Why Am I Running?

I am running to do the hard work of governing. I am running to listen to the voices of those who support me, as well as those who do not. I am running to advocate for the best interest of this great country and its people. 

I am running to level the playing field between corporations and the working class, to ensure opportunities are not being reserved for the wealthy few. I am running to ensure that the rules apply equally to all Americans regardless of wealth or status.

I want to recognize the progress that has been made in this country, while acknowledging that more needs to be done to help the average person get ahead, and do what I can to help make that happen. I am alarmed by how polarized our country has become and I believe there is space to meet in the middle on many issues. 

I want to show how a rising tide truly does lift all boats. Helping those in need does not threaten our own well-being, but instead makes our society stronger and more resilient, and ultimately creates more wealth for all. I want to turn away from the false narrative of having to choose between personal economic security or growing the middle class as a whole; away from the false narrative that solving big problems requires giving up our way of life. 

I want the term “expert” to stop being a dirty word. I believe there is wisdom and humility in acknowledging what I do not know while doing my best to learn and grow. I want scientists to lead the conversation on science, whether talking about the climate, a pandemic, or how to protect our natural environment while elected leaders make thoughtful decisions based on those conversations.

I’m not from a political or wealthy family and I’m not Ivy League. I’m not in lockstep with every Democrat. Here is what I am – I am willing to try, to listen, to learn, and to lead. 

Here’s what I already know: We must invest in education, address the crisis of climate change, help small businesses thrive, and make sure our communities are safe. We must ensure our democracy works, that all of us are equal and treated fairly and with dignity, that we have access to quality, affordable healthcare, and that we meet the foreign and domestic challenges of today. 

 Every American family should be able to enjoy the American Dream.

So what does that mean? Here are some initial thoughts about key issues:

Strengthening the Economy

I’m a capitalist and I’m pro-business. I think people should have to work for what they get.  

But we have an economy where the rules are rigged against regular people. 

Our economy is stuck, because we’ve got regulations written in the 1920s and 1930s trying to govern an economy of the 2020s and soon the 2030s. This has resulted in too much power for those at the very top, a reduction in the number of good paying jobs for ordinary Americans,  and an unwillingness to recognize and adapt to our new reality. The supply chain crisis we are in now is the perfect example – “just in time” manufacturing has reduced consumer prices but has also led to the reduction in wages, and currently, the inability to manufacture fully-functioning equipment here at home.

So what would I do? I support President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda, which cuts taxes for middle-class families and makes work pay through an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit. It makes needed investments in a transition to clean energy, expands affordable housing, and strengthens the infrastructure — both physical, like roads and bridges, and digital, by expanding broadband access. It also helps support families by making college more affordable, limiting the cost of child care, providing expanded child tax credit, and helping people care for aging family members. 

I am especially concerned about raising wages. I remember what my dad made as a truck driver as we were growing up, and today blue-collar wages  like those earned in trucking, manufacturing and warehousing don’t go nearly as far as they used to go. Average working people used to be able to buy a house and maybe even send their kids to college on one salary. We can work to restore the American Dream to broad swaths of America.

Keeping us Safe

I’m the dad of two daughters, and there’s nothing I care about more than keeping our family safe. The recent rising crime rate worries me and worries our neighbors. I don’t think we should invest less in keeping our families safe, but we should invest differently. We can make policing more effective and efficient, by having civilians with different skill sets  address community needs as appropriate  (rather than utilizing highly-trained and armed, sworn officers); making sure we do more to prevent crime, not just punish criminals. 

Also, I’m a gun owner, and many of my neighbors are too.  We own them for hunting, for personal protection, and as a hobby. There’s nothing wrong with that, and I support the 2nd Amendment’s protection of responsible gun ownership. At the same time, I don’t think people have the right to own grenade launchers, fully automatic machine guns, or tanks. I think we should update our gun laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, make it harder for kids to access guns, and make sure that those who need mental health support get the help they need, not a gun to do harm.

A Healthy Nation

Our healthcare system is broken, and we need to fix it. If you’re lucky and have great insurance through your employer, you can access the best healthcare in the world. If you’re elderly, you can get Medicare, but it doesn’t cover everything. If you’re a low-income individual, you may be able to get Medicaid, but you might have a hard time getting an appointment. 

We need to expand Medicaid and Medicare, make insurance on the Affordable Care Act  exchange cheaper, and invest in training more nurses and doctors so we can meet our nation’s increasing health care needs. We also need to lower the cost of medicine and hospital stays for those who don’t have great insurance. 

I strongly support the Patient’s Bill of Rights that was passed during the creation of the Affordable Care Act because it makes preventive visits free. I also support the right of everyone to make decisions over their own body, whether we are talking about birth control, abortion, or vaccines (although you really should get vaccinated—it affects all of us!)

A Strong Nation

We can become stronger in two ways — by making our democracy stronger at home, and by making our foreign policy less partisan.

Here at home, we need to be a beacon for the world. We need to welcome immigrants in an organized and effective system, fix our broken immigration system by passing comprehensive reform so Dreamers get a path to citizenship, and get our borders under control. We need to ensure equality and civil rights for all, including our LGBTQ neighbors , and  address the dark stain of white supremacy head on. Frankly, being a diverse and welcoming society will help our workforce challenges and make our economy stronger, plus it’s the right thing to do. We also need to make our democracy stronger by strengthening voting rights and getting more people to vote. 

Abroad, our foreign policy has become too partisan. I believe our politics should stop at our borders. We need to advance American interests and make sure our allies know we’ll be steadfast. I am glad we are finally not at war, and we should be honest about the successes and failures of our Middle East war policy, under both Republican and Democratic presidents. Let’s keep the peace, let’s keep America strong, let’s have our allies’ backs, and let’s keep supporting the brave women and men of our armed forces.

On this page, over the coming months, I’ll be sharing what I learn from all of you, along with my own Wisconsin values, formed by my family, my experiences and my faith. If you want to share your thoughts, I’d love to hear them from the form below.