By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
WISCONSIN – The state of Wisconsin will hold its Partisan Primary Election on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Candidates from around the Northwoods are vying to fill seats in the State Assembly and the State Senate.
State Assembly
Democrat Tyler Ruprecht of Merrill will face off against Tomahawk Republicans Calvin Callahan and Don Nelson to represent Wisconsin’s 35th Assembly District. Mary Felzkowski previously held the seat and is running for State Senate.
Candidate Name: Calvin Callahan
Contact information: [email protected]
Website/social media: www.friendsofcalvincallahan.com; Calvin Callahan or @VoteCallahan on Facebook
Education history: University of Wisconsin Business Administration
Professional and governmental history: Business Owner; Lincoln County Supervisor; Town of Wilson Supervisor; Board Member of North Central Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; Lincoln County Republican Party Chairman
Candidate Name: Tyler E. Ruprecht
Contact information: [email protected]
Website/social media: Facebook: Tyler E. Ruprecht for WI State Assembly, www.facebook.com/TylerRuprechtWI/; Twitter: @TylerRuprechtWI, www.twitter.com/TylerRuprechtWI; YouTube: Tyler E. Ruprecht for WI State Assembly, www.youtube.com/channel/UCQArj7rZ6JfAWibzyI27Wlg?
Education history: St. Francis Xavier Catholic Elementary and Middle School; Merrill High School (MSH); University of Wisconsin – Marathon County (UWMC)
Professional and governmental history: Former member of MHS Future Business Leaders of America; Planned charity concert to raise funds for American Cancer society while in MHS; Served as Student-at-Large, Senator, Vice President, and President in the Student Government Association (SGA) of UWMC; Served as a member of UW System Representatives while President of UWMC SGA; Served as Vice President of the Helping Hands Club (charity club) at UWMC; Completed tens of thousands of pages of research into history and politics with a specialization in the history of the Revolutionary War and Foundation.
State Senate
Republican Mary Felzkowski, of Irma, will go up against Minocqua Democrat Ed Vocke in the race to represent Wisconsin’s 12th Senate District, a seat previously held by Tom Tiffany. Tiffany was elected to Congress earlier this year.
Felzkowski did not submit responses to questions asked by the Tomahawk Leader.
Candidate Name: Ed Vocke
Contact information: The Committee to Elect Vocke, PO Box 1404 Minocqua, Wis., 54548
Social media: www.vocke4wi.com and www.facebook.com/vocke4wi
Education history: Alumnus University of Wisconsin Milwaukee — Language, Culture, & Media
Professional history: Industry Consultant for the Wisconsin Restaurant and Hospitality Industries; Seventh Fire Forest: Sustainable Homestead & Lifestyle Consultant; Driftless Café: FOH Manager
State Assembly Q&A
Why did you choose to run for State Assembly?
CALLAHAN: I am running because we need new fresh ideas in Madison. We need to continue to build on the economy we have, continue to create new jobs, and continue to create opportunities for the businesses we have now to grow. There should be no reason why your kids, grandkids, and great grandchildren can’t raise their families here at home in northern Wisconsin.
NELSON: I chose to run for State Assembly to bring a healthy dose of common sense to Madison. The Northwoods needs a fighter who will stand up for our way of life, a fighter who will vigorously defend our precious liberties and stand up to those who would dare try to take away or destroy the freedoms and values that our great nation is founded upon. I’m a proud Christian Conservative Republican from Tomahawk who was born here, has raised his family here, served my community on local government for years for our area and worked hard in the private sector all my life in order to make sure my family was able to live the American Dream. I’m the only candidate with those extensive life experiences and that experience will be needed to fight back against those who want to take away your rights to the liberties that this country was founded upon and create jobs here in the Northwoods instead of sending those opportunities to Madison and Milwaukee. Make no mistake about it – Experience counts in this election. Leaders like Congressman Tiffany, Rep. Mary Felzkowski have that life experience and want to carry on their tradition of standing up against the liberal tax and spenders in Madison who wouldn’t blink at taking away your guns and are trying to move this state ever closer to socialism. I won’t let it happen on my watch if you elect me as your next representative.
RUPRECHT: I decided to step up and run for this seat so I can help to build a better future for our generations and for all the generations to come. Theodore Roosevelt put it best when he said, “I am leading because somebody must lead, or else the fight would not be made at all.”
If elected, what would your priorities be?
CALLAHAN: It’s time for fresh ideas and fresh faces in Madison! As a Supervisor on the Lincoln County Board, Town of Wilson Supervisor, and a business owner, I have the experience and tools needed to build a better Wisconsin. A Wisconsin that will promote job growth and raising families here at home in Northern Wisconsin. We have been endorsed by former 35th State Rep. Don Friske, Gov. Tommy Thompson, and three local Sheriffs, they have seen the determination and work ethic I put into serving the people. With your vote, we together will create a future for your families for generations to come, right here in Northern Wisconsin.
NELSON: If given honor to serve by voters on August 11th, my priorities will be to stand up for the North every day I am in office. I will fight to make sure that our area is not forgotten or simply given scraps when it comes to where your hard-earned taxpayer dollars are spent. I will fight to make sure that we don’t get the short end of the stick when it comes to our road dollars or school funding. I’ll push back hard against tax increases and instead use my public and private sector experience to create job opportunities HERE in the Northwoods instead of sending them to Milwaukee or out of state. I’ll be a big voice for our little towns. I’ll put the Northwoods FIRST and make sure that our way of life and the freedoms we enjoy are not taken away by arrogant bureaucrats or liberal politicians who never set foot north of Highway 29. My priorities will be defending your right to keep and bear arms, protecting the sanctity of life, cutting taxes and wasteful spending, and standing up for freedom and liberty whenever it is threatened. And I’ll NEVER forget where I came from.
RUPRECHT: My overall priority is to bring real solutions to our real problems. This includes putting forward solutions to get us quality affordable healthcare, to bring highspeed into all our homes, and to save, grow, and adapt education in our state. In addition, I am putting forward plans that will invest in our community and create good jobs now.
What, in your view, are the biggest problems facing Wisconsinites, and how do you believe they should be addressed?
CALLAHAN: For the next two years will need to limit the damage Governor Evers will do. He wants to raise taxes and increase regulations. Years of reducing taxes and undoing regulations at both the state and federal levels produced a booming economy. The Wisconsin unemployment rate until the virus hit was 3%. Economists used to say the full employment rate was 4%. Wisconsin topped that and maintained that low rate until COVID-19 came. We cannot let Governor Evers and his Madison radicals undo this.
NELSON:
1.) The threat to our freedoms and liberties
2). Getting our state back to work and our area back on track with economic development and economic opportunities.
3.) Holding the line on taxes, government overreach and overregulation
First, it’s clear to most of us that the very freedoms and liberties that are embedded in the Constitution are under siege today. We see this in the riots in Madison in Milwaukee and the tepid response and even show of support from our liberal Governor and some state leaders. If elected to serve our area, I will stand up against this new wave of socialism and anarchy. I won’t allow your family’s rights and freedoms to be diminished – especially when it comes to our rights to own a gun, worship freely, keep the government out of our wallets and off our backs and feel safe in our communities. Like President Trump, I believe in law and order and will stand up to those who want to cut law enforcement funding.
Second, we need to get our state back to work. That means opening up Wisconsin safely, but the fact is that our economy needs to get moving again. It also means that the state has to get its act together when it comes to helping those who have been severely hurt by this pandemic and the shutdown. There is no reason why our citizens should have to wait months on end to receive their unemployment. It’s absolutely unacceptable for this to be happening to our neighbors who are struggling to stay afloat due to the Governor’s shutdown. Those state agencies need to be reformed from top to bottom and people should be fired for allowing our citizens to endure this outrage.
Thirdly, I will fight to hold the line on taxes, government overreach and job-killing regulations. The next state budget is going to be a tough one and the surplus that former Governor Walker left us has been squandered by our current Governor. As your representative I will stand up against his efforts to shut down our economy and his massive tax increase proposals. Tax increases should be the LAST option, not the first. I will make sure that every dime of your precious tax dollars is spent more wisely. And that also means that economic development dollars and job opportunities need to be brought here to the Northwoods instead of always being sent to Madison and Milwaukee. I will fight to make sure our area is not forgotten when it comes to those opportunities and I’m the only candidate who has the life experience and know-how to accomplish that important goal for the future of the Northwoods.
RUPRECHT: 1.) A lack of quality affordable healthcare in our district. To solve this we need to invest in our rural hospitals, bring in medical specialists and invest in youth to grow medical specialists at home, expand coverage under BadgerCare and create a BadgerCare public option, and take actions to reduce the overall costs of healthcare including the costs of medications. 2.) Highspeed internet access. Our rural areas are struggling to get their children education, to have virtual visits with their doctor, and to get up-to-date with modern technology that will help to improve our economy and levels of production be it at farms or in the factory. To solve this we need to invest in our broadband and cellular infrastructure so we can enhance our economy and ensure that we have highspeed internet in all our homes. 3.) A need for community investment. We have a deep need for community investment and with the economic downturn, we need this job creating investment more than ever. To solve this we need direct state funding for a variety of projects including investments in infrastructure, building new rehabilitation and mental healthcare facilities, and more. Making these key community investments will both strengthen our communities and create good jobs now.
A panel of three federal judges in 2016 struck down Wisconsin’s state assembly maps and called them an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander, saying Republicans drew the maps in 2011 to ensure their party secured control of the state legislature for the following ten years. In 2018, Assembly Democrats received 190,000 more votes than the Republicans, yet the GOP gained control of 63 of the Assembly’s 99 seats. Governor Tony Evers on July 9 announced the creation of the People’s Maps Commission, “a nonpartisan redistricting commission charged with drawing fair, impartial maps following the 2020 U.S. Census.” Do you believe gerrymandering is an issue in Wisconsin, and would you support a nonpartisan redistricting process? Why, or why not?
CALLAHAN: Yes, a three-judge panel made that 2 to 1 ruling, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned it. Gerrymandering is NOT an issue in Wisconsin. This is an issue made up by the Democrats and carried by their allies in the media. Democrats can’t win on their ideas, so they want to control the redistricting process. When something is called non-partisan, you can be sure the Democrats will run it. A little history, in 2009 and 2010, when the Democratic Party had full control of the Wisconsin government, Assembly, Senate, and Governor. They knew redistricting was coming in 2011, as it has every ten years since our state was founded. And what did they do to change the process? Absolutely nothing, they assumed they would be in charge of it. Then the republican Wave election of 2010 with legislative districts created in 2000, the Republicans gained four seats in the State Senate and an astonishing 14 seats in the Assembly to take control of both. Scott Walker was elected Governor, and the Democrats have been harping on this fake issue since. Yes, Assembly Democrats received 190,000 more votes than Republicans in 2018. But 30 Assembly Democrats ran unopposed in 2018, compared to only seven Republicans. Dane County Democratic Representatives alone received 247,827 votes compared to 0 for Republicans. Take out the votes of Democrats and Republicans who ran unopposed, and the number is vastly different. Gerrymandering is nothing but a partisan issue.
NELSON: I support accountability when it comes to drawing voting districts. The fact is that the Wisconsin Constitution requires the Legislature to redistrict every 10 years. It’s the law, pure and simple. I do not believe that unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to decide voting maps, especially not ones who would be appointed by this liberal Governor who only cares about Madison and Milwaukee. Maps should be fair but those who draw them should be accountable to voters. That’s why the Wisconsin Constitution requires elected leaders to make those decisions – not nameless, faceless commission who would be shielded from answering to voters at the ballot box.
RUPRECHT: Yes, I am a strong supporter of nonpartisan redistricting. Politicians should not be able to pick and choose their voters. The people should be able to choose their representatives like our Founding Fathers intended.
Do you believe Wisconsin should accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid? Why, or why not?
CALLAHAN: No, getting the federal government more involved in health care is never wise. Wisconsin’s Badger Care is doing well. Wisconsin was a leader in providing high-risk insurance for individuals with chronic conditions until Obamacare wiped out our program. Medicare for all will turn into Medicare for none!
NELSON: No, we should not accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid that require Wisconsin taxpayers to foot the bill into the future for a one-time check from the federal government. The fact is that in Wisconsin every person with an income under the poverty level is already covered by Medicaid. All low-income residents either have access to Medicaid or subsidies to help them purchase coverage in the exchange. I support helping those in need, but I do not support dramatically expanding the size of our government.
RUPRECHT: Yes. We need to work to get all Wisconsinites quality affordable healthcare. Accepting these federal funds is an important step in accomplishing this important goal.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were 10,902 cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin on May 13, the day the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Governor Tony Evers’ administration’s extension of the Safer at Home Order. As of the writing of this question, there are over 42,000 cases of COVID-19 in the state, with the number of cases increasing daily. What is your view on how the state has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?
CALLAHAN: Governor Evers and his still unconfirmed head of Health and Social Services seized the opportunity to shut down Wisconsin. I think most people agreed with the initial 30-day shutdown. Remember, they said the goal of the shutdown was to flatten the curve so hospitals, especially the intensive care unit, would not be flooded with cases. The curve was flattened, hospitals stopped “elective” procedures and many laid-off staff. With ICU’s not overwhelmed, Evers moved the goalposts and wanted to stop the spread. In some states, Democratic Governors are now saying shutdown will last until a vaccine is found. The Spanish flu that ravaged the world in 1918. I don’t believe to this day; there’s still a vaccine for it. In states that shutdown, cases of COVID-19 also continue to be reported. In states that did not shut down, cases of Covid-19 continue to be reported. The good news is the death rate continues to fall. The US Census estimated Wisconsin’s population was 5,822,434. Yes, 42,000 cases are bad, but that’s seven-tenths of one percent. Do we destroy the whole economy for this? Cases rise as testing increases, and as testing expands, the morbidity rate keeps plummeting.
NELSON: We have all endured economic and personal hardships as a result of this pandemic. It has devastated our economy and robbed our children of a quality education. The state needs to now work with the federal government to reopen our economy, get people back to work and reopen schools to allow children to learn. As your representative I will fight to bring our economy back and make Wisconsin great again. I believe schools should reopen. This can and should be done safely but they must reopen. We are also now under a statewide mask mandate. I do not support this one size fits all approach that our liberal Governor has forced upon us – possibly illegally. In areas hard hit by COVID-19 that may make sense but putting areas in the Northwoods which do not have such high numbers makes no sense. This is government overreach at its worst.
RUPRECHT: Our legislature has failed to do their job. They should have passed legislation protecting our people, helping our family farms and small businesses, and amping up PPE production in the state. Instead they have sat by and done next to nothing to help our citizens and save lives.
Congressman Tom Tiffany on June 11 introduced a bill that would block federal funding to schools that don’t reopen classrooms by Sept. 8. According to Administrator Terry Reynolds, the School District of Tomahawk would lose “approximately $995,000.00” from its budget if federal funding were to be withheld. Federal dollars account for 4.739% of the district’s funding. Do you believe that schools that choose not to reopen classrooms this fall should lose federal funding? Why or why not?
CALLAHAN: I agree with Congressman Tiffany, why do government-run schools deserve full funding when they are shut down. Millions of Americans are unemployed because of the virus and shutdowns. We cannot afford to pay teachers and administrators full salaries if they are not teaching, and the tax base is rocked by shutdowns. Once governments run out of money to pay their employees, demands from Democrats to reopen the economy will go through the roof.
NELSON: I’m the only candidate in this race who is actually a parent. I’ve raised two beautiful daughters who both went to public schools and I know from experience how important it is for children to learn in the classroom. While I support and will defend home schooling options, I support Congressman Tiffany’s efforts to both do the right thing for our children by reopening schools and also protecting taxpayers. Schools CAN reopen safely – this has been proven to have worked in other countries. Congressman Tiffany isn’t cutting school funding – he is saying that schools should reopen. That’s why we pay taxes – so that our children can get a quality education. The fact is that if schools reopen, our school districts won’t lose a dime of federal funding. What’s more important here is the learning opportunities that our children will lose if schools DON’T reopen.
RUPRECHT: Schools should not be punished for not holding in-person classes this year. Instead of penalizing schools, students, and their families we should be investing in our schools’ ability to hold virtual classes and in building the highspeed internet infrastructure needed to ensure that all students can always easily and safely access their education.
If there is one thing you’d like to voters to know about you, what would it be?
CALLAHAN: We need more opportunities! We need to continue to build on the economy we have, continue to create new jobs, and continue to create opportunities for the businesses we have now to grow. There should be no reason why your kids, grandkids, and great-grandchildren can’t raise their families here at home in northern Wisconsin. Lawful gun ownership has a long tradition in Northern Wisconsin. I support the right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. We are also blessed with living in a beautiful area, and we will keep it that way. Clean water, clean air, and bountiful wildlife are something we cherish and will maintain. All opportunities and innovations in education need to be encouraged. Public schools, choice schools, internet schools, technical colleges, and home schools are all viable options, and all should be treated equally. I strongly believe that all lives have value from the unborn to our 98-year-old grandmother, and I will vote that way in the Wisconsin Assembly. I would like to give a special thanks to Representative Felskowski on the work she has put into representing us in Madison, she has not only left big shoes to fill but a tremendous legacy of hard work and dedication to the people of the 35th assembly district. There should be no reason why your kids, grandkids, and great-grandchildren can’t raise their families here at home in northern Wisconsin. I promise, if you put your trust in me, I will deliver results for Northern Wisconsin. I ask for your vote on August 11th because together, we can make the 35th Assembly District a better place to work, live, and, most importantly, raise your families.
NELSON: I will never waiver from my core conservative principles and will always defend life, liberty and freedom if chosen by voters for this seat in the Assembly. I’ll also never forget where I came from and will always stand up for the Northwoods. I want voters to know that I’m a proud Christian Ronald Reagan/Donald Trump Conservative who deeply believes in faith, freedom and liberty. I am a rock-solid conservative who grew up here, raised a family here, served in local government here and worked all my life in the private sector. I’m also the only candidate who has actually paid property taxes and knows how to meet payroll. I’m the only candidate with the know-how that comes from extensive life experience to create the job opportunities for our area and the much-needed reforms that are needed in our state government.
RUPRECHT: The number one thing I want voters to know about me is that I am the candidate that cares. This community that my ancestors help to build means the world to me. If I’m elected, I will fight like hell for our people and I won’t let them down.
State Senate Q&A
Why did you choose to run for State Senate?
VOCKE: I saw decline in the quality of life for citizens all around me in our state, and I made the decision that I want to use my energy to put the State back in order after a decade that has decimated our middle class, stripped funding from our public schools, and given away hard-earned tax payer dollars to foreign corporations like Foxconn.
If elected, what would your priorities be?
VOCKE: Prioritizing funding for Public Schools would be at the top of the list. Making sure Local Control measures are put back into place so that counties and municipalities have power over their budgets and can make decisions in their back yard without having their hands tied by Madison. Expanding broadband internet access to make sure Northern Wisconsin is poised for the future—so it’s businesses can continue to compete in a connected world, and so that kids have access to their coursework remotely. Making sure clean water is a priority so we can maintain our tourist dollars, property values for homeowners, and clean drinking water for our people. Expanding Healthcare coverage to include all citizens and untying coverage from employment status. Lastly, non-partisan redistricting so Northern Wisconsin’s people are fairly represented by taking the hands of legislators in Madison off of the drawing of district maps.
What, in your view, are the biggest problems facing Wisconsinites, and how do you believe they should be addressed?
VOCKE: Lack of access to quality healthcare for certain. Living in an industrialized nation that does not give its citizens easy and de facto access to complete healthcare coverage is a huge issue. We literally have the most expensive healthcare system in the world right now. There’s nowhere to go but up, and we need to address this now. Having healthy citizens that are taken care of has big economic benefits. Secondly, unemployment. You see the UI rolls filling up and massive amounts of unpaid unemployment claims as a result. We need to shift our current system from an unemployment system to an employment system, and insure that Wisconsin citizens are put to work, with good paying jobs, that let them live good lives.
A panel of three federal judges in 2016 struck down Wisconsin’s state assembly maps and called them an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander, saying Republicans drew the maps in 2011 to ensure their party secured control of the state legislature for the following ten years. In 2018, Assembly Democrats received 190,000 more votes than the Republicans, yet the GOP gained control of 63 of the Assembly’s 99 seats. Governor Tony Evers on July 9 announced the creation of the People’s Maps Commission, “a nonpartisan redistricting commission charged with drawing fair, impartial maps following the 2020 U.S. Census.” Do you believe gerrymandering is an issue in Wisconsin, and would you support a nonpartisan redistricting process? Why, or why not?
VOCKE: Both Republican and Democrat citizens already agree, gerrymandering is a huge issue and Non-Partisan redistricting is a top priority of mine. People in Madison should not be allowed to manipulate who their voters are by determining the boundaries of districts. It’s undemocratic and leads to predetermined outcomes in elections, which in turn hinders voters from voicing their interests through their votes. This is how you get tone-deaf politicians making decisions for places without having to listen to the people.
Do you believe Wisconsin should accept federal dollars to expand Medicaid? Why, or why not?
VOCKE: 70% of Wisconsinites are in favor of expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin. I am in this race to listen to the people, Republican and Democrat alike. If Madison were interested in listening to the opinions of its constituents it would have taken $324 million of the Federal money to improve the lives of the people who are demanding it. It would have insured over 82,000 Wisconsinites who do not currently have coverage right now, and it would free up $324 million in the State budget that could be put into hospitals and clinics in rural areas like our own, which are some of the biggest employers in the region.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, there were 10,902 cases of COVID-19 in Wisconsin on May 13, the day the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Governor Tony Evers’ administration’s extension of the Safer at Home Order. As of the writing of this question, there are over 42,000 cases of COVID-19 in the state, with the number of cases increasing daily. What are your views on how the state has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?
VOCKE: Initially the state responded well to a worldwide pandemic and however unfortunate it was to have to sacrifice normalcy to flatten the curve, we needed to do it in order to open up responsibly later. By rescinding the ‘Safer at Home’ order early, we now find ourselves in the very situation that it was meant to combat which was elongating the impact of the virus on the economy and peoples’ lives. If we would have done the work initially instead of played politics with peoples’ lives and businesses, we wouldn’t be sitting in the position we are now with quadruple the numbers we had then. My May 27th Letter to the Editor in the Tomahawk Leader spelled this scenario out very clearly, and unfortunately I was right.
Congressman Tom Tiffany on June 11 introduced a bill that would block federal funding to schools that don’t reopen classrooms by Sept. 8. According to Administrator Terry Reynolds, the School District of Tomahawk would lose “approximately $995,000.00” from its budget if federal funding were to be withheld. Federal dollars account for 4.739% of the district’s funding. Do you believe that schools that choose not to reopen classrooms this fall should lose federal funding? Why or why not?
VOCKE: Callous and shortsighted would be the phrase that comes to mind. Our children are our most precious resource. Schools need to reopen as quickly and as safely as possible. There is absolutely no thought being given by Tiffany in protecting students and vulnerable educational staff. Tiffany’s bill, as written, puts all staff and students at unnecessary risk for illness, and completely lacks in the necessary funding and resources to open safely. Forcing schools to reopen physically without actually providing the means to do so is mindless and dangerous.
If there is one thing you’d like voters to know about you, what would it be?
VOCKE: I’m here to represent all of the 12th district, both Republicans and Democrats alike. I am not an ideologue and partisan ideology is not a way forward for all of Wisconsin. Being open, putting forth hard work, listening to all sides of the story, and coming up with hard won solutions might not be glamourous, but it is what is needed.