- Announcer: The following program is part of our Wisconsin Vote election coverage.

[upbeat music] - Hello.

I'm Kathy Bissen, Associate Director of PBS Wisconsin.

One of the most important things that we do to bring you timely information.

That's especially critical during election years.

Again this year, we are offering this platform for political candidates to speak directly to the people of Wisconsin.

We've invited all candidates who are on Wisconsin's November 8 ballot for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and state treasurer to participate.

They've each been invited to make an unedited, pre-taped statement on the topics of their choice.

The order of appearance in this presentation was determined randomly.

If you'd like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website: wisconsinvote.org.

Remember to vote on Tuesday, November 8, and thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Tim Michels, candidate for governor.

I'm running to help Wisconsin get back on the right track.

I'm running to improve our schools, empower parents, boost everyone's standard of living, and make all our neighborhoods and communities safer.

From COVID to Kenosha, Tony Evers, he's been a failure.

His instincts are terrible, and his policies are even worse.

Fact is that in our schools, performance is down, literacy is down.

Even after politicians pour more money into the system, there's no accountability.

Tony Evers has had 40 years in the education system and it keeps getting worse.

Our schools, all schools will improve under four years of my leadership.

We will empower parents, bring order and discipline back to the classroom, stop teaching radical social agendas, and get back to the ABCs.

Inflation on the other hand, it's up, way up.

$4 gasoline, $5 diesel, and the cost of everything is going through the roof.

It's impacting local budgets and family budgets.

We have to push back against the out of control Washington spending that ignited this runaway inflation.

Crime, it's also outta control.

In Milwaukee, a car is stolen every 60 minutes of every day.

In the state, crime is at a 30-year high.

I will back the men and women of law enforcement.

I will never let another Wisconsin city like Kenosha burn.

I will stop policies that let the bad guys out with nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Now, on another note, you may have heard some people try to make some noise about where I live because I went where duty called and because I own some real estate.

It's garbage, political smears.

But I can take it.

I'm a tough guy.

Here's the facts.

Wisconsin is and always will be my home.

I've always lived here, paid taxes here, and always voted here.

And it's true, my job forced me to travel out of state from time to time, first, when I served 12 years on active duty in the United States Army, to include my time as commander of the honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

And then later for a brief period when I ran Michels Corporation's largest project.

We were building a new subway in New York City.

Wisconsin is today, always has been, and always will be my home.

Right now, that mindset of hard work and gratitude, it's under attack.

We're told that America is no longer a place for good, that achieving success in America is something for which we should apologize.

The political insiders, including our current governor, have smeared my company, a great, Wisconsin family-owned company.

We knew that Tony Evers was a bad governor.

Now, we know more about what kind of person he is.

He smeared my company, and for many small business owners out there, he tried to close yours down.

Think about that.

Tony Evers believed that he had the authority to determine who could work and who could not.

It'll never happen again.

I have news for Tony Evers.

All work is essential.

Every Wisconsinite is essential.

We all know that there is dignity in hard work.

In fact, blue collar workers are supporting my campaign in record numbers.

They may have supported the Democratic Party in the past, but they don't recognize it today.

People are sick of the politics as usual, as am I.

The insiders, they're not bankrolling my campaign.

I am not beholden to any PAC, any lobbyist, any special interest.

I refuse their money.

I don't need it, I don't want it, and I won't take it.

That's an asset for the governor's office because I won't owe the swamp a single thing.

I have the leadership experience, the agenda, the resources, and most importantly, the backbone to do what it takes to get Wisconsin back on the right track.

This election is a referendum on the tired, old, failed Evers administration.

It's time for a change.

I'm honored to be supported by people all across the political spectrum, including former governor Tommy Thompson, the most non-divisive and successful governor in Wisconsin's history.

It's time for a change.

It's time to get Wisconsin back on the right track.

I'm Tim Michels.

I'm running for governor to improve our schools, empower parents, boost everyone's standard of living, and make all our neighborhoods and communities safer.

Thank you, God bless you, God bless America, and God bless the great state of Wisconsin.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Governor Tony Evers, and I am running for reelection as Wisconsin's governor.

I'm so honored to have served as Wisconsin's governor over the past three years, and I plan to win reelection this fall and keep doing the right thing for our kids, our families, and our economy.

I have a strong record of getting things done for Wisconsin.

I cut income taxes for the middle class by 15%.

I plan to cut taxes by another 10%, lowering costs and making sure Wisconsinites have more money in their pockets.

In 2018, I ran on the promise of fixing the roads, and I kept that promise.

So far, we've fixed nearly 5,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges.

That's enough road to drive from here to Miami and back.

I expanded affordable internet access to 387,000 homes and businesses, and I'm going to expand access to another 300,000 homes in the next four years.

There is still more work to do.

In my second term, I'm going to continue to repair our roads and our infrastructure.

We've built back our main streets by helping over 6,200 small businesses open or expand into empty storefronts.

And I'm committed to doing even more to support our small businesses and our family farms.

I've worked with both parties to fund our public schools, technical colleges, and the University of Wisconsin system, more than we have in decades because as a former educator, I believe what's best for our kids is best for our state.

But we're not done yet.

I'm going to continue to create opportunities for all our kids by investing in more special education, financial literacy, mental health, and smaller class sizes.

Today, Wisconsin is stronger and better than it was when I first took office.

We have a record budget surplus, the largest rainy day fund in state's history, and unemployment is at the lowest point ever.

But we can do even more for the state, and I know we will.

You have my promise to always do the right thing for our state.

Thank you so much.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Roger Roth, and I'm running for lieutenant governor.

I'm a third-generation home builder, an 18-year veteran of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

I'm a retiring state senator where I've represented the Fox Valley area in the state senate for the last eight years.

And my wife and I raise our five amazing little boys in the Fox Valley.

I'm running for lieutenant governor plain and simple because Wisconsin cannot afford four more years of Tony Evers.

Whether it's crime, whether it's inflation and the economy, or our failing schools, Wisconsin needs a new leader.

We need to move in a new direction.

In the state legislature, I've led on those very issues which are important to Wisconsinites.

We are going to have generational tax reform.

We are going to put parents in charge of our schools and our education and take it away from unelected bureaucrats that have been failing us for generations.

And we once and for all are going to support our law enforcement, put criminals behind bars, and let everyone know in Wisconsin that we are open for business.

There is a better way.

There is a better direction.

And it all starts when we fire Tony Evers and elect Tim Michels as our next governor and me, Roger Roth, as our next lieutenant governor.

I look forward to working with you, I look forward to earning your support.

On Wisconsin.

[upbeat music] - Hello, my name is Sara Rodriguez, and I'm running to be the next lieutenant governor for the great state of Wisconsin.

For those who don't know me, I'm a mom, wife, nurse, small business owner, and member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

I've dedicated my life to service.

For decades, I've worked in health care, whether that's as a Peace Corps volunteer working on HIV/AIDS and reproductive health, all the way to being a health care executive, where I manage multi-million dollar budgets and large teams.

But at my core, I am a public health nurse.

And that's the lens that I wanna bring to the office of the lieutenant governor.

And that's one of investment in our kids and communities and one of prevention.

As a clinician, I know that the medication we give you, the procedures that we do, it's such a tiny fraction of how healthy we are.

What really makes us healthy is where we live, the air we breathe, the water we drink, and whether we've got a good-paying job to put food on the table and to actually pay for those medications.

Before I ever thought about a career in politics, I was an advocate for smart policy that saves lives and improves livelihoods.

I worked to address chronic disease for a state health care agency, and I was 1 of only 70 health care professionals chosen to be an epidemic intelligence service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I led national and international outbreak investigations.

My first call to service was health care.

My second call to service was to run for office.

I currently represent District 13 within the Assembly.

That includes the western suburbs of Milwaukee, and I live in Waukesha County.

Representing a purple swing district, I know that there is so much more that unites us than divides us.

Governor Evers and I are the only candidates for governor and lieutenant governor who are pro-choice.

As a health care professional, I know that the U.S. Supreme Court decision puts real lives at risk.

But voters should be able to decide what is best for our state.

As your lieutenant governor, I will never stop fighting to protect every Wisconsinite and to make sure they can make their own health care decisions without the interference of politicians.

Governor Evers and I wanna do the right thing for our communities and make sure every Wisconsinite feels safe where they live, work, and play.

As a mom and community leader, making sure all our kids are safe at school and in our communities is one of my top priorities.

I voted against legislation that would have shielded gun manufacturers from civil liabilities over gun violence and also voted against a bill that would've permitted guns on school grounds.

I supported the governor's budget, which included resources for local municipalities to have the money they need for law enforcement, first responders, and more.

I will also continue to fight for common sense gun safety reform and for mental health and addiction treatment.

As lieutenant governor, I wanna ensure that families are able to pay for what they need without worrying about rising costs.

I am proud to be running alongside Governor Evers, who has fought to lower costs by cutting taxes for working families, small businesses, and family farms.

And banning price gouging on gas and baby formula to protect our most vulnerable.

Governor Evers and I plan to continue to do the right thing for working families with an additional 10% tax cut and child and dependent tax care credits and support for small businesses, ensuring every Wisconsinite gets to keep more of their hard-earned money.

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know about me and our campaign.

You can learn more about me at saraforwi.com I hope I can earn your trust, your support, and your vote on Tuesday, November 8.

[upbeat music] - I'm Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, and I'm running to be our next attorney general and top cop.

I also serve as the president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association.

During my near 10 years as the district attorney, I've prosecuted everything from cold case homicide, violent gun crime, drug deaths, conspiracies, racketeering, sexual assault, domestic violence, drunk driving, public integrity, election fraud, as well as threats.

And I have used virtually every resource our Department of Justice has to offer fighting for justice on behalf of victims, shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement.

And that is the experience we need at our Department of Justice.

And with a tough on crime record that I've developed as district attorney, I'm proud to be law enforcement's choice.

They recognize we need an attorney general that will fight to have original jurisdiction for Milwaukee County because Milwaukee is on pace for its third straight murder record.

We have a drug epidemic, where too many parents have had to bury their child from a drug death.

And that Milwaukee violence and crime spreads across Wisconsin, and if we protect Milwaukee, we protect all of Wisconsin.

Because tragically, there are some families that can't even feel safe in their own homes or in a vehicle, and some parents that won't let their child play in a park because they're afraid of stray bullets.

And we need an attorney general that will make public safety the number one priority, especially keeping Milwaukee safe.

And that's why I announced my campaign in Milwaukee on the north side last year, to make sure that Milwaukee knows help is on the way.

That there will be an attorney general that will fight for cash bail reform, to make sure that judges have to consider the dangerousness of criminals, that we have a constitutional amendment so judges will have to look at that, not just whether a defendant is likely to appear in court.

To improve our cash bail system that allows some defendants, violent criminals, to be held without cash bail.

To make sure that we have an attorney general that will never allow our DCI law enforcement positions to go unfilled.

That will never allow those prosecutor positions at our Department of Justice to go unfilled.

And will fix the issues at our crime labs to make sure that law enforcement and prosecutors have the evidence they need to take dangerous criminals off the streets and convict them to find justice on behalf of our victims.

And through my experience and leadership, I've earned the endorsements of a bipartisan group of over 100 sheriffs, district attorneys, and police chiefs across Wisconsin that recognize we need a prosecutor and not a politician leading our Department of Justice.

They're joined by the unanimous endorsement from the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police, the Milwaukee Police Association, the Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization, the Racine, Kenosha, and West Allis Police Associations, the Racine Sheriffs Association, as well as the Waukesha Chiefs of Police Association.

And I'm honored to have the unanimous endorsements from every police chief and sheriff of Fond du Lac County, those that have worked closely with me fighting for justice.

I couldn't be more proud to be law enforcement's choice, as the son of a cop, to make sure we have an attorney general that will prosecute crime, stand with our law enforcement, and enforce the rule of law.

And the rule of law is what separates America apart from so much of the rest of the world.

That you could walk into any courtroom in America and have equal justice under the law for all.

That we don't pick and choose when we enforce the rule of law.

And my record as a district attorney is enforcing the rule of law, not just when I agree with it.

That's what we expect from our district attorneys, and that's what we expect from our attorney general.

And that is my record and that's what I will do as your attorney general.

And if I don't like the law, I will work with our legislature to change the law.

To fight to make sure that we have more of those DCI agent and prosecutor positions at our Department of Justice so we can help keep Wisconsin safe.

I would be honored to be our next attorney general and to earn your vote to make sure that we have a prosecutor and not a politician leading our Department of Justice.

And I hope you'll stand with law enforcement's choice on November 8 to elect an attorney general that will make public safety the number one priority here in Wisconsin.

Thank you.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Josh Kaul.

I'm a husband, a father, a former federal prosecutor, and for almost four years now, I've had the privilege of serving as your attorney general.

As Wisconsin Attorney General, my top priority has been and always will be public safety.

At the Wisconsin Department of Justice, we investigate and prosecute some of the most serious offenses in the state of Wisconsin.

And I'm really proud of the cases that my administration has investigated and prosecuted as we work to put dangerous offenders behind bars and keep them there.

We've also worked to make progress on issues that I talked about when I ran for attorney general four years ago.

One big issue when I ran last time was the backlog of untested sexual assault kits.

Well, after I took office, there were about 300 kits that still needed to be tested.

We finished the testing of those kits.

We also ensured that in every case where there was a potential perpetrator identified from the testing of the prior backlog that a review was conducted.

And that has led to some investigations and prosecutions.

I also worked to change the law to ensure that sexual assault kits won't sit around untested.

And we launched a sexual assault kit tracking system statewide so that survivors can see what's happening with their kit as it moves through the testing process.

We've worked to make our schools safer as well.

Through our Office of School Safety, we launched the Speak Up, Speak Out program, which allows anybody associated with a school to contact Speak Up, Speak Out and have a trained analyst ensure that an appropriate response happens, which has allowed for us to intervene to ensure that violence doesn't occur or kids don't harm themselves.

We've also worked to fight the opioid epidemic.

After I took office, we filed suit against Purdue Pharma, and we also joined multi-state investigations into opioid distributors.

Because of the work of the Wisconsin Department of Justice, other AGs, as well as county and local governments, we have secured over $400 million that's gonna go to communities across the state of Wisconsin to help with the fight against the opioid epidemic.

We've also been serious about holding polluters accountable.

I believe that every Wisconsinite should have access to safe and clean drinking water, and when companies break our environmental laws, they need to be held responsible.

Not long ago, we filed suit against PFAS manufacturers and sellers.

Those toxic, cancer-causing chemicals have impacted a number of communities across the state, and I think it's vital that when we clean those chemicals out of our water, that it's the companies that made millions of dollars that pay to clean it up, not taxpayers in Wisconsin.

I also promised to end Wisconsin's involvement in the lawsuit that was seeking to end the Affordable Care Act.

And we have gotten out of that suit, and I'm happy that four years later, the Affordable Care Act is still in place and it continues to provide protections for people with a preexisting condition.

I'm proud of the progress that we have made over this last four years during my time as attorney general, but we have more work to do.

And the 2022 election offers voters a very clear choice.

Fundamentally, that choice boils down to this: Do we continue building on the progress we've made, and do we continue Wisconsin moving forward, or do we go backwards?

On public safety for example, I think we need to invest in our communities and I have proposed a Safer Wisconsin plan that we introduced almost a year ago.

It would invest in community policing and prosecution, law enforcement officer recruitment, retention, and wellness, victim services, as well as mental health crisis response.

I also believe we need to ensure that our gun safety laws prevent firearms from getting in the hands of people who we know to be dangerous.

I'd like to see universal background checks and a process that allows for extreme risk protection orders to be issued.

I also think we need to ban ghost guns and that we should increase the felony classification for repeat felon and possession offenses and repeat straw purchasing offenses.

We also need an AG who's gonna stand up for our freedoms.

I have been leading the fight in court to block enforcement of the draconian 19th century abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest.

My opponent has been clear that he would end that lawsuit, helping to keep in place that archaic ban.

He also has been clear that he would use DOJ resources, which go to investigating and prosecuting the most serious offenses in the state to instead go after people for abortions.

I think it's critical that we keep using our resources to make our communities safer.

And then when it comes to our freedom to vote, I am proud to have stood up for the will of the voters, including after the 2020 election when there were efforts to overturn the results.

My opponent has embraced Michael Gableman and his wasteful investigation, which he supported.

He recently appeared at a fundraiser with him, and he even said that our election commissioners committed crimes and should be removed from office.

Well, I think we need an AG who is gonna stand up for the will of the voters and our democracy.

There's a clear choice for voters in this election.

I ask for your support as you cast your ballot between now and November 8.

Thank you.

[upbeat music] - This year's election is going to be critical.

One of the most important in our history.

Because they're trying to take over the secretary of state's office so they can possibly control the elections.

I wanna keep politics out of the election process.

I wanna make sure it's something we can be proud of and not something that can be manipulated, like the Trump people tried to do in the last election.

But to win this election, to reelect our governor, and to get a good U.S. senator, we need to get a big turnout.

This is critical.

I urge you all to get out and vote.

I need your support.

We need to protect Wisconsin.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm Amy Loudenbeck, Republican candidate for secretary of state.

I've spent the last 12 years serving in the state legislature with a record of results and solving complex policy issues.

I spent eight years on the budget committee, and I've had over 50 bills signed into law, bills that were signed into law by Governor Evers and Governor Walker.

Bipartisan efforts that dealt with complex policy issues facing our state, and I have a lot to be proud of.

And it's time for someone else to have that opportunity.

In contrast, my opponent has been serving in this office for 40 years, with nothing to show for it except his name on the door of an empty office in the basement that is frequently locked and not accessible to the public.

And that's unacceptable.

We need someone in Wisconsin who will earn the paycheck and do the duties of secretary of state and provide real value.

Someone who will restore purpose and respect to this constitutional office that is directly accountable to the voters.

Let's talk about my ideas.

Number one: Let's modernize the duties provided by the secretary of state.

Provide transparency, provide electronic access to services, and allow customers to track their requests so they know when their authentications are going to be ready and they can plan for their international travel or their court cases because right now, we have issues where humanitarian aid is stuck at sea and no one can find the secretary of state to get their documents signed.

Again, we need someone who's going to do the job and someone who's going to modernize the platform for providing the services so that they are more responsive to the public.

Number two: The secretary of state serves on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.

It's a small, three-person board that oversees over $1.5 billion in assets and 77,000 acres of public land.

I want to be a billion-dollar board member for the people.

I want to make sure those assets are protected for years to come for the benefit of all Wisconsinites.

Finally, I'd like to work with the legislature and the governor to look at what kind of ministerial duties other secretaries of state provide across the country.

Things like election oversight and administration.

That could include maintaining the voter rolls, or assisting with outreach and training.

These are duties that secretaries of state do all across the country, and Wisconsin does not.

Let's take a look at what other states do and how this office can add value and integrity to election administration in Wisconsin.

Other duties, ministerial in nature again, such as corporate registrations or filing of deeds.

These are tasks that the secretary of state could provide if it made sense for the people of Wisconsin to place them there, instead of in executive branch agencies or in the hands of appointed people.

These are some of my ideas, and I look forward to working with my colleauges in the legislature on both sides of the aisle and those newly elected, and our governor's administration.

On talking about how we can add real value to this office that has been neglected for too long.

On day one, I want to open the door to the office.

I want to send a message that I will have an open door and an open mind so this office can provide real value to the people of Wisconsin.

And I don't expect anyone to hand me the keys to the kingdom on day one.

I do expect someone to hand me the keys to that office in the basement so I can open the door.

[upbeat music] - Hi, I'm John Leiber, and I'm running to be your state treasurer.

Little bit about myself, I'm a practicing attorney who lives in Cottage Grove with my family.

Before that, I grew up in Racine.

I also worked in the State Capitol for a number of years for a senator and a representative.

I also served on several boards at the county and local level.

Now, one of the questions I get asked when I talk to people around the state is "What does the state treasurer actually do?"

That's a good question because the duties of the treasurer have changed a lot in the past couple decades.

Right now, the most important job of the state treasurer is to be on what's called the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands.

That's a board that manages a $1.4 billion trust fund, that's billion with a B, and 77,000 acres of state land, mostly managed forest land.

Now, the proceeds of those two investments generate income, and that income is distributed around the state as school aid to libraries, mostly for technology improvements.

Last year, this totaled $40 million, which is not a huge amount compared to the size of school budgets around the state, but it is a substantial amount, and every dollar that's distributed in state aid is one less dollar that has to be put on your property tax bill.

So in a very real sense, the larger we can grow this fund, the less your property taxes will be.

And that's really what I wanna make sure the treasurer does in these next four years.

I wanna make sure we invest that trust fund properly to maximize the income, and I wanna make sure we manage that forest land to increase the value of the land and the income we get because again, the treasurer should be focused on the duties of the office.

And that's really the different vision I have for this office.

I wanna make sure we focus just on the treasurer's duties and not on duties that have been moved away over the years.

And that means we need to look at what the treasurer does now.

Now, the treasurer's staff is actually only one person right now, the state treasurer.

That means the person who is the treasurer needs to do all the aspects of the job.

So we need a treasurer who is responsible, reliable, and ready to start the job on day one.

Now, with my experience as an attorney, I understand the role of the treasurer in the law as it currently exists.

And as my experience in the State Capitol working for a senator and a representative, I understand how to work with the legislature and work with the governor's office to get things done.

And as my role, as my work being as a board member before, I understand the proper way to interact with other board members, how to get things done, and to work as a team.

So when it comes to this Election Day on November 8, I hope I can count on your support.

Thank you again, and my name is John Leiber.

[upbeat music] - Hello, I'm Aaron Richardson, running for state treasurer of Wisconsin.

I am very excited about this race and I hope to get your vote because I believe I am the most qualified person for this role.

I am currently the mayor in Fitchburg, Wisconsin and have been for over three and a half years.

That is incredibly important to have someone that has been in a leadership role in government and has done a lot of great things.

We're one of the fastest-growing communities in the state.

Not only do you want the treasurer to have that experience in municipal government, but I think it's also important that they're used to working with big budgets, and in Fitchburg, we've got a $25 million operating budget and a $100 million capital budget.

It's incredibly important that you have someone that is used to working with those big budgets and big numbers, and I do have that experience as well.

Another thing that's important in this role is someone that understands school system.

I think the most important thing the treasurer does is provide money to school district libraries throughout the state.

And that is something that I want to provide as much money as possible and I'm gonna do everything I can so we are providing as much money to those libraries that we can.

It's so important to me to make sure that we are supporting education.

Working in the school district, I see firsthand the great work that our teachers and our librarians are doing, and I see how they are just starving for funding because they're not getting the support they need from the state legislature.

So as much as we can support them, I wanna do that.

And having someone that's been in the school and understands that is incredibly important.

I actually have the education for this as well.

I have a business degree from UW-Green Bay.

I'm a very proud Phoenix.

I also have an MBA from UW-Whitewater, and I spent 16 years in the business world in a variety of roles, working at a lot of different companies, including credit unions and insurance companies, so I do know the language, and so I can speak the language to the people that I'm working with in this role.

Now, I wanna talk a little bit about what I wanna do in this role.

Sarah Godlewski's done a great job in this role.

I wanna keep doing all the great things she's done 'cause she has really shown the value of this role and what you can do in this role.

It's incredibly important.

We had 62% of the people in this state in a referendum five years ago say this role is important and we want this role to stay here.

Some people wanted to disband it and get rid of it, but Sarah Godlewski has shown how valuable this is, and so I wanna keep doing the great work she's done while I do a couple things also though, and add a couple things to the things she's done.

One is financial literacy.

And I think it's so important that this role is involved in financial literacy and improving financial literacy throughout the state.

I've already worked with a credit union who is going to provide materials to me that they have used.

And they've won awards for their financial literacy.

They're gonna give that to me, we're gonna put it on the treasurer's website.

And this is materials that adults can use, that kids can use, teachers can use with adults.

And not only do they have this in English, but they already have it in Spanish.

So we're already gonna come out with it in two languages.

I want it translated into Hmong as well.

That is another language I think is incredibly important in this state, and so I wanna translate that into Hmong as well.

And I really think it just makes a lotta sense for the treasurer to be involved in financial literacy.

The other thing that's important to me that I wanna do in this role is promote home ownership.

Home ownership is so incredibly important.

It's becoming more and more difficult to own a home in this state.

And we're doing a program in Fitchburg that will increase home ownership.

I wanna support programs like that throughout the state.

There's a lot of different ways you can do it.

You can find out more about what we're doing in Fitchburg if you go on my website, aaronforwi.com.

But I just wanna talk about things that I have done.

It's important that you not only talk about the things that you wanna do, but when you can talk about the things you have done, that is where I think there is the biggest differentiator as well between myself and my opponent.

Two of the areas I like to highlight.

The first is the environment.

We had a goal of 25% of the energy in Fitchburg be coming from renewable resources by 2025.

Well, we've been putting up solar panels on buildings, and there's a solar farm that helps support in Fitchburg and it got built, and we were able to actually participate in that.

And so as of right now, the city of Fitchburg gets 40% of their energy from renewable resources, way ahead of our goal.

And the other one that I wanna highlight real quick is diversity.

We're the most diverse community in Dane County, and it's incredibly important that we're recognizing things like Pride Month, Juneteenth, and Indigenous People's Day, all things that we had never recognized until I became mayor.

And right now, we fly the pride flag outside city hall 365 days a year, all because of things that I have done.

So thank you very much for your help and your support, and you can find out more online.

[upbeat music] - In addition to the candidate statements you've just seen, PBS Wisconsin will continue to provide a forum for political news and analysis on our Friday night news and public affairs program, Here & Now .

If you'd like more information about any of the candidates running for office in Wisconsin, visit our election website: wisconsinvote.org.

Please remember to vote on Tuesday, November 8.

Thank you for watching PBS Wisconsin.

[upbeat music]