Wisconsinites rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her vision for the future

People all over the Badger State are highlighting the historic legislative success of the Biden-Harris Administration as well as the vice president’s career.

“What I’m hearing from swing voters—they are now saying, ‘I think I can get involved and energized by this race,’” Eau Claire’s Andrew Werthmann said.

Werthmann has been a delegate to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) since 2016 and said the Harris candidacy means a “new chapter” for the country.

“It’s something to behold and I think this really puts this race fundamentally in a different spot than before,” Werthmann said.

The issues that people care about

With the Democratic convention only a few weeks away, the VP is organizing her policy vision, which will likely include key pillars of the Biden-Harris administration.

Werthmann said one of those issues will be economics.

“Some of the issues that I think people are most concerned about are things like the amount they still pay for health care, housing costs; and their energy bills are still a problem,” Werthmann said. “Anything that she’s talking about that has to do with how she’s going to take it to corporations that are making the most money right now. Healthcare companies that are denying claims—things like that.”

In April, Harris launched a nationwide “Economic Opportunity Tour” that may be showcased in the campaign. It included things like forgiving medical debt and student loans, cutting costs for insulin and
other prescription drugs, making housing and home buying more affordable, lowering child care costs, and expanding access to health care.

“Vice President Harris has been a passionate advocate for expanding Medicaid coverage, including Medicaid postpartum coverage, to ensure that all Americans have access to the health care they need,” said Tina Pohlman, vice chair of the La Crosse County Democratic Party and founder and CEO of the APS Foundation of America, a non-profit health organization that brings awareness to Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

“When Kamala Harris took office, only three states had a full year of postpartum Medicaid coverage. Today, under this administration, that number has risen to 47 states. This expansion is not just a statistic—this means that new mothers across the country have access to the care they need to stay healthy and support their babies.”

With Idaho about to become the 48th state to expand care, only Wisconsin and Arkansas will be left limiting new mothers on reduced incomes to only 60 days of Medicaid-covered postpartum care. A bill to expand care overwhelmingly passed the state Senate, 32-1, with Republican Duey Stroebel voting against. The bill has many bipartisan sponsors in the Assembly, but Speaker Robin Vos has refused to allow the bill to come up for a vote and final passage.

William Garcia, chair of the La Crosse County Democratic Party, said Harris has stood up for working families for her entire career. “From her days as a prosecutor fighting for child victims of abuse to her tireless work as Vice President, she has been a relentless advocate for a better future for all our children,” he said.

“As the head of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, she has been a leader in the fight to bring our children safety. And alongside President Biden, she has prioritized the wellness of students and educators and championed mental health for our young people.”

“Reproductive freedom will also be a huge issue,” Werthmann said. “We’ve seen it in Wisconsin as one of the big issues.”

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is opposed to efforts that undermine women’s reproductive freedoms. “[Harris] believes in a country where reproductive freedoms are protected, and Roe v. Wade is the law of the land once again,” Rhodes-Conway said.

Laura Davis from Stoughton, a former neonatal intensive care unit nurse, said Harris will always fight to restore the fundamental right to abortion care.

“As a nurse, as a woman, and as the mother of daughters and granddaughters, these threats to women’s rights infuriate me,” Davis said. “I’ll be doing everything I can to elect Kamala Harris, as I hope all women, and people who love women, will too.”

“Her ability to define the race and the choice we all have is a new chapter,” said Werthmann, the DNC delegate.

“The energy we’re seeing with young people, people of color—with frankly everyone —is going to be pretty incredible in the next three months.”

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