In the past 12 years. A series of Republican legislators have invaded the Northwoods. Romaine Quinn, Dave Armstrong, Rob Summerfield, Tom Tiffany, Kathy Bernier, Jesse James, and Terry Moulton. It is essential to know that these legislators did not appear out of thin air. Chippewa Valley residents have probably eaten at Two Acres Supper Club. The family business that Summerfield owns then drove down to Lake Hallie to shop at Mouldy's Archery and Tackle to buy some bait from Terry Moulton's company. In the 2020 election cycle, Rob Summerfield won Chippewa County by over 60%, even though some residents say it's more purple than the results show, which begs me to ask. Are there Democrats that aren't voting? Do they even know they are Democrats?
I have talked to people that are further to the left than I am but haven't voted. This led to the rise of politicians like Dave Armstrong and Romaine Quinn. Both local officials. Quinn was even elected Mayor of Rice Lake before he was twenty. The other was Rice Lake Alderman for four years and Executive Director of the Barron County Economic Development Corporation for seven years. If you want more icing on this Republican cake, Armstrong and Summerfield are both members of the area chamber of commerce.
Where does this leave Northwoods progressives? Is it even possible since these are public figures that people have known for years? Terry Moulton was on the Administration St. Joseph Hospital, Jesse James was the Altoona Chief of Police, and Kathy Bernier was the chair of the Chippewa County Republican Party. Now represent Gerrymandered districts where even former opponents were drawn out, much like Chris Kapsner of Boyceville. This all goes to the point I have been making for years—local races matter.
I talked to Mike Olson, a member of the Portage County Board of Supervisors told me that "Democrats have not turned out for these local seats. Much has to do with the perception that local seats don't matter". Some may disagree with this, but it's worth noting that my former County Board member lost under ten votes. When Mike ran for his seat, he told me his only support was his downstairs neighbor. This is unacceptable. We need to start running in every seat from School Board to City Council. There are progressives in the business world as well. They are not all Republicans. He told me that the Republicans run all elections jointly from County Executive, School Board, etc. They are so creative that they recruited the Store Manager at Mattress Firm to beat Julie Lassa.
So what kind of candidate can win against such entrenched Republicans. Olson told me it" t takes a candidate who can empathize with the citizens who are the most vulnerable in our society." We also need candidates that will connect with the youth of America, if not people like Richard Spencer and the people who attacked the capital on January 6th will.
Mike told me that he ran a "community first campaign. But he was stunned by the amount of apathy he encountered—wondering if he wanted to represent people who didn't care. I've encountered the same sentiment. He told me, " When the Democrats continue to fail to deliver, at some point, people lose confidence both in the Democrats and the system and vote for "me first." At least they can count on the Republicans to continue to create legislation that advantages those with the most resources and allows the wealth gap to increase. At every election, the Republicans continue to use fear-based messaging because they lack policy that will enable everyone to prosper as the Founding Fathers had envisioned. Instead, we have another slave class with more people living in apartment villages because they can't afford to own a home, let alone basic needs such as health care, retirement, and transportation. People are desperate, further contributing to "me first" and Republican victories.
Conclusion
Two things give rise to Republican politicians: apathy and lack of civic engagement. I had the pleasure of talking to local officials and voters from Lacrosse to Superior. They are either of it all or cant why people vote for these Republicans. I discovered one other factor.
When the Republican candidate comes to the community as someone, they know it makes a difference. An administrator at their local hospital or your local supper club owner makes a huge difference. Some may dispute my hypothesis, and I respect that. I can only provide enough evidence to support my case.