Battleground Wisconsin

Following our weekly Tick Report, we debrief the one and only Wisconsin Governor candidate debate on Wednesday night. We assess the debate, it will not go down in the analysis of history like the Lincoln-Douglas debates. We also ask if debates matter anymore in modern politics. Lauren Reeg of Evergreen Action joins us to share their new policy comparison of both Governor candidates on clean energy. Interestingly, their research finds a surprisingly large gap in the cost of utilities for consumers under the plans offered by both candidates. Spoiler alert, Tiffany’s pivot back to dirty fossil fuels is not only climate damaging, it will cost residential energy customers thousands of dollars. We also welcome Kat Klawes, from 350.org Wisconsin and Rohan Katti, Senior Program Manager for Data You Can Use, S to tell us about new data revealing the scale of energy burden for Milwaukee families. We close with the latest breaking news on potential Federal intervention into Wisconsin elections. This includes Trump’s DOJ notification to states of massive election monitor presence, and two ranking Democratic members of the U.S. House and Senate Intel committee warning how false claims of foreign interference by the the Trump Regime could justify regime election interference, including ballot seizures. Citizen Action members are developing organizing plans to confront possible scenarios the Trump regime might employ to disrupt the midterm election and we are also preparing to respond to ensure every vote is counted. We need you to get involved! Learn more and sign up to get involved in Democracy Defenders >> https://secure.ngpvan.com/Xr-HbSccCEqTY1_-htRtnw2

We celebrate in amazement at the low payroll Milwaukee Brewers who are rolling through the playoffs with a great team that is beating a high payroll franchise stacked with the best players in the world. Can the defenders of democracy replicate the Brewers success in taking down the wealthy and powerful with better solidarity and teamwork? We update our listeners on the Democracy Defenders program to anticipate and organize resistance to the looming threat of Trump regime interference in the November election. Democrats are aiming for control of Congress by vowing action on healthcare, the cost of living, and the Iran war. We take a closer look at the details revealed in a leaked 84 page policy memo from the House Democrats. Also BadgerCare Public Option remains front and center in priorities David Crowley is elevating as we enter the home stretch of the election. Listen Now. Join the Democracy Defenders, contact: [email protected]

We celebrate the late night victory of the Milwaukee Brewers that has Matt tired during the morning recording of the podcast. Go Brewers! Robert has a packed Tick report this week, including Alpha Gal Syndrome, spread by Lone Star ticks rising in Illinois and the theatrical release of a new horror movie focused on ticks. We take a deep dive into healthcare costs and coverage as a top election issue with new Kaiser Family Foundation research showing Democrats are significantly more trusted on healthcare costs than Republicans. We look at the huge opportunity David Crowley’s embrace of BadgerCare Public Option provides to make real progress on making health care truly affordable and accessible for all. We encourage our listeners to RSVP for Citizen Action’s Political Education Issue Series: BadgerCare Public Option & other Health Care Policy, next Tuesday, October 13th, 6pm. Wisconsin’s election system has devolved into”legalized bribery,” where 3 billionaires (Diane Hendricks and the billionaire couple Elizabeth and Richard Uihlein) have given more than $73 million to Republican committees and candidates in 2026, dwarfing the combined donations of everyone else. When self-dealing billionaires are the largest funders of political campaigns can we have a healthy democracy? Meanwhile, Trump tries to bribe upper middle class voters with $500 ACA refund checks only for people who make 4xs poverty wages or more. More signs of an authoritarian security state? Records obtained in a FOIA request show that using surveillance authority passed after 9/11, Trump’s Department of Homeland Security probed millions of records of nonprofit groups in witch hunts for voter fraud. The report includes mention of undercover agents. One faith based group in MN did not even know it was under investigation until the records were released Wednesday.

In this week’s Tick Report, Trump declares “war” on ticks and mosquitos through an executive order promising a 90% reduction in the populations of the “foreign, invasive” species. Of course, the order makes no mention of global warming as the cause of skyrocketing tick populations. We dive into big news this week that Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley is publicly embracing a BadgerCare Public Option to dramatically expand access to quality healthcare. We debrief the New MU Law Poll which says the governor’s race is too close. Further, the poll finds a stunning 68% of voters say they favor a statewide ban on data center construction for at least a year. We ask why elected officials are so out of step with their own voters. We look at the mega donors who are fueling the Tom Tiffany campaign and state legislative Republican candidates. Finally, Robert schools us on Citizen Action’s new Democracy Defenders program to equip our leaders with action plans to confront Trump regime efforts and disrupt the midterm election. Listen to the show.

Much of the media debate about the 2026 elections presumes voters are making ideological choices between moderate and progressive Democrats, and democratic socialists. This presumption that voters bring strong ideological commitments to the ballot box is refuted by over 70 years of voting research. In this Special Edition of Battleground Wisconsin Podcast, Robert Kraig interviews political scientist Nathan Kalmoe, the Executive Director of the Center for Communication and Civic Renewal at UW-Madison, on what truly influences the voting behavior of most Americans. Kalmoe is the co-author of Neither Liberal Nor Conservative: Ideological Innocence in the American Public (University of Chicago Press).