesses and individuals in the state.
Zac Schultz:
Laning is focused on the need for compromise.
Martha Laning:
The message is, let’s bring everybody together. Let’s stop bickering and fighting. Leave the party politics at the door.
Zac Schultz:
Which is something all three Democrats are talking about.
Pat Bomhack:
We find that we are building consensus among Democrats, Independents and moderate Republicans.
Zac Schultz:
And if the Democrats take control of the senate there will be split government, and depending on your point of view, either gridlock or compromise.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
Because there is that potential to flip the seat and go from a Republican majority to a Democratic majority, or to narrow the majority. It actually forces everybody to slow down, to start listening to each other.
Zac Schultz:
Republicans currently have an 18 to 15 majority in the senate. But due to redistricting, they’re expected to pick up a Democratic seat in the 21st, which means Democrats need to flip three Republican seats to ensure control.
Roger Roth:
I think if you talk to Democrats, they’re going to tell you that their road map to take back the senate starts right here in Appleton, Neenah, Menasha. If they can flip this seat then they have the possibility of flipping the senate. Without doing this, I don’t think they have a chance.
Devin LeMahieu:
It’s the three senate races. They’re all very important to make sure that we make sure that Wisconsin is open for business and keep moving the state forward.
Pat Bomhack:
This is a critical race, and this is a critical election. No doubt it has implications for the whole state.
Zac Schultz:
The candidates agree the voters who will decide these races often don’t know or care about the bigger picture.
Penny Bernard Schaber:
Most people are really more concerned about their local issues.
Howard Marklein:
The political chess moves, they don’t care about that.
Zac Schultz:
Which is why Marklein is speed walking straight ahead, worried about only one thing this fall.
Howard Marklein:
I care about one race. That’s mine.
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News Stories from PBS Wisconsin
02/03/25
‘Here & Now’ Highlights: State Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez, Jane Graham Jennings, Chairman Tehassi Hill

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