, ,

Walker, Evers Crisscross State Ahead Of Tuesday’s Election

In What Is Being Called A Dead-Heat Governors Race, Both Candidates Pull Out All The Stops

By
American flag, campaign, elections, cameras
Darron Birgenheier (CC BY-SA)

Gov. Scott Walker and his Democratic challenger Tony Evers have spent the last several days crisscrossing the state by bus to rally voters in the final days leading to the election.

On Sunday, Gov. Scott Walker — joined by other top Republicans — made a last-minute push for supporters to get out the vote.

Those opening for Walker included U.S. Rep Mike Gallagher, U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, and U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan. At the Outagamie County Republican Party Office in Appleton, each delivered a few remarks before Walker took the stage.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Vukmir took the opportunity to call out her Democratic opponent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s stance on immigration.

“Tammy will not say ‘no’ to anyone,” Vukmir said, referencing the caravan of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States. Vukmir added, “let in 7,000 now, (it’s) 70,000 a few years from now.”

Walker took the stage wearing a Green Bay Packer’s jacket and held up a sign reading, “Yes, we’re open” in reference to Wisconsin’s record-low unemployment rate.


Gov. Scott Walker addressed supporters in Appleton on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, just days before the election. Patty Murray/WPR

“This is a close, close election,” Walker told a small crowd of supporters at the party office.

The latest Marquette University Law School poll indicated Walker and Evers each had 47 percent support by those surveyed.

Close race or not, Walker said there are clear differences between him and Evers.

“There cannot be a sharper contrast between me and Tony Evers,” Walker said. “You see, as we have a plan to keep Wisconsin working for generations to come, Tony Evers has a much different plan.”

Walker accused Evers of wanting to raise taxes on individuals, manufacturers and farmers.

Walker told reporters the race is as close as it is because of what Democrats are saying about his position on health care.

“I believe it is all these attack ads, lying about pre-existing conditions for a long, long time. We have talked about people with pre-existing conditions in the state. They are covered today and as long as I am governor they will always be covered in the state of Wisconsin,” he said.

Walker has pledged support for a state bill to cover pre-existing conditions. But he’s also approved a state lawsuit to overturn the federal Affordable Care Act — which protects those with pre-existing conditions.


Democratic candidate for governor Tony Evers, joined by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, lieutenant governor candidate Mandela Barnes and State Treasurer candidate Sarah Godlewski, addressed supporters in Milwaukee on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. Ximena Conde/WPR

Also sporting his Green Bay Packers gear, about two hours south of Appleton, in Milwaukee, Evers talked about education funding, health care and roads while rallying supporters in Milwaukee.

Together with Baldwin, lieutenant governor candidate Mandela Barnes, U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore and candidate for state treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Evers called on attendees to canvass and phone bank ahead of Tuesday’s election.

Evers told at least 50 people gathered at the Milwaukee Southside Coordinated Campaign Office that he has been consistent on the issue of taxes throughout the campaign.

“My education proposal will have no property tax increase,” Evers said. “Around the issue of income taxes we’re going to be lowering people’s income taxes by 10 percent.”

He added that he never supported raising income or property taxes, but said raising the gas tax is still up for debate. But before resorting to an increased gax tax, Evers said he planned on bringing a bipartisan group together.

“I hope that we’re not going to have to raise any taxes on gasoline, but we’re going to bring people together and we’re going to have to make a decision on that,” he said.

Walker has slammed Evers for his ambiguity on tax issues. Evers hasn’t provided a range for how much he’d consider raising the gas tax.

Walker’s campaign committee has used that as an opening, releasing a memo claiming Evers would raise the gas tax by a dollar.

“I never said we’re going to do a dollar a gallon,” Evers reiterated Sunday.