Our comprehensive list and schedule of all upcoming political fundraisers. | |
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In this update:
Election Updates
- State Assembly and Senate
- WI Initiative IE ad campaign
- U.S. President
- Trump and JD Vance visit WI
- New polling
- U.S. Senate
- New poll from Emerson College
- New ads
- U.S. House of Representatives
- New ad supporting Cooke
Legislative Updates
- Study committees hold meetings
Administration Updates
- Sec. Amundson leaving DCF, Pertl is appointed
Upcoming Events
- Coffee with the Candidates
- Meet the Cabinet: DSPS Secretary
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State Assembly and Senate | |
Wisconsin Initiative IE launches ad campaign in competitive state legislative races | |
Wisconsin Initiative IE announced that it will release digital ads in six of the top legislative races. The group is spending in the 18th SD to oppose Tony Phillips (R-Appleton) and the 30th SD against Jim Rafter (R-Allouez). In the Assembly, they are supporting Duane Shukoski (D-Neenah) in the 53rd AD, Christy Welch (D-De Pere) in the 88th, Joe Plouff (D-Menomonie) in the 92nd, and Ryan Spaude (D-Green Bay) in the 89th. | |
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Former President Donald Trump held a town hall-style event in La Crosse on Thursday night. The former president took questions from the audience, as well as from the moderator, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. The former president weighed in on issues like illegal immigration, inflation, crime and national security. He was also critical of Democrats for calling him a “threat to democracy,” arguing that Vice President Kamala Harris is the real danger to democracy.
Former President Trump rolled out a new proposal to provide free in vitro fertilization for Americans. “Government is going to pay for it, or we're going to get or mandate your insurance company to pay for it, which is going to be great. We're going to do that,” former President Trump said, adding “we want to produce babies in this country, right?” When asked about illegal immigration taking away American jobs, he said VP Harris doesn't look like a leader. “She was sitting behind that desk, this massive desk, and she didn't look like a leader to me,” former President Trump said. “I'll be honest, I don't see her negotiating with President Xi of China, I don't see her with Kim Jong Un like we did with Kim Jong Un.”
The DNC purchased billboard space in La Crosse to target former President Trump’s visit, arguing he would “raise taxes on working families and increase the cost of buying a home” and “raise taxes on middle-class families by $3,900.”
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GOP vice presidential nominee JD Vance made a campaign stop in De Pere on Wednesday, touting former President Donald Trump’s plan to address the economy, inflation, illegal immigration and energy while claiming Vice President Kamala Harris’s policies are hurting the American people. On American energy production, Sen. Vance said, “Donald Trump's message and solution is simple: 'Drill, baby drill. Open up America's energy markets and get it from our own workers.'” Addressing VP Harris, Sen. Vance said “Why don't you stop destroying American energy? Why don't you stop buying energy from tin pot dictators all over the world?” Pivoting to immigration, Sen. Vance said former President Trump's message to illegal immigrants living in the United States is “Pack your bags. You're going home in six months. They're undercutting American workers.” He then claimed VP Harris “opened the border, suspended deportations on day one, and stopped Donald Trump's remain in Mexico policy.”
Following his speech, Sen. Vance took questions from the press. Notably, he said the recent decision by the Wisconsin Elections Commission to keep RFK Jr. on the ballot in November was “ridiculous” and that “a bunch of bureaucrats are going to keep his name on the ballot because they think it will hurt Donald Trump.” Sen. Vance also took questions on issues related to the economy, illicit fentanyl production, and abortion. Prior to Sen. Vance’s speech, VP Harris’s campaign team issued a statement that said in part “When your only plan for the people of Wisconsin is raising middle class taxes by $3,900 a year, cutting Social Security and Medicare, and ripping away reproductive freedom, it’s no wonder JD Vance doesn’t want to talk about his own agenda.”
Watch the speech.
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New presidential polls released | |
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Emerson College
- A new Emerson College poll of likely voters shows former President Donald Trump with a slight edge over Vice President Kamala Harris, but still within the margin of error. According to the poll, 49% of likely voters said they back former President Trump, while 48% support VP Harris.
- The poll was conducted Aug. 25-28 by contacting respondents’ cell phones via text-to-web and landlines via automated calls, as well as an online panel. The margin of error is +/- 3.3%. Data was weighted by statewide voter parameters including gender, age, race, education, voter registration, and turnout data.
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FiveThirtyEight rates Emerson the nation’s ninth best pollster with 2.9 stars out of three.
Bloomberg/Morning Consult
- A new Bloomberg poll of registered voters in Wisconsin found in a head-to-head matchup, 52% would vote for VP Harris while 44% said they would vote for former President Trump.
- When Green Party candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Chase Oliver were included, 51% backed VP Harris while 44% supported former President Trump. No other candidate received over 1%.
- The poll surveyed 701 registered voters in Wisconsin between Aug. 23-27. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points. The surveys were conducted online and weighted to approximate a target sample of registered voters in the state based on gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, home ownership, and 2020 presidential vote.
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FiveThirtyEight rates Morning Consult the nation’s 116th best pollster with 1.8 out of 3 stars.
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Emerson College releases new U.S. Senate poll | |
Emerson College released new polling that shows U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) with a slight edge over GOP nominee Eric Hovde, but still within the margin of error. According to the poll, 49% of likely voters said they back Sen. Baldwin, while 48% support Mr. Hovde. The poll was conducted Aug. 25-28 by contacting respondents’ cell phones via text-to-web and landlines via automated calls, as well as an online panel. Data was weighted by statewide voter parameters including gender, age, race, education, voter registration, and turnout data. The margin of error is +/-3.3%. FiveThirtyEight rates Emerson the nation’s ninth best pollster with 2.9 stars out of three. | |
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U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde (R) launched a new TV ad talking about his MS diagnosis at 27. The ad is running statewide and features Hovde getting emotional about his diagnosis. “It makes you much more empathetic and compassionate to those that are struggling and suffering,” Hovde says. He finishes the ad saying he wanted to achieve his goals and use his resources to “save as many children as I possibly could.”
Watch the ad here.
| One Nation releases new ad | |
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One Nation, a GOP-aligned super PAC, is out with a new tv ad claiming a connection between U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D) and the Waukesha Christmas parade attack in which six Wisconsinites were killed. The ad claims Sen. Baldwin voted against funding for pre-trial detention of violent criminals and notes the perpetrator of the parade attack had been released on bail only days earlier after trying to run his girlfriend over with the same car he would go on to use to kill people at the parade. The ad is part of a $7.5 million advocacy campaign running on broadcast and cable television, radio, and digital platforms.
Watch the ad here.
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U.S. House of Representatives | |
Welcome PAC launches new ad | |
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Welcome PAC released a new digital and streaming ad that supports 3rd CD candidate Rebecca Cooke (D-Eau Claire) and opposes incumbent Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Prairie du Chien). The ad claims Rep. Van Orden only moved to western Wisconsin to run for Congress in contrast to Ms. Cooke, a sixth-generation Wisconsinite who grew up on a dairy farm. Welcome PAC is spending $100,000 on the new ad.
The ad is not posted.
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AI study committee holds meeting | |
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The Legislative Council Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence held a meeting in Green Bay. They discussed the AI legislation recently passed in the California Assembly. The bill has created concerns on the impact it could have on innovation and startups. Vice President of Enterprise Analytics and Data Science at Emplify Health Christopher Matson presented on AI in healthcare. He emphasized how AI can alleviate the administrative burdens of healthcare workers. He highlighted the importance of “elevating the human” with AI and maintaining human participation.
Senior Director for Digital Health at UW Health Frank Liao and Chief Strategy Officer at Rogers Behavioral Health Brian Kay both presented to the committee as well. Frank Liao presented on AI assisting the workforce for efficiency and patient care. Brian Kay discussed AI at Rogers Behavioral Health, challenges post-COVID, and ethics with AI.
Watch the meeting here.
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Joint Legislative Audit Committee votes to audit DPI | |
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The Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC) voted 5-4 along party lines for an audit of the Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) monitoring of school districts’ finances. The decision came as a result of the financial issues at Milwaukee Public Schools earlier this year. It also follows Monona Grove School District’s three-year deficit and the Wauwatosa School District facing a $4 million shortfall after miscalculations. DPI officials said school boards are responsible for overseeing their districts’ finances.
Deputy State Superintendent Tom McCarthy was concerned about the audit moving resources away from education and causing more financial issues. “Are we pushing the panic button because there is one situation that happened with the state's largest school district where we had sort of a snowballing impact that caused a very big challenge? Are we pinching the other 420 districts in a way in which now we have a response system that is heightening alarm bells, when in reality, things are largely okay?” McCarthy said.
Governor Tony Evers (D) announced in June that he already planned to audit MPS’ operations and instructional practices following MPS failing to submit financial reports to DPI, causing DPI to withhold $16.6 million.
The JLAC audit of DPI could:
- evaluate the policies and procedures of DPI’s review of submitted financial information
- analyze the timeliness of school districts submitting financial information to DPI and the actions taken by DPI to obtain late information
- evaluate DPI’s tracking and monitoring the financial audit opinions, audit findings, internal control deficiencies, and noncompliance matters identified
- analyze patterns in school districts’ financial information
| UW study committee holds third meeting | |
The Legislative Council Study Committee on the Future of the UW System held its third meeting to focus on governance and funding models for higher education. The meeting began with President of the Wisconsin Policy Forum Jason Stein providing the history of the governance of Wisconsin’s higher education institutions. He went through various aspects of the UW System: enrollment, finances, unusual structure.
After Mr. Stein’s insights, committee members discussed other governance models and specifically UW-Madison’s importance in the UW System. The university’s research ranking decline and bonding authority were included in the discussion among committee members. They also looked at technical colleges compared to four-year institutions, funding metrics, combining boards, and the implementation of Florida’s model of higher education.
Watch the meeting here.
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Amundson leaving DCF, Pertl appointed as secretary | |
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Governor Tony Evers (D) announced Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Emilie Amundson is leaving the department, effective September 11, 2024. The governor appointed Jeff Pertl to serve as secretary. He is currently deputy secretary and was previously senior policy advisor for the Office of the State Superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2018.
Gov. Evers said in the announcement, “Emilie truly embodies our motto of ‘doing what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state,’ and she has lived those values every day during her time at the Department of Children and Families and at the Department of Public Instruction.” Regarding the incoming secretary, Gov. Evers said Deputy Sec. Pertl “not only has a deep commitment to serving Wisconsin’s kids and families, but an earnest appreciation for finding ways we can do more to improve the lives of people all across our state. I’m excited for him to take over this new role, and I look forward to our continued work together in the years ahead.”
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Friday, September 6th at 8:30AM: virtual Coffee with the Candidates with Jamie Wall
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September 13th: Kristin Alfheim
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September 20th: Melissa Ratcliff
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September 25th at 11:30AM - Meet the Cabinet: Department of Safety and Professional Services Secretary Dan Hereth (virtual and in-person options available)
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If you would like any additional information about the above topic, or if you would like to find time to discuss the above matter in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact your Michael Best Strategies contact.
Have a great day,
Wisconsin GR Team
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One South Pickney Street, Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-257-3501
Fax: 608-283-2275
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