I'm a proud Wisconsin resident. I spent some time in other places, but nowhere was ever home quite like Wisconsin. One of the happiest times in my life was last spring when I was able to leave a job in Chicago to be a field organizer for Russ Feingold back in my home state. Now I'm back living in Milwaukee, and I wanted to talk about how critical local elections and primaries are.
The current situation in Wisconsin has given me the perfect opportunity to do so. Join me below the fold...
I live in Wisconsin State Senate district seven. I'm proud to be represented by Senator Chris Larson. He is one of the "Fighting 14" Senators who have left the state in order to deny Republicans a quorum to jam Governor Walker's budget repair bill through without debate or discussion.
It's truly incredible to have a state Senator as part of the focus of national attention for doing the right thing. For fighting for the people of his state against the powerful special interests the Governor is representing. To have a state Senator who is willing to stand up and fight for my rights and the rights of all his constituents.
Its a close thing in Madison. They need 20 votes for quorum, and there are 19 Republican Senators. Without absolute commitment from the entire caucus to fight this assault on working people, Walker could have pushed it through.
Chris Larson is doing his job by standing up for me. But it didn't have to be that way. See, for most of my life in Wisconsin, I've been represented, either in the Assembly or the State Senate, by Jeff Plale. Plale is a Democrat, allegedly, who served in the district that stretches from the south side suburbs all the way to the liberal enclaves of the east side of the city of Milwaukee. He was challenged in a primary by Chris Larson this last year. Because of the Governor and Senate races, many people weren't paying much attention on the left to the state legislature. But Chris saw that Plale didn't represent his district well, and decided to take him on.
Some interesting facts about Plale: He was one of the deciding votes that stopped the state workers from renewing a contract while the Dems still controlled the legislature and the Governorship. Right wing talk radio was encouraging Republicans in the district to vote in the Dem primary for Plale until Mark Neumann started to creep on Walker in the polls for the Republican nomination. Larson did the hard work of talking to the constituents, and ended up CRUSHING Plale in the primary. Folks got excited and engaged in a local primary race because they had a candidate who represented their views who they could rally around.
Plale, for his troubles, continued fighting against working people as a lame duck, and was rewarded with a job in the Walker administration.
Had folks not cared enough to get involved in their local primary election, I've no doubt that Jeff Plale would be the 20th Senator today, giving credence and the veneer of bipartisanship to Walker's all out assault on Wisconsin families. Had Chris Larson not decided to run, had not believed he could take out a long standing state politician for the good of the constituents, had not put in the work and effort that win local elections, the tens of thousands of people protesting in Madison would not have a voice today. As of last Thursday, this bill would have been the law of Wisconsin, and nothing could be done.
But because of the courage of Senator Larson, and because folks took the time to get educated and involved in their local campaigns, we have this important leader speaking out to a national audience about what Scott Walker is trying to do to Wisconsin. We have someone fighting for us.
This is the kind of thing you need to think about next time your local elections come up. Look up the candidates in the primary. Don't assume that the incumbent represents you, or that a better candidate can't win in a tough year. Maybe you're the one who can run against an entrenched person who's got a little too comfortable with the levers of power and end up making a difference for your neighbors. Local politics doesn't always end up being national news, but Chris Larson is evidence that a good primary challenge on any level can end up changing things in a big way for the better.