Here & Now

Nov. Election Directs Outcome for Wis. State Capitol

Frederica Freyberg:

Elections this fall will have a dramatic impact on what happens the next two years at the state Capitol, including issues like redistricting, police reform and of course, the state budget. 16 of Wisconsin’s 33 state Senate districts are on the ballot. The story this fall is not whether Democrats can win enough seats to take control of the chamber but whether they can prevent Republicans from gaining a super majority. “Here & Now” Senior Political Reporter Zac Schultz shows us three of the most important races.

Dan Kapanke:

I’m Dan Kapanke. You know who I am? Wow. Running for state Senate.

Zac Schultz:

Republican Dan Kapanke has been running for office in the La Crosse area for 20 years.

Dan Kapanke:

You could vote for me, sir?

Man:

I sure give it some thought.

Dan Kapanke:

Would you do that? I appreciate that Tim.

Man:

You betcha.

Zac Schultz:

This will be his sixth time on the ballot to represent the 32nd Senate District.

Dan Kapanke:

Make sure the people in this district would have two choices.

Zac Schultz:

He’s won twice, was recalled after Act 10 and has lost twice. The last time in 2016 by just 61 votes.

Dan Kapanke:

I’ve won this district. I’ve lost this district. It’s again, very competitive. So you have to work very, very hard. La Crosse trends blue. And you know, I’ve got to pick up the surrounding areas.

Zac Schultz:

2020 will be different. In part because the incumbent, Democrat Jennifer Shilling, is not running.

Brad Pfaff:

I’m very excited about this election.

Zac Schultz:

The Democrat in this race is Brad Pfaff, who brings his own political journey to the race.

Brad Pfaff:

I’m running for a partisan office but people who know me know that when I go to work, I work for everyone.

Zac Schultz:

Pfaff ran against Kapanke way back in 2004 and lost. But most recently, Pfaff was serving as Governor Evers’ secretary of the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Brad Pfaff:

Milk prices are a little better so they feel good about that. Grain prices are low, so they’re not excited about that.

Zac Schultz:

While Senate Republicans stalled his nomination vote, Pfaff got into a fight over when the Republicans would release money earmarked for farmer suicide prevention.

Brad Pfaff:

Rather than just moving forward, they decided that they were going to send me home.

Zac Schultz:

Republicans killed his nomination, effectively firing him.

Brad Pfaff:

I never took this personal because I don’t believe this was ever about me. I think this is just straight partisan politics.

Zac Schultz:

Despite his history as a candidate, Kapanke sees this as a race between himself as a businessman and Pfaff as a public employee.

Dan Kapanke:

I’ve worked in the private sector my whole life. He’s been in public sector. That’s not necessarily bad, but it’s a contrast between us.

Zac Schultz:

Pfaff says the difference is Kapanke was recalled for his vote on Act 10 while he lost his job for standing up for farmers.

Brad Pfaff:

I stepped forward to help individuals, regardless of their political persuasion, in times of need. I never have been part of the extreme partisanship that took place in the state Legislature.

Patty Schachtner:

Hi, this is Senator Patty Schachtner calling. I just wanted to touch base with you.

Zac Schultz:

Farther north, Democrat Patty Schachtner represents the 10th Senate District.

Patty Schachtner:

Communicating to District 10 about Wisconsin politics can be a challenge.

Zac Schultz:

The 10th is border country. Most of the area gets their local news from Minnesota. And most of the population growth is coming from people who work in Minnesota.

Patty Schachtner:

For most people in District 10, we don’t live in highly populated areas. Even our biggest cities are not like the big cities.

Zac Schultz:

Schachtner says that’s a problem when people want things like mental health services.

Patty Schachtner:

So if you’re on BadgerCare and you know, need mental health right away, even though it’s only 20 minutes away, you can’t go there.

Zac Schultz:

Schachtner came into office by winning a special election in January of 2018.

Patty Schachtner:

When I ran, most people knew me as the medical examiner and knew me from my work that I’ve done in suicide prevention and mental health.

Zac Schultz:

Schachtner’s Republican opponent is Rob Stafsholt, who serves in the Assembly. Stafsholt’s campaign would not agree to an interview. The 32nd and 10th are two of the Democratic seats Republicans think they can win this fall. If they pick up three seats in the Assembly and the Senate, the GOP would have veto-proof majorities heading into the next session and the next round of redistricting.

Ben Wikler:

If they get three more seats in each chamber, they’ll have control of the Legislature for another decade, because they’ll be able to re-gerrymander the map.

Zac Schultz:

Ben Wikler is chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. He says they’re not even trying to convince voters they have a shot at winning majorities.

Ben Wikler:

We don’t want to blow smoke. Republicans really rigged the way that state legislative elections work in Wisconsin.

Zac Schultz:

The idea behind their “save the veto” push is for Governor Tony Evers to veto Republican-drawn maps next year. And hope the courts draw boundaries that are more favorable to Democrats for the next decade.

Andrew Hitt:

It’s an interesting strategy. It’s a — I understand, though, that you know, they’re very much concerned about how redistricting would go if we would — if Republicans would achieve that veto-proof majority.

Zac Schultz:

Andrew Hitt is chairman of the Republican Party of Wisconsin. He doesn’t think the “save the veto” message will resonate with voters.

Andrew Hitt:

People are going to vote on more kitchen table type issues than sort of this kind of vague, amorphous political issue of redistricting.

Zac Schultz:

Despite the defensive approach focused on saving the veto, Democrats are looking to flip seats.

Paul Piotrowski:

This is the best pick-up opportunity for Democrats anywhere in the state.

Zac Schultz:

Democrat Paul Piotrowski is a former Stevens Point police officer and city clerk running in the 24th Senate.

Paul Piotrowski:

Morning Jim. It’s Paul Piotrowski.

Zac Schultz:

This was a longtime Democratic seat but it flipped red in 2016.

Paul Piotrowski:

2016 was a very bad year for Democrats. Turn out was down and people flipped and — people who voted for Obama voted for Trump and then they followed suit down the ballot.

Zac Schultz:

Piotrowski says he’s hoping the moderates and independents will put him over the top.

Paul Piotrowski:

This is one of the few districts in the state where you don’t have an extreme partisan advantage on either side, so both of us have to appeal to moderates.

Pat Testin:

Hey, how’s it going?

Man:

Good, how are you?

Pat Testin:

I want to stop by and say hi. I’m Pat Testin, your state Senator.

Man:

Hi.

Pat Testin:

We surprised a lot of folks back in 2016 because I’m the first Republican that was elected to this district since 1968.

Zac Schultz:

Republican Senator Pat Testin says he saw the swing coming four years ago when he was talking with voters.

Pat Testin:

That’s what I heard quite a bit at the doors, was that they felt as though the National Democratic Party had kind of left rural working-class folks behind. And that’s where individuals like Donald Trump and myself kind of helped fill that void.

Zac Schultz:

The impact of the presidential race down ballot cannot be overstated.

Pat Testin:

Anytime you have a presidential year, there’s going to be an impact and it’s going to have a ripple effect down ballot.

Zac Schultz:

Trump performed well in all three Senate districts four years ago and Republicans hope the swing voters don’t swing back.

Dan Kapanke:

Even more than in 2016, because Trump is now president — is now a known, where in 2016 a lot of us saying, well, is he really a conservative or where does he stand on pro-life and where is he? And now we know. I think a lot of people are more confident in banging a yard sign putting in their yard than they were in 2016.

Ben Wikler:

Matters a ton how Joe Biden is doing in Wisconsin. There’s no question about that whatsoever. And it’s also the case that the state Legislative races are often won or lost on the basis of local issue.

Zac Schultz:

Perhaps even more confusing than the swing voter is the ticket splitter.

Andrew Hitt:

I don’t quite understand it. It’s hard to get your head wrapped around it except you have to, because that happens time and time again all across the state of Wisconsin, where people will split the ticket.

Zac Schultz:

But will there be ticket splitters this time?

Brad Pfaff:

I’m confident there are. We’re independent people.

Zac Schultz:

Who’s more likely to split their ticket, a Biden voter or a Trump voter?

Pat Testin:

I would hope that our body of work over the last four years will help insulate us from any turmoil at the top of the ticket.

Zac Schultz:

In the end, all they can control is their own campaign.

Patty Schachtner:

I’m talking about what I am bringing to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to go, but I know that certainly people are engaged.

Zac Schultz:

Reporting from La Crosse, Stevens Point, and Somerset, I’m Zac Schultz for “Here & Now.”

Frederica Freyberg:

You may have noticed some of the candidates in this story going door to door without a mask. And wondered about how these campaigns are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and how they might going forward. Over the next several weeks, Zac Schultz will continue his reporting from around the state, including a special report on how Republicans and Democrats are campaigning in the COVID era.