Here & Now

Patty Schachtner On 10th Senate District Win

Zac Schultz:

Tuesday night Democrat Patty Schachtner shocked Wisconsin by winning the special election for the 10th Senate district in northwest Wisconsin. The seat was held for 17 years by Republican Sheila Harsdorf but it opened up when she became Governor Walker’s Secretary at the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection. Going into the race, Democrats were quietly hopeful Schachtner had a chance, but her ten-point victory was larger than most people expected. Governor Walker responded to the results by sending out a series of tweets saying it’s a wake-up call for Republicans in the state. Joining us now on the phone is Senator-elect Patty Schachtner. Thanks for joining us.

Patty Schachtner:

Thank you for having me.

Zac Schultz:

Were you surprised by the margin of victory in this race?

Patty Schachtner:

I always knew it was going to be close, so I really — I didn’t know what to expect. I just really knew that I had a feeling based on talking to the folks out there that it was going to be a close election.

Zac Schultz:

And it actually ended up not being that close. A ten-point margin of victory, that’s a pretty solid, solid win. Does that change how you feel about your campaign and how you ran it?

Patty Schachtner:

I think we ran a positive campaign and really kept it on the issues that affected western Wisconsin, district 10, access to mental health, access to addiction [treatment], the environment, and education. Stayed focused on those relevant issues.

Zac Schultz:

What lessons about how you ran your race apply to other candidates this fall, specifically other Democrats that would hope to tap into some of the energy on the Democratic side but want to learn from what you did in your race?

Patty Schachtner:

We had a fantastic team of local — our local groups, all came together. And they really believed in me and what I wanted to bring to the table. And we stayed focused and we just stayed with our message and on topic no matter what was thrown at us. We just kept on focus. And I think people appreciated that.

Zac Schultz:

Now, a lot has been made nationally of the increasing number of women running for office, both at the state and federal level. Do you think that matters to voters? Do you think it had an impact in your race?

Patty Schachtner:

I don’t necessarily know that it’s all about women, but I think a lot of it is about your communication skills and your message. If you’re sending out the right message, the voters will vote for you. And our message really dealt with the struggles that are going on in western Wisconsin and we really focused on being positive and working together and working collaboratively. And I think that’s what people want. They — you know, the rhetoric, everyone is a little sick of.

Zac Schultz:

Right before election night you had an announcement on your Facebook page and you talked about being humbled by this entire experience. What’s your reaction a few days later? Has this really sunk in? That you are going to be coming to Madison, that you are senator-elect now?

Patty Schachtner:

It is a very — it’s a very humbling experience and I just — I just can’t get over the fact that thousands and thousands of people have faith in me and my message that I can help them through what goes on in Madison and help their lives be better. And at the end of the day, you know, that’s — the fact that they feel that I was the right person is really — it is humbling, and it’s a, a, challenge that I am really look forward to serving at this level. And I am all in. So I'm super excited about it.

Zac Schultz:

All right. Senator-elect Patty Schachtner, thanks for your time today.