The residents of Wisconsin will have a lot to think about when they head to the polls Nov. 6, with a gubernatorial race, U.S. Senate race and many other elected positions on the ballots.
The following is a comprehensive list of candidate profiles for those races, based on information from wisconsinvote.org, a service of Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Radio, votesmart.org and individual candidate websites.
Gubernatorial race
Incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker, a former Marquette University student, is up for re-election. This would be Walker’s fourth term if elected, and he is being challenged by Tony Evers, the state school superintendent.
During his time as governor, Walker signed multiple bills restricting abortion access, requiring an ultrasound before a woman can have an abortion and defunding Planned Parenthood in the state.
In Walker’s most tenuous time as governor thus far, he was recalled in 2012 after signing a bill curtailing public-employee union collective-bargaining rights. This led to weeks of protests and school closings as teachers went to the state Capitol to protest. Walker led a successful effort to freeze tuition in the University of Wisconsin system for six years running as of 2018 and proposed a tuition cut in 2017 that was shot down by the state legislature.
Evers’ positions stand starkly different from some policies of the Walker administration. If elected, Evers has pledged to reverse the defunding of Planned Parenthood.
Walker is a strong supporter of gun rights, earning an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association. Evers does not have a specific section on gun control on his website’s list of issues, but in an interview with Wisconsin Public Radio Oct. 29, Evers said he wants to make sure requirements are adequate.
Evers has an F rating from the NRA.
Evers’ list of proposed policies surrounding K-12 education and the UW system is long. In short, Evers said Walker has not done enough to bolster education in the state, and thinks funding should be increased.
Senate race
Incumbent Democrat Tammy Baldwin is facing Republican challenger Leah Vukmir, a member of the Wisconsin State Senate.
Baldwin is one of the most liberal members of the United States senate, according to govtrack.us. Vukmir has stated that Baldwin is too liberal for Wisconsin, and out of touch with constituents.
Baldwin has an F rating from the NRA, whereas Vukmir has an A+. According to her website, Vukmir “would oppose efforts to start a federal gun registry.”
The two recently butted heads at the final senate debate held at Marquette Law School.
Unopposed positions
Both the Milwaukee County Sherriff race and the United States congressional representative race only have one candidate per race each.
Democratic candidate for Milwaukee County Sherriff Earnell Lucas, a graduate of Marquette University, is running unopposed after beating Democratic incumbent Richard Schmidt in the August Democratic primary. Lucas is a 20 year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Incumbent Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore, also a Marquette University graduate, is running unopposed, slated to remain in office since she took the role in 2005. A prominent member of the Congressional Black Caucus and one of the most reliable Democratic votes, according to ballotpedia.org, Moore has never had a challenger pose a significant opposition campaign in her 13 years in office.
