Here & Now

Race for Governor: Tony Evers

Frederica Freyberg:

Next up, politics and the race for governor. In tonight’s closer look, we continue our series of one-on-one interviews with the democrats running in the very crowded primary race. Tonight, Tony Evers. Evers is the current state school superintendent. First elected to that post in 2009, he was re-elected in 2013 and again in 2017. He’s a former classroom teacher and high school principal. Evers is also the former Oakfield and Verona school district administrator. Tony Evers joins us now and thanks very much for doing so.

Tony Evers:

Thanks, Frederica. Good to be back.

Frederica Freyberg:

So why do you believe you are the progressive voice for Wisconsin?

Tony Evers:

Well, I think we are in a position in this race to really articulate what people actually believe in, what their value systems are. Whether it’s around education or whether it’s around, frankly, our natural resources, health care. Those type of values that have been frankly decimated by Scott Walker. I believe those issues bridge the gap between democrats and republicans. We hear all across the state when we go there. So I think being a campaign around values. Certainly we’re going to spend our time hammering Scott Walker. That’s part of the deal. But the fact of the matter is if we’re not positive about the future, we will live in the past, continue to live in the past.

Frederica Freyberg:

Amongst all the many candidates running in this primary, why do you think you’re the one that could beat Scott Walker?

Tony Evers:

Well, quite simply this. I’m the only candidate that has run three times and won. Last time I won with 70% of the vote. I won 70, 72 counties. I’ve never lost a county in northern and central Wisconsin in my winning races. So that’s important. I’ve also lived, my family has lived all across central Wisconsin, where I did a lot of my work as a superintendent or as a teacher. And central Wisconsin has a lot of votes, 70% — or 60% — 40% of the votes, excuse me, of people that vote for governor, come from there. And the last thing is Ive actually run things. I mean, that’s important. If we’re going to serve the people of Wisconsin, we have to know how government works. I’m now in charge of an agency that’s ultimately responsible for 860,000 kids and 100,000 adults that work in those system. That counts for something. We have to have a government that works for the people of Wisconsin.

Frederica Freyberg:

I want to get to some issues. On the economy, one of the things that you call to do is disband the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Why do you want to do that?

Tony Evers:

Well because the original intent has never been met. It used to be the idea was going to be some kind of public/private partnership. Well, it’s not. It’s a public entity. It uses public money to create economic development in the state. And frankly, it hasn’t done a very good job of that. So the initial idea behind it is gone. It’s never been a public/private partnership. In addition, I think as we move forward with economic development in the state, you know, we’ve gone down the Foxconn rat hole, frankly, and we need to make sure other parts of the state actually have economic development money. We need to reinvest all across the state, not just in southeast Wisconsin.

Frederica Freyberg:

I want to ask you about Act 10. You oppose it, and right to work. But how would you counter such laws?

Tony Evers:

Well, the grand theory would be to have a bill that says we’re redoing Act 10. And will that happen? Unlikely, in the very near future. But we have to make sure that we do building blocks around this. Do I think we can repeal right to work? That’s an important piece. Yes, I think we can. Can we — the whole issue of prevailing wages that was passed last time? There are republicans and democrats that will support that. In addition, I think there’s some really onerous things about preventing public employees from bargaining, such as making — recertifying every year, which is really difficult for any union to do. And also dues deduction. So we can start the building blocks to make that change. I was against Act 10 right from the beginning. I would support repealing it. But we just can’t wait. We have to make those building blocks, put those building blocks in place.

Frederica Freyberg:

Clearly you know a lot about education. One of the things you call for is investment in early childhood education. What would that look like?

Tony Evers:

Well, to put it in a nutshell, the worst– the most difficult poverty-ridden part of the state of Wisconsin is one of our urban areas. And there is no high-quality, five-star early childhood programing in that area. We have to start where the need is. I would invest in making sure every child in that — as a pilot. I think we can do this in the next budget. Every child that lives in that zip code has a right to a five-star early childhood programming. We start to expand that statewide. All data shows that that’s where a change has to happen.

Frederica Freyberg:

What zip code are you talking about? What city? What district?

Tony Evers:

In Milwaukee, 53206. There are no five-star, early childhood programs there. Think of the children there that come from extraordinary poverty and the trauma that brings with it and parents working two or three jobs and not having access to free, early childhood programming is frankly a stain on our society. We have to change that.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. With just about a minute left, what’s the single-most important thing you think Wisconsin could do around health care?

Tony Evers:

Healthcare. Take the Medicaid money. That money has been sitting in Washington D.C. for the last– for Scott Walker’s reign. And we can change how health care is delivered in the state of Wisconsin by taking that Medicaid money. That’s absolutely important. And we’ll do that. And we’ll also set up exchanges. All those things that Scott Walker didn’t do has caused Minnesota to move forward and have cheaper and better health care than we do in Wisconsin. Our Wisconsin folks need to have that same opportunity.

Frederica Freyberg:

All right. We leave it there. Tony Evers, thanks very much.

Tony Evers:

Thank you.