PBS Wisconsin Public Affairs

– Announcer: The following program is part of our "Here & Now" Wisconsin Vote election coverage.

[upbeat music] - Hello, I'm Kathy Bissen, Associate Director of PBS Wisconsin.

One of the most important things that we do is to bring you timely information.

That's especially critical during election years.

Again, this year, we are offering this platform for political candidates to speak directly to the people of Wisconsin.

We've invited all candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for the eight congressional districts who will be on the November 5 ballot in Wisconsin to make an unedited, pre-taped statement on the topic of their choice.

The order of appearance was chosen randomly.

If you would like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website, WisconsinVote.org.

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 5, and thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin.

[upbeat music] - Hi, my name is Phil Anderson and I'm running for United States Senate in Wisconsin.

I'm filming this today at my sweetie's family's cottage in Friendship, Wisconsin because it represents the three things I've been fighting for in politics since getting involved over 10 years ago, and those are peace, prosperity, and privacy.

Now, you may remember me as running as a libertarian before.

I'm still obviously a libertarian.

If you look at my website, the word libertarian's all over it.

But the theme of my campaign and what will say on the ballot after my name is "Disrupt the Corruption."

So why am I doing something different this time?

Basically, after being involved in politics for 10 years, I've come to the realization that the government doesn't work for anybody.

Not just libertarians or people that want smaller government or peace or, you know, more protection for their rights or whatever, but for nobody really.

Not even rank-and-file Democrats are truly being represented in Congress, because Congress is controlled by the two major parties, which are bought and paid for by the big moneyed interest in this country.

The lobbies, the unions, the whoever funnel money into the DNC and the RNC.

The leadership in Congress just tells the members what they're supposed to do, how they're supposed to vote.

If they don't comply, play along, and at least work with the corruption of the system, they get primaried out, they get lack of funding, they get lousy committee assignments, et cetera, and eventually they don't serve in Congress anymore.

That's why we have the situation that we do.

They don't respond to us.

The idea of America as being a place where people have rights, and when we need to decide things, we do so democratically, is completely broken.

It doesn't work anymore.

It almost doesn't exist.

And that's why I'm representing everybody in this race.

Every single person who's not one of the higher-ups in the Republican or Democratic parties or one of the big moneyed interests, I'm representing you, because you're not being heard and you're not being represented.

We have a massive corrupt system that is not what our founders intended, not what we believe it is, nor what it should be.

And the only way to fix it is two different things.

Number one, we need to overturn and get rid of the idea that corporations are people in as much as they have actual human rights.

Now, I'm not for getting rid of corporations entirely.

They're very useful in business and mitigating risk and those sorts of things.

But the idea that they're people with rights like free speech is ridiculous and should be insulting to everybody who takes the time to think about it.

Humans have rights, not organizations.

It's silly, but that is what allows all the corruption to happen.

For all these industries, lobbies, unions, whatever, to spend a ton of money into politics, overwhelming any one individual's ability to affect the system by their own free speech.

Number two.

Number two, and this is very important, we need to stop thinking election cycles only.

You're hearing it from everybody.

"Don't waste your vote.

"This is the most important election of our lifetime.

"We can't afford four more years of Trump.

We can't have four more years of Harris."

Hovde, Baldwin, whatever it might be.

That's all a trap.

It's not true.

It's all a trap, and it just perpetuates the current system, which is controlled by Democrats, Republicans, and their sponsors.

We need to think beyond that.

If you register your vote according to your conscience, according to the person that represents you in not only your short-term interest, but your long-term interest and your desire for the United States government to work and to be faithful to the Constitution, consider voting for somebody like me because even in a loss, that means something.

That means there's support for the ideas that I represent.

There's support for the idea that our government is broken and we need to fix it.

And right now, if you just give up your vote to the lesser of two evils, all you're doing is helping perpetuate a system that doesn't care about you, that doesn't listen to you, that doesn't respond to you, that hides things from you, that cheats you, that goes to wars on your behalf over lies, all of these things.

Let's fix it.

Consider voting for me on November 5.

Thank you.

[upbeat music] - I'm Eric Hovde and I'm running for the U.S. Senate.

I'm a fourth-generation Wisconsinite, born and raised in Madison, attended East High, and graduated as a proud Badger in 1986.

I'm your classic entrepreneur, founding my first business in my 20s.

My main businesses today are Hovde Properties, a real estate development company here in Wisconsin, and Community Banking.

However, I've been involved in many businesses, which have given me a broad spectrum of experiences.

In my 20s, I was given the shocking news of having multiple sclerosis.

And while I struggled for many years, fortunately, my MS has been mostly stable for the last 20 years.

Because of that diagnosis, it propelled me to start the Hovde Foundation.

At first, it focused on medical research and MS, but I expanded its focus to rescue children who have been abandoned to the streets, abused, and used in the sex trade.

I founded the Hovde Homes, which provide shelter, care, education, and love to those children.

Today, there are 10 Hovde Homes around the world that are responsible for rescuing well over 5,000 children.

I was blessed to meet the love of my life, Sharon, and we have two daughters and three grandchildren.

So why would a guy with a pretty good life get into this ugly business called politics?

Well, it's simple.

I love my country.

I understand how blessed we are to live in this country called America, which has provided more civil liberties, prosperity, and freedom to its people than any country in human history.

Unfortunately, I'm deeply concerned about the direction our country has taken over the last 20 years.

First, our politics has become too divisive, and instead of trying to work together to solve the problems our country is facing, we live in our own echo chambers and demonize the other side.

We have lost our ability to cooperate and to put the broader interests of the American people first.

Second, I'm concerned about how Washington has become corrupt.

Far too many of our politicians today care only about getting reelected and raise money from special interest groups that they become beholden to.

I made the promise that I will not take corporate special interest money, which I have not, unlike my opponent, Senator Baldwin, who raises enormous amounts of money from Wall Street, Big Pharma, and Big Tech.

I'm deeply concerned that we are bankrupting our country.

In the last three and a half years, we've added more debt than our country's first 230-year history.

This reckless spending is the reason we've had 40-year highs in inflation that is crushing families and putting the American dream out of touch.

I'm also concerned about our domestic security.

The opening of our southern border has had devastating consequences and has helped fuel the fentanyl crisis.

In the last two years, we've lost over 220,000 Americans to this poison.

My opponent, Senator Baldwin, has been in Washington for 26 years.

She's a big part of the problem.

She voted for every single spending bill that caused record-high debt and inflation, and voted not to secure our southern border.

I believe it's time for change.

My hope is to bring my skill sets to fix many of the problems our country is facing today, like a lack of affordable housing and a health care system that is breaking.

I believe we need to return to the citizen legislator, somebody who served for a term or two, brings their skill sets from the real world to improve our country instead of having career politicians.

I'd be honored to have your vote.

And if you do elect me as your U.S. senator, I will put the people of Wisconsin's interests first and use my talents to get things done.

Thank you for your time.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Tammy Baldwin and I'm running for reelection so that I can continue to represent the people of the great state of Wisconsin in the United States Senate.

I'm running because I'm committed to making sure that middle class Wisconsin families, not just big corporate special interests and the super wealthy, have someone working for them.

I believe that every Wisconsinite should have the opportunity to get a good-paying job, get relief from rising costs, and have the same rights and freedoms that their parents and grandparents had, including the right to make their own health care decisions.

And it all starts with a good-paying job that covers the bills.

And that's why I'm committed to passing more of my Made in America policies to keep our workers and economy going strong.

I've been able to champion my Buy America rules in historic pieces of legislation, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and this year's National Defense Bill.

Because of that work, we're creating thousands of good-paying jobs across the state, all while strengthening our nation's infrastructure, working toward a more climate-friendly future, and supporting Wisconsin industries.

But a good-paying job can only go so far when costs are still so high and corporate price gouging is ripping our working families off.

Throughout my career, I've taken on corporate greed in the health care industry by working to pass the Affordable Care Act and, much more recently, capping insulin costs at $35 for our seniors, and pressuring the asthma inhaler manufacturers to cap their costs too.

But we've got more work to do, and that's why I'm proud to be leading the charge to pass legislation that'll cut the costs of housing, childcare, and what we all buy at the grocery store.

I'm not scared to stand up to these corporations.

And if reelected, Wisconsinites have my word that I'm gonna keep fighting to get these measures over the finish line to bring prices down for every family.

Finally, I'm determined to fight for our freedoms: our freedom to vote, and our freedom to make our own health care decisions.

Right now, I'm working alongside my Senate colleagues to protect every Wisconsin voter's access to the ballot box.

And I'm working harder than ever to pass my Women's Health Protection Act.

This bill would make Roe v. Wade the law of the land, restoring the right to choose for women nationwide.

A good-paying job, health care you can afford, the freedom to your own health care choices, and the right to have your voice heard in our democracy.

These are the basics that every Wisconsinite should enjoy.

And I promise I will keep working hard for you and your family and our great state if I'm reelected this November.

Thank you so much, and I ask for your vote.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - Hello, I'm Peter Barca.

Families in Kenosha and Racine County know me best.

They know my commitment to public service.

It's been a privilege building relationships and trust with people across southeastern Wisconsin, from my hometown of Somers to people in Kenosha and Racine counties.

In the last few years, I've seen them left behind by partisan politics.

Nearly everybody agrees that we have a do-nothing, dysfunctional House of Representatives, and that needs to change.

And that's a major reason why I'm running for Congress.

Because I've always worked across the aisle with Republicans and Democrats to get things done.

That will always be my priority.

I was proud to be a teacher, helping kids get a good education, being an employment and training leader.

And I'm running a small business, understanding what it takes to meet a payroll.

I bring those experiences to my job as a legislator.

I've always put what's best for southeastern Wisconsin and the communities here ahead of party politics.

I helped to lead the efforts against NAFTA 'cause I knew it was a bad trade deal that would outsource good-paying jobs.

I even went against the president of my own party to do that.

I stood up to special interests time and time again because you are my priority.

As a member of Congress, I passed a Buy American provision that helped to bring ships' engines, make sure they were made in Beloit, Wisconsin, where they recalled nearly 100 people and hired nearly 100 more.

That's just not what we have with Bryan Steil.

Washington is paralyzed by extreme partisanship, and he's putting his party and corporate interests first.

Wisconsin families need leaders who will address rising costs, keep our communities safe, and protect the access to health care.

We need leaders in Congress that will work across the aisle and stand up for Wisconsin.

Sadly, Bryan Steil says one thing and too often, he does another.

He said he believed in infrastructure, and yet he voted against one of the biggest deals in a decade to build roads, bridges.

In the summer of 2022, he wrote an editorial in "The Racine Journal Times" saying that chips should be made right here in America.

And a month later, he voted no.

He said he wants to cut costs for Americans, and yet he voted to raise credit card fees.

No wonder he got nearly $200,000 from credit card companies.

And yet he voted three times against lowering prescription drug costs.

No wonder Big Pharma helps fund his campaigns.

And he supported a bill that would add $4 trillion to our national debt.

I'll work to keep our communities safe.

I'll work to keep guns out of the hands of felons and mentally ill people.

Unfortunately, the thing that made me the most angry was when Bryan Steil talked endlessly about immigration problems.

And here we had a bipartisan deal put together by one of the most conservative Republicans, an independent, and a Democrat.

And yet when he said in the early part of the year he'd work with anybody, it turns out he'd work with nobody.

Because when he had a town hall meeting this summer, he said that he only would work for the House of Representatives Republican bill.

And we have 70,000 people that die of fentanyl every year.

And even though the border patrol supported that deal, he was content to wait a year to get anything done.

Protecting your health care is a priority for me, and I'll protect women's freedom to make their own health care decisions.

I'm asking for your vote because I'll prioritize getting things done.

We can bring down costs, protect workers, create jobs.

We can expand health care with public-private partnerships and help cure diseases.

We can accomplish these things together 'cause I'll go to bat for your families every day, like I've done my entire life.

[upbeat music] - Our country's headed in the wrong direction.

Wisconsin workers and families are struggling to afford the things that they need.

An unsecured border is putting our communities at risk.

I'm Bryan Steil and I'm running for Congress to get our country back on track.

In Congress, I'm fighting for Wisconsin workers, families, and seniors.

On the campaign trail, I'm hearing a variety of concerns, but there's a few that stick out to me.

We must secure the U.S.-Mexico border to stop the crisis we see playing out and to stop the dangerous flow of drugs, like fentanyl, coming into our communities.

Since the Biden-Harris administration took office, more than 8 million migrants have crossed the border illegally.

We've also seen a surge in illicit fentanyl, a deadly drug pouring over the border that killed hundreds of people in southeast Wisconsin alone last year.

There's four key steps we need to take to secure the border.

We must restart border wall construction, end abuse of the parole system, reinstate the Stay in Mexico policy, and end catch and release.

Another issue that I hear time and again is the impact that high prices are having on family budgets.

Reckless spending in Washington was the cause.

That's why I proudly supported legislation that cut billions of dollars of wasteful spending and will reduce our debt by more than a trillion dollars over the next decade.

We did this while protecting Social Security and Medicare.

This is just a first step though.

By cutting red tape, restoring energy independence, and ending wasteful government programs, we can make prices more affordable for everyone.

I'm also working to safeguard Social Security and Medicare for our seniors and for future generations.

Reckless spending has put these programs at risk and made it especially hard for seniors on fixed incomes to afford the things that they need.

That's why I support reducing federal spending while fully protecting the funding for Social Security and Medicare.

These are promises the U.S. government has made to our seniors.

Promises I'm committed to keeping.

I strongly oppose any efforts to reduce Social Security and Medicare.

In Congress, I'm committed to listening to you and fighting for our values.

I ask for your vote on November 5 because I'll never stop working for you.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Congressman Mark Pocan running for reelection to Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District.

It's been an honor to serve the people of the 2nd District for the last 12 years.

The district comprises all of Dane County, all of Green County, Lafayette County, Iowa County, a good chunk of Sauk County, about half of Rock County, and very honored to be able to represent the people of South Central and Southwestern Wisconsin in Congress.

This has been an incredibly unproductive Congress with the Republican majority.

We've gone through a record number of Speaker votes, 19 votes, to get our second Speaker of the session.

But we're on record to have the fewest bills passed since 1860.

It's been a challenging Congress, no question, but we need to do more.

And the way we do more is by changing some of the faces in Congress, and then we're hoping to do that throughout the country.

Republican control with Kevin McCarthy, originally as Speaker, changing rules that allowed just any single member in the majority party to screw up the entire process has been anything but productive.

We need to get more of our budget bills done, we need to get a farm bill done.

We need to get just so many more things for the American people.

And unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress have been unable to get even the most basic things done.

Here's what I wanna do.

I wanna make sure that, one, we hopefully flip the majority and make Hakeem Jeffries our next Speaker.

With that, we can actually pass legislation that'll help people.

And we can avoid all the bad ideas that are in Project 2025 that Donald Trump and about 140 of his former staff, cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, campaign staff, and others helped write the terrible ideas that are in Project 2025 and make sure that we're doing things for the American people.

You know, Project 2025 has a huge authoritarian takeover of things like reproductive health.

Literally monitoring the pregnancy of every single woman in this country.

It would also end abortion, essentially, as we know it.

It goes after certain forms of fertilization, et cetera.

Secondly, it attacks the middle class.

It wants to get rid of overtime pay.

It wants to attack things like the Affordable Care Act that so many people, tens of millions of people, have for access for health care.

But also, don't forget, that saved us-- So if you have a preexisting condition, you can still get health care.

And it would also raise taxes on couples making less than $120,000 a year and, of course, reduce taxes for the wealthiest.

And finally, it would attack Social Security and Medicare as we know it.

And we need to protect those institutions.

I'm fighting against those bad ideas that the Republicans and Donald Trump are advocating for.

But what I wanna do is get things done that help the American people.

I'm looking at the agenda Kamala Harris and Tammy Baldwin and other Democrats are putting forward to make sure that we're doing more to help every family have opportunity.

We wanna reduce costs by going after the mega mergers in the food industry and gasoline that are artificially price gouging and keeping prices way too high.

We wanna do more to make health care more accessible and affordable.

We wanna do more to help people with childcare because that's such an expensive part of their daily costs.

And we wanna really address things like climate change.

We wanna make sure we have fair taxation, 2025, all the tax bills come before Congress, and so very much more.

I'm looking forward to doing that in Congress.

I'm looking forward to fighting for those values that I think people of the 2nd District have.

And I would really appreciate the opportunity to serve everyone in Congress again.

And I just want to make sure I'm saying I ask for your vote.

And I really appreciate your time today.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - Hey everybody, it's Derrick Van Orden.

I've had the distinct honor and pleasure of representing you in Congress going on about two years now.

And I want to take a couple minutes to tell you a little bit about myself, because honestly, we are just not gonna agree with each other all the time.

You are not gonna agree with every vote I take, and I understand that.

And I think that's a good thing.

But you need to understand who I am as a person because that informs my thought process, and my thought process informs my voting.

So in a nutshell, here is who your congressman is.

I was raised in abject rural poverty by a single mother.

We were on food stamps when you actually had a stamp that you licked and stuck to a card at the grocery store.

I dropped out of high school when I was 16 years old.

I've been supporting myself since then.

I joined the Navy at the age of 18.

I wound up serving for 26 years, retiring as a United States Navy SEAL Senior Chief.

I got a GED during that time.

And at the age of 44, I got a bachelor's degree.

I was accepted to law school at 50.

And after my 1L year of law school, I decided to run for Congress full-time, which kind of worked out 'cause now I write the laws, and that's really cool.

My wife, Sarah Jane, and I have been married for 31 years.

We have four children.

Three of them are still with us.

Unfortunately, we lost our oldest daughter, Sydney Marie, last year to cancer.

But she left us with three fantastic grandchildren.

And with the other kids that we have, they're all behind me here, we have a total of 11 grandchildren.

This election's about three things: gas, groceries, and grandkids.

People in Wisconsin are having difficulty filling up a gas tank and a grocery cart on the same day, and it just wasn't like that four years ago.

And we're deeply concerned about the security of our children and our grandchildren, and it just wasn't like that four years ago.

So with the first two, gas and groceries, that's due to radical spending in Washington, D.C. led by the Biden administration that has caused a 20% across the board inflationary index.

And that's unsustainable.

I get around to the district every single day.

I talk to everybody from our farmers to our factory workers, to our nurses, to the folks that are working at Kwik Trip, and they simply are not getting along.

And that's because of the radical, out-of-control spending under the Biden administration.

And as far as security, a couple weeks ago, a member of an international, transnational gang, the Tren de Aragua, which is a Venezuelan gang, committed some of the most brutal crimes you can imagine against a mom and a daughter less than a mile away from where I'm filming this video, and less than a half a mile away from where three of our grandchildren live.

And that's specifically due to the Biden administration's open border led by Kamala Harris.

So here's what I want for everybody.

I want prosperity, I want security, and I want freedom.

And I've worked tirelessly to make sure that this is happening, and I've worked across the aisle.

If you look at the Lugar Center's bipartisan graph that they've made for us, a full 69% of all of the legislation I've done over the last two years has been bipartisan.

69% of all of my legislation has been bipartisan, and that is ranked by an independent group.

The next closest member from the state of Wisconsin delegation is 51% bipartisanship, and that's Glenn Grothman.

So if you want someone that's gonna work for you, regardless of your political party, regardless of your socioeconomic status, regardless of your race, regardless of what you do in your own time, you're looking at the right person.

So I'm gonna ask you to vote Van Orden coming up here on November 5.

And with that, God bless you and your family.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] [upbeat music] [upbeat music] [upbeat music] - My name is Ben Steinhoff and I'm running for Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District against Scott Fitzgerald.

I never planned to run for Congress.

But over the last four years that my opponent has been in office, it's become clear that the people of Wisconsin want change.

The only way to change Washington is to change who we send there.

For almost 15 years, I've served our community as a first responder paramedic, firefighter, dispatcher, and worked in a children's emergency department and operating room.

I've dedicated my career to preserving life in fighting for the most vulnerable on the front lines while working paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I spent what little free time I had volunteering for my local EMS agency because I saw the desperate need for EMTs in my rural community.

My opponent, as a majority leader of the Wisconsin State Senate, while running for Congress, blocked federal emergency funding to rural communities like mine when we needed it most.

Not long after, my department was forced to shut its doors and cease vital 911 operations.

After my rural community was stripped of these critical emergency services, I knew I had no other choice but to fight for those in rural communities who so desperately need new leadership.

My campaign is entirely funded by small dollar contributions from every corner of the district, while my opponent has taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from insurance, banking, and investment corporations.

And every day in Congress, he puts the interest of his donors over the needs of our constituents.

As someone who's felt the pain of knowing your paycheck is gone before you even receive it, I will fight in Washington to help the working class get ahead by championing legislation that puts Main Street over Wall Street.

I've spent my entire career fighting for those who need help the most.

And as your representative, I'll fight for you as I was trained to do on the front lines.

I'm running for Congress to fight for you.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music] - I'd like to address seven issues that should be of importance to the people of the 6th Congressional District over the next two years.

The first one is the southern border.

We've had over 10 million people cross the southern border in the last four years, skipping in line ahead of those people who are trying to come here legally.

It should be pointed out we have over 3 million people who've been legally sworn in as new citizens, showing it's not that difficult of a thing to do.

Nevertheless, we should return to the Stay in Mexico policy where we're not letting more people here, and we should remove the people who came here illegally.

It sends the complete wrong message to just say, "People can stay here if they came here illegally once," because other people will continue to come here.

It's also important to remember the current system allows people to drown in the Rio Grande, drown in the Pacific Ocean, dehydrate to death in the Arizona desert.

Next big issue is inflation, which makes it so difficult to join the middle class.

First thing you do with inflation is you make it easier to produce energy, oil, natural gas in the United States.

This will reduce the cost of your heat bill, reduce the cost to run your automobile, but even more than that, it reduces the cost of food because you're reducing the cost of fertilizer and reducing the cost of plastics.

Allowing all these people to come here as well drives down wages, making it more difficult for other people to join the middle class.

Next issue is diversity.

I think we've hired way too many diversity bureaucrats, not only in universities, but in the government, in the military, and in big business.

This divides people because you're educating people to view themselves as a subgroup, and we've gotta put an end to this.

We also should look at some of these big businesses and see if they have been discriminating in reverse because of their DEI bureaucrats.

Next issue is respect for the police.

I love to do ride-ons with the police.

It's been very difficult for them recently because irresponsible politicians push the myth that the police are racist.

We have to publicize studies showing the police are not racist with regard to things like traffic stops or anything else and build back the respect for the police, which will make it much easier for them to maintain law and order.

Next big issue is overregulation by the government.

I'd like to look a little bit as how it affects a business that I care a great deal about, and that is sheltered workshops.

These are places for people with different abilities due to things like spina bifida or Down syndrome work sometimes for less than minimum wage.

These facilities should be kept open and not regulated out of existence.

Not only does it give these folks a chance to show a little independence, to be like their brothers and sisters who are also going to work, but it also allows for socialization, which is so important for this group that I think sometimes people are afraid that they're only gonna get to know their immediate family and their parents.

Instead, they make lifelong friends in these facilities.

Next issue is the transgenderism.

Again, we have irresponsible elected officials, I think, encouraging people down this path.

People who have gender dysphoria, studies show that the vast majority, over 80% of the girls, over 95% of the guys, eventually work their way out of this on their own unless they're encouraged down this path by allowing boys in the girls' locker room or boys on the girls' sports team.

If we don't encourage this, I think they're gonna bounce back and be just fine.

Final issue I'd like to touch upon, I was very deeply concerned by statements made by John Kerry and Hillary Clinton implying that the First Amendment is a problem for the government and that somehow we have to restrict free speech or approve free speech.

That's not true.

It's also concerning that Mark Zuckerberg apparently was leaned on by the Biden administration.

So we should all respect the First Amendment.

Thank you for this opportunity.

[upbeat music] - Hello, I'm John Zarbano and I'm running for the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District.

This race is my first time seeking public office.

This election, you have a choice between Glenn Grothman and me.

I live in Oshkosh.

I'm a husband, father, grandfather, and retired lawyer.

Born in Omaha, I received my bachelor's and master's from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and my law degree from the University of Tulsa.

I practiced law in Tulsa as a bank lawyer, experienced in secured lending, real estate development, mergers and acquisition, and federal and state regulations.

I met my wife, Merlaine, a native of Marinette in Tulsa, where she was working as Artist in Residence for Oklahoma and Artistic Director for Theater Tulsa.

We returned to Wisconsin in 1998 to be near her parents.

Since then, Wisconsin's been my home.

Respecting women's rights.

Every woman possesses the personal, fundamental right to make her own decisions about her health care, including access to abortion, contraception, and in vitro fertilization.

I support women's health care choices.

My opponent does not.

He voted against women's safety, women's health, access to abortion and contraception, pregnant workers and pregnant veterans.

He also voted against the Respect for Marriage Act and the fundamental rights of the LBGTQ+ community.

On immigration, the bipartisan compromise bill tackled immigration control with dignity and due process.

This bill ended catch and release, rapidly adjudicated migrants' claims, massively increased border agent hiring, and instituted strict asylum screening.

I also support expanding Homeland Security's temporary protected status, which would provide undocumented persons with FBI criminal background checks, work permits, and drivers' licenses.

My opponent travels to our southern border and talks and talks and talks, and does nothing.

On climate, our district is home to about 8,000 farms and over a million acres of farmland.

I support the Farm Bill, the Soil Care Act, the Healthy Soils and Healthy Climate Act, resulting in cleaner water and cleaner air.

My opponent denies the very existence of global warming.

Like I said, this election, you have a choice.

I will listen to all the people of our district, and then I'll act.

I'll do something to solve the challenges you face every day.

We will go forward, not backward, advancing our Wisconsin values of health care, education, and kindness for a better future for our children and our grandchildren.

Thank you.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Kyle Kilbourn and I'm running to represent Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District.

Let me start by telling a little bit about myself.

I grew up in a small town on a one-acre farm.

My dad works in construction and my mom was a waitress.

We weren't rich, but we worked hard, looked out for each other, and made the most of what we had.

Those experiences shape my values and my belief in the importance of community, hard work, and fairness.

I learned early on that when we invest in each other, when we help our neighbors, and we stand up for what's right, we all benefit.

Over the years, I've built a career as a product designer and researcher.

My work has always been about finding solutions, solutions to complex problems and solutions that make life better for everyday people.

And that's why I'm running for Congress.

Because Washington is broken and rural Wisconsin is being left behind.

We need fresh leadership to tackle the issues that matter most to working families.

Right now, inflation and the rising cost of living are the biggest concerns I hear from folks across the district.

Whether it's the price of groceries, gas, or prescription drugs, it feels like everything is going up, and wages just aren't keeping up.

Families in rural Wisconsin especially are feeling the squeeze.

We need to do more to help, and that starts with making sure the government is working for you, not corporate donors or big interests.

And that's why I'm focused on capping prescription drug prices, making health care more affordable, and increasing Social Security benefits so our seniors don't have to worry about making ends meet.

We need to talk about health care.

In rural areas like ours, it's getting harder and harder to access quality care.

Hospitals are closing and families are driving further just to see a doctor.

We need to invest in rural health care centers, ensure that our veterans get the care they deserve, and put an end to price gouging on prescription drugs.

No one should have to choose between getting the care they need or going broke.

And let's not forget about Social Security and Medicare.

These are programs that people have paid into their entire lives.

They're not handouts.

It's a promise we've made to our seniors, and it's one we need to keep.

I'll fight to protect these benefits, and I won't support raising the retirement age or cutting benefits like we've seen proposed by some in Washington.

Another big issue is reproductive rights.

I believe women should have the right to make their own health care decisions.

My opponent, however, has supported extreme measures that would restrict abortion access and even limit families' access to IVF.

These policies are harmful and out of touch with the values of our district.

This is about freedom.

Freedom for women and families to make the best choices for themselves without government interference.

And then finally, we need to talk about climate change and how we can protect our environment while creating good-paying jobs.

Wisconsin's natural beauty is a big part of who we are, and we need to protect our land and water.

But we can do that while also investing in clean energy, creating jobs, and building an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest.

I'm running because I believe we deserve better.

We deserve a representative who listens, who works hard, and delivers results, not someone who plays partisan games and looks out for big corporations.

I'm here for working families and our veterans and our rural communities.

Thank you for listening.

I hope to earn your vote.

Let's build a better future together for Wisconsin's 7th district.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Tom Tiffany and I'm running to represent Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District.

I grew up on a dairy farm near Elmwood, Wisconsin, and many Wisconsinites know that farming isn't easy.

Every day, you are presented with a new challenge.

Whether it's a sick cow or equipment breaking down, these experiences taught me the values of hard work and problem-solving skills I still use in Congress today.

From helping residents to receive tax refunds to assisting veterans, I believe in delivering results.

That's why in Congress I've helped return more than $7 million back to my constituents.

It has also been a goal of mine to bring Wisconsin common sense to Washington.

When I served in the state legislature, Wisconsinites saw what balancing a budget and cutting wasteful spending could do.

Unfortunately, in Washington, the national debt has ballooned to over $35 trillion.

That's why I support a balanced budget amendment.

This would not only help pay down the deficit, but it'll also protect vital programs like Social Security.

One of the hardest-hit groups by this reckless spending is our seniors.

It's important that we adopt President Trump's policy of removing the double tax on Social Security benefits and ensuring accurate cost of living adjustments.

You'd think it is also common sense to keep biological men out of women's sports, but Democrats in Congress opposed a bill to do that.

As a father of three daughters, ensuring Title IX continues to create a fair playing field is a top priority for me.

Growing up on a dairy farm, you also quickly learned the impact of diesel, gas, and electricity prices.

Wisconsinites have seen this firsthand under the Biden-Harris administration after they issued drilling bans and canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Prices for groceries have surged by 21%.

Gas prices are up over 50%.

By streamlining permitting regulations and keeping reliable energy sources online, we can boost the cleanest energy production in the world and lower prices.

Projects like the Nemadji Trail Center and Line 5 would also create good-paying jobs in Wisconsin.

We have recently seen union workers, including 58% of Teamsters, shift their support to Trump.

Why?

Because Republicans have solutions to provide opportunities for hardworking Americans.

The latest job numbers show us that job gains are going to foreign-born workers.

This not only harms American workers, but immigration under Biden and Harris has also overwhelmed community resources and led to a surge in fentanyl poisonings and violent crime.

Wisconsin isn't immune to this burden, as we've seen in Whitewater where local resources have been strained.

In Prairie du Chien, a Venezuelan illegal alien released by Biden and Harris sexually assaulted a woman and abused a child.

In Abbotsford, an illegal alien stabbed three people.

And in Rusk County, an illegal alien's repeat drunk driving left three daughters without their father.

These tragedies are a direct result of this administration's failed border policies.

According to ICE, Biden and Harris release over 75% of the illegal aliens encountered at the border into U.S. neighborhoods.

We need to end catch and release, re-implement a Remain in Mexico policy, and complete the border wall.

For two decades, my wife and I owned and operated wilderness cruises in the Northwoods.

Running a small business, especially dealing with government regulations and taxes, is what inspired me to get involved in politics.

Under Kamala Harris's plan, if your small business or family farm's assets, like the land and equipment, are worth more than $3.5 million, a hefty tax would be placed on your children when they inherit it.

This would force many Wisconsin farms to sell off.

By reining in spending, unleashing American energy, and securing our borders, we can make America affordable and safe again.

I hope to earn your vote on November 5.

[upbeat music] - My name is Dr. Kristin Lyerly and I'm running to represent the people of Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District, the district where I was born and raised and the region where my family has been for six generations.

My dad's whole side of the family, they worked at the paper mill in Kaukauna.

And my mom's side, dairy farmers east of Lake Winnebago.

I'm also a mom.

My oldest is a public school teacher in Racine, all the way down to my youngest, who is a sophomore at De Pere High School.

My partner is a 25-year veteran of the Green Bay Police Department.

We're a proud, community-loving family.

I'm an OB/GYN doctor, first-generation college student who has had the good luck and support and drive to not only become a doctor, but to become a nationally-known leader in obstetrics and gynecology.

Someone who has advocated for more than two decades for health care reform to ensure that people have access to the care they need and, of course, for reproductive rights.

And in fact, it's my name that's on the judgment that brought abortion care back to Wisconsin after the Dobbs decision.

Because of that effort, anti-abortion groups have come after my Wisconsin medical license, making it dangerous for me to practice in the state.

So here I am, currently practicing in Northern Minnesota, serving patients in a rural community, delivering babies, providing contraception, taking care of women who have issues with menopause, just being a general doctor.

But hearing their stories and understanding how rural communities are suffering and how we can do better.

I first entered politics in 2020 when I realized that advocacy was not enough, when misinformation was literally killing my patients.

And I thought that there was a place for a physician who knew how to talk about information and informed consent might be able to make a difference and save some lives.

I knew I wasn't gonna win because of Wisconsin's gross gerrymandering.

But in the efforts that followed that campaign, when we were able to get Governor Evers reelected and able to figure out our Supreme Court, and able to fix our maps, things have changed entirely in our state.

And now I am thrilled to be running a spicy, exciting campaign on behalf of my friends and neighbors and family, the people who raised me, talking about issues so much bigger than reproductive rights, so much bigger than health care in rural areas, but also economic issues.

Everyone is concerned about the cost of goods and services, about how expensive it is every single time we go to the grocery store or put gas in our cars.

There's a way to fix this.

There's a way to fix our immigration crisis.

We've seen it.

We've seen steps in the right direction.

But we fail to provide the political courage to solve the problem.

There are so many problems that need to be solved, and our Congress and our state legislature here in Wisconsin have been the least effective in decades.

The way we fix it is by electing leaders who will elevate the voices of the people, who will work together across the aisle to find common ground, who will be independent thinkers, and who will be moderate in their approach to problem-solving.

That's who we always elect in Northeast Wisconsin.

Democrats, Republicans, it doesn't matter.

It's about the person and who the people of Northeast Wisconsin believe will best represent them.

That's me, this kid from Kaukauna.

Thank you so much for listening.

Thank you for considering me.

And I sure would appreciate your vote on November 5.

[upbeat music] - This is Tony Wied.

I'm a small businessman and political outsider running for Congress in Wisconsin's 8th District.

Before running for Congress, I ran small businesses with my wife in Northeast Wisconsin for nearly three decades.

Most notably, I ran gas stations, convenience stores, and Little Caesars franchises.

I'm running for Congress to take the lessons I learned in the private sector to Washington.

As I travel around all 11 counties in Wisconsin's 8th district, the number-one issue I hear from voters is the higher costs on everyday items.

My number-one priority in Congress will be to lower costs so Wisconsin families can feel some economic relief.

And that starts with stopping the reckless government spending.

Our country has a deficit of $35 trillion.

Every 100 days, we're going another trillion dollars in debt.

This type of reckless spending is unsustainable, and it's the direct cause of the inflation that we're seeing right now.

As a small business owner, I learned you can't spend more money than you make.

We need that same common sense in Washington.

When I go to Washington, there are three ways I'll fight to lower inflation.

First, we need to put an end to this out-of-control government spending.

Second, we must extend the tax cuts that are set to expire next year.

These tax cuts allow Wisconsin families to keep more of their hard-earned money and allow businesses to keep growing.

Lastly, we need to unleash American energy by reducing regulation and becoming energy dominant.

For too long, we've watched as politicians in Washington have failed us.

They would rather attack people than attack problems.

I've spent my life solving problems, and that's exactly what I want to do for the people of Wisconsin's 8th District.

I hope that I can count on you and your vote on November 5.

- In addition to the candidate statements you've just seen, PBS Wisconsin will continue to provide a forum for political news and analysis on our Friday night news and public affairs program, "Here & Now."

If you'd like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website, WisconsinVote.org.

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 5, and thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin.

[upbeat music]