State Political Predictions, Wisconsinite Running For DNC Chair, How Repeal Of Obamacare Could Affect Wisconsinites

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• Expert Makes Predictions For Wisconsin Politics In 2017

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  With 2017 just underway, what will the new year bring for politics in our state? We get a political expert’s predictions on what stories might dominate the headlines this year in Wisconsin politics.

• Wisconsin Democrat Runs For DNC Secretary

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  In the aftermath of the 2016 election, the Democratic National Committee is selecting new leadership. We talk to a Milwaukee Democrat who is running for DNC secretary about his priorities and vision for the party.

• What The Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act Could Mean For Wisconsinites

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  Repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has been on the Republicans’ agenda since the law was put into place. Now that Republicans have control of the House, Senate, and executive brance, repeal of the health care law seems imminent. But a report from the nonpartisan Urban Institute in late 2016 showed the number of uninsured Americans would go up by more than one hundred percent if Congress repeals the ACA without immediately replacing it. This report estimated the number of uninsured people in Wisconsin would more than double. We talk to a health care policy expert about how a repeal of the ACA would affect Wisconsinites.

• After A Major Defeat For The Left, A Wisconsin Democrat Announces His Run For DNC Secretary

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  Jason Rae was 17 years old when he became the youngest member of the Democratic National Committee in 2004. Now, after more than a decade of membership in the DNC and a presidential race that resulted in a major loss for the political left, Rae is running for DNC secretary.

  
  Jason Rae

  The Milwaukee-based Democrat said he sees the role of secretary as one that engages members and does work “outside of the roles of just planning our DNC meetings and keeping the roster.”

  Rae will be up against incumbent DNC Secretary and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake as well as Wyoming Democratic Chairwoman Ana Cuprill.

  “I really respect (Rawlings-Blake) and really appreciate the work that she’s done, but I really want to bring a different perspective to the office of secretary,” Rae said. “I think I’ve got some fresh ideas that will really energize and engage more folks.”

  Rae, who got his start in politics in his hometown of Rice Lake, also echoed sentiments heard throughout the 2016 race – that he wants to engage with people removed from Washington, D.C., especially in rural communities.

  “As secretary, I really want to get away from D.C. and make sure we are traveling the country, engaging with members, specifically members in rural parts of the country who may feel left behind and left out of the party,” he said.

  He also said he wants to create a more transparent DNC, and talked about efforts he made in Wisconsin to keep members informed.

  “During my 12 years as a DNC member, I have issued a report after each DNC meeting about what it is that we’re discussing, what we’re talking about, what we’re voting on,” he said, adding he hopes to create a similar type of report that would be sent out to all DNC members across the country. “The more that we can do to remove this veil of secrecy that many people have about what we’re doing – it’ll go a long way in building trust and bringing new folks into the party.”

  If Rae clenches the DNC secretary position, he’ll be entering the job after Democrats suffered major defeats in both the executive and legislative branches, and after rifts within the party became evident during the primaries between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

  Rae said 2016 was a tough year for Democrats, and said beyond developing party unity, Democrats would have to be better at electing members on the local level.

  “I think as a party we have to do more to engage and get people elected at school board levels, at city council levels (and) county board,” he said. “Those are going to be our future candidates for mayors, for state house, for governors, for U.S. Senate, U.S. House. And we really need to be investing right now in the future of our party and making sure that we’re building that pipeline of leadership.”

  The most high-profile part of the DNC’s search for new leadership is the race for DNC committee chair. Two candidates in particular – Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who has the backing of Sanders, and Maryland Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who is also believed to have White House support – have been under the spotlight in their bid for head of the committee.

  When asked about who he thought would be best for the party’s future, Rae said he could work with anyone in the wide field of candidates vying for chair, which includes South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman Jaime Harrison, New Hampshire Democratic Party member Raymond Buckley and Idaho Democratic Party Executive Director Sally Boynton Brown.

  The 2017 DNC election will be held from Feb. 23-26 and will determine the next chairperson, four vice chairs, treasurer, secretary and national finance chair.