Follow this newsletter to keep current on the events shaping our state and the work our party is doing to win in 2020 and beyond. |
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| Dear fellow Wisconsin Democrats,
Tuesday is Election Day.
Including today, we’ve got five days to pull out all the stops—and find every possible Democratic vote in the special election for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.
Tricia Zunker is an extraordinary, brilliant, and historic candidate. She’s working day and night. She’s running a spectacular race—and we Democrats across Wisconsin have her back. We’re making calls, sending text, and reaching out six ways from Sunday to voters in every one of the 7th’s 26 counties.
And on the other side, Trump’s army is doing the same thing for Tom Tiffany—or, as he’s known to so many in his district, “Toxic Tom,” the polluters’ best friend.
Make no mistake. This is a challenging, uphill battle. The 7th went for Trump by by more than a 20-point margin. Since gerrymandering, it has been Wisconsin’s reddest Congressional district. Normally, the GOP would be taking victory for granted.
But you can see the fear behind Trump’s tweets. Ever since Jill Karofsky’s victory, the GOP knows what we’re capable of.
No matter what happens—and no matter what you think is going to happen—on May 12, it is worth pouring every minute of your energy over these final days into winning this race. Northern Wisconsin is now the center of the political universe. Republicans want to convince rural voters of a lie—they want to tell them that Democrats don’t care about them. But call by call, text by text, we’re demonstrating the truth. We’re the party that cares about everyone. We’re the party of the people. And we’re wielding people power that makes Donald Trump and Tom Tiffany quake in their boots… and gives hope to a district that the GOP has won, taken for granted, and betrayed when it mattered.
Sign up to volunteer here: wisdems.org/volunteer
We’re going to keep our word. Let’s fight to the finish!
Ben |
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| FIGHT on the Issues & FIGHT to Win |
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| Republican lawsuit on Safer at Home |
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| This week the Supreme Court of Wisconsin heard arguments on a GOP lawsuit that would reopen our state sooner than Governor Ever’s stay at home order calls for. Public health experts agree that the Safer at Home order is working, saving lives and that the state hasn’t met the criteria yet to return to normal. Yet the GOP is once again putting politics over people by trying to ease public health measures before the experts say it’s safe to do so. In a pandemic, it is essential that we listen to the science, yet the GOP would rather play games with people’s lives. |
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| Pre-existing conditions under threat before SCOTUS |
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| During the hearing, conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley compared the Governor’s stay-at-home order to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. This incredibly insensitive and racist comment further demonstrates the callous attitude of the Republican appointees on the court. Chief Justice Patience Roggensack similarly downplayed the uptick in cases of coronavirus in Brown County, saying that the Wisconsinites working in the meatpacking facilities are not “regular people”. Not only does this display the Justice’s racism considering that a high percentage of those workers are immigrants and people of color, but it also shines a light on her elitism in forgetting that at the heart of Wisconsin are the hardworking men and women fighting this pandemic on the frontlines. The proceedings this week showed the Republican Supreme Court on full display, and just underscored how important it is that we elected Justice Jill Karofsky last month. |
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| Republicans are continuing their attacks on Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions this week through a U.S. Supreme Court case that will decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act. If Trump and his allies are successful in striking down the ACA, at least 20 million Americans could lose their health care coverage and as many as 2.4 million Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions would be in danger of having increased insurance costs or being potentially kicked off their coverage altogether. No one should be penalized for having a pre-existing condition, and all folks must be protected, especially in the face of this pandemic. Our Director of Trump Rapid Response Phil Shulman has more information about the lawsuit in the video below! |
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| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQyGKK4DNM |
| Trump Rapid Response Director Phil Shulman discusses the Trump administration’s lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act |
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| Fighting to protect our Right to Vote |
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| Following the April election in Wisconsin, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the DNC are amending their previous lawsuit to secure the safety and enfranchisement of Wisconsin voters. The additional facts being submitted will support the case to expand access to voting amidst the growing coronavirus threat. Wisconsinites should never have to go through another election like the one on April 7th. Lives hang in the balance, and officials must remove any barriers that would endanger lives or threaten people’s democratic rights. |
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| More corruption with Dan Kelly unrecusing himself |
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| Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly rejoined a lawsuit Wednesday over the state’s voter rolls after earlier recusing himself because he was on the ballot. Now, however, he has decided to do the bidding of the Republican party and will likely sway the court’s decision to kick thousands of voters off the rolls in the middle of a pandemic. This is a blatant act of voter suppression and underscores how important it is that we defeated Kelly in April. DPW will be working hard to make sure that voters get registered in order to put an end to these partisan power grabs and protect our democracy. |
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| David Crowley, the first Black County Executive of Milwaukee |
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| Congratulations to David Crowley for being sworn in this week as the first Black County Executive of Milwaukee County. At a time when the Black community in Milwaukee is disproportionately dying and being infected by COVID-19, it’s imperative to have leadership that understands the historical trauma and barriers to adequate health care that our most vulnerable communities face. We could not be more excited to have such an important voice at the forefront of public service in Milwaukee. Read more about David’s journey here. |
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| Election in the Wisconsin 7th District on May 12th |
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| Our incredible candidate fighting for Northern Wisconsin, Tricia Zunker, would be the first Native American to represent Wisconsin in Congress and the first woman to represent the 7th district. This weekend Ada Deer, a Menominee woman who was the first Native American woman to win a congressional primary in the country, held an event for Tricia Zunker and enthusiastically lent her support saying, “She will be a wonderful conveyer and practitioner of our Wisconsin values.” Zunker serves as president of the Wausau School Board and is a justice on the Ho-Chunk Supreme Court, where she fights for workers, small businesses, family farms, and the protection of the environment. |
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| DPW is working to get candidates on the ballot no matter the circumstances and has built a website to make nomination papers easy to sign. Support some of these amazing candidates, and sign nomination papers for representatives in your district! wisdems.org/get-involved/2020nominationpapers/ |
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| Due to the public health risks surrounding Coronavirus, the DPW’s Administrative Committee has decided to limit the 2020 State Convention to a one-day, virtual convention on the evening of Friday, June 12th. More information concerning the exact time and program will be announced soon! |
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| Volunteer to Get Out the (Virtual) Vote for Tricia Zunker |
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| Help us defeat Toxic Tom Tiffany in the Wisconsin 07 special election for Congress on May 12, by volunteering to help Tricia Zunker get out the Virtual Vote! wisdems.org/volunteer |
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