From expanding Medicaid to protecting abortion access, Republican incumbent Rob Swearingen and his Democratic challenger Eileen Daniel came down mostly on party lines at a WXPR-hosted candidate forum for Wisconsin’s 34th Assembly District.
When asked about inflation and the labor shortage, Swearingen blamed policies from the White House.
“We’ve got to stop the prolonged benefits, we’ve got to stop incentivizing the laziness,” he said. “And all this comes from the free money that’s been doled out over the COVID period.”
Daniel, on the other hand, called for increasing the state minimum wage and raising taxes on the rich.
“We have a huge wage gap, we have a huge wealth gap not just in Wisconsin, but in our country,” she said. “Finding a way to equalize that comes down to taxing the wealthy at the same rates that we’re taxed as the middle class.”
Their differences came across on other issues too. On the topic of climate change, Daniel called for increased wind energy.
“I do believe green energy is the way the entire country needs to go,” she said.
Meanwhile, Swearingen questioned the legitimacy of climate change.
“I’m not totally sold on the climate change issue,” he said.
The two did agree on one topic though.
“Our clerks in every small township all do an amazing job,” Swearingen said about election integrity. “There is no issue with counting the votes and if there is it’s resolved immediately. It’s not an issue.”
Daniel agreed.
“I have absolute faith that up here in the Northwoods we do not have an issue with the ballots, with the polls,” she said.
They both said they will accept the results of the election on November 8.
