PBS Wisconsin Public Affairs

Hello, I'm Leah Vukmir. I'm a nurse and a mom-with-a-cause from Brookfield who is running for the U.S. Senate because I want a better future for our kids and our grandkids. I've spent the last year listening to Wisconsinites from every corner of our state. From Superior to Kenosha, I've visited all 72 counties, most of them more than once. I've held roundtables and met with our veterans, our farmers and our small business owners. What I hear from the people of Wisconsin is that they're looking for leaders who understand the day-to-day challenges facing families. I grew up in a big, fat Greek family. My dad came here from Greece, so he could give his family a life of opportunity. I helped teach my aunts and uncles how to speak English when they came to America so they could assimilate and learn how to work in this great country. I worked my way through college, working second and third shift in an inner-city emergency room. I became a nurse and cared for my patients and learned that health care works best when patients have the information and tools to make decisions for themselves. And when my children were young, I fought to improve education. I jumped right in and worked with other parents to get stuff done when government wasn't working. As a mom, I wanted a better life for my daughter and son. I worked hard for them. I know what it's like to make ends meet. And what it's like to think about whether you have enough money to put your kids through college. My fight for my kids took me to the state Capitol, where I've fought to represent all Wisconsinites. There I've led the charge to expand opportunities for education, cut taxes by more than $8 billion dollars and help a record number of Wisconsinites find jobs that help them provide for their families.

I've worked hard for you

the good people of our state. The differences between myself and Senator Baldwin could not be more clear. Senator Baldwin has spent nearly 30 years as a politician, collecting more than $3 million in wages from taxpayers. During her time in office, she has written only four bills that have become law. She is as ineffective as it gets. Senator Baldwin has voted to increase our taxes 413 times. She opposed Brett Kavanaugh without even meeting him, ignoring yet another function of her job. She actively fights against our Second Amendment and supports open borders. She works with liberal radicals, who are attempting to insert socialism into our healthcare system, diminishing care for our seniors. She supports partial-birth abortions, ripping developed babies from their mother's womb. Senator Baldwin doesn't understand the day-to-day challenges of the middle class. She is far more comfortable with her friends in the Hamptons than she is at a Friday night fish fry in Wisconsin. When a veteran died at the Tomah VA, her only concern was protecting her own job, bribing a staffer with hush money and hiring Hillary Clinton's lawyer to cover it up. That is a betrayal of Wisconsin values. As a mom and a nurse, who has cared for my patients my entire career, even while in the legislature, I will take that same passion to Washington and represent you. I'll fight for lower taxes, better health care, coverage for pre-existing conditions, and a stronger future for our kids and grandkids. The Wisconsin Way is about never giving up, working hard and making our state and our country better for our children and our grandchildren. We're fighters in this state, and I'm giving you my word that I will fight for you. to make life better for Wisconsin's middle class. I'm asking for your vote on November 6th. Together, we can change Washington and make it work for us. Thank you, and keep the faith.