From expanding Medicaid to protecting abortion access, Republican incumbent Rob Swearingen and his Democratic challenger Eileen Daniel spoke out mostly along party lines at a candidate forum hosted by WXPR for the Wisconsin’s 34th Assembly District.
Candidates’ Forum for the 34th Assembly
Listen to the full Candidates Forum with Rob Swearingen and Eileen Daniel here.
Asked about inflation and labor shortages, Swearingen blamed White House policies.
“We have to stop the extended benefits, we have to stop inducing laziness,” he said. “And all of this comes from the free money that was given out during the COVID period.”
Daniel, on the other hand, called for raising the state minimum wage and raising taxes on the wealthy.
“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 is taxing the wealthy at the same rates we are taxed as the middle class.”
Their differences also manifested themselves on other issues. On climate change, Daniel called for an increase in wind power.
“I believe green energy is the way forward for the whole country,” she said.
Meanwhile, Swearingen questioned the legitimacy of climate change.
“I’m not totally sold on the issue of climate change,” he said.
The two did, however, agree on one subject.
“Our clerks in every little township are all doing an amazing job,” Swearingen said of election integrity. “There are no issues with the counting of votes and if there are, it is resolved immediately. This is not a problem.
Daniel accepted.
“I have absolute belief that here in the Northwoods we don’t have a problem with the ballots, with the polls,” she said.
They both said they would accept the November 8 election results.