Liegeois plans to challenge Gallagher
GREEN BAY - U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher is only nine months into his first term in the House of Representatives, but challengers are already lining up to oust the freshman GOP lawmaker.
Democrat Beau Liegeois told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin on Monday that he will run to represent Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District when the seat is up for election again in November 2018.
“I can fight for the working, middle-class families in this community because I’m raising a working, middle-class family of my own,” Liegeois said.
A spokeswoman for Gallagher confirmed that he, too, would be on the ballot.
Liegeois, 36, is an assistant prosecutor in the Brown County District Attorney’s office, where he primarily handles drug cases and works with offenders in the county’s veterans treatment court. He also serves in the Wisconsin Army National Guard as a military lawyer.
The Green Bay Southwest High School grad lives in Allouez with his wife and 1-year-old daughter.
Animating his foray into politics, he said, is concern with how Congress has handled health care reform. While he acknowledged that the Affordable Care Act has problems, Liegeois said the legislation that Congress considered earlier this year to repeal and replace the law was flawed, in part because it would have left millions of people without health insurance.
Liegeois pointed out that Gallagher voted for the bill, but said the problem isn’t limited to him.
“Frankly, it’s the entire Congress that’s failed us, and that’s who I want to focus on,” Liegeois said.
He added: “I’m a father now, and what I see going on in Washington, what Congress is doing, I am terrified for my daughter’s future.”
The Senate ultimately voted the measure down.
Liegeois also said he wants to see social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare stronger, is concerned about environmental pollution and believes there are opportunities for bipartisan action to improve the country’s roads and other infrastructure.
Candidates for the office can’t begin collecting nomination signatures until April and candidacy paperwork is not due until June, according to Reid Magney, spokesman for the Wisconsin Elections Commission.
But declaring candidacy now means Liegeois can begin fundraising and spending on electionrelated activities in earnest. It also could be strategically important, said Charles Jacobs, associate professor of political science at St. Norbert College.
While the 8th District has had a mild shift politically to the right just like the entire state, it still tends to swing between Democrat and Republican officeholders. And that means political parties are more likely to spend money on getting candidates elected, according to Jacobs.
Liegeois also might be able to avoid a contested Democratic primary, which can drain money and weaken candidates, by getting his name out early and showing he’s a serious contender.
“This is a competitive district and it’s one that can be won by Democrats if the conditions are right,” Jacobs said.
Gallagher declined comment about Liegeois’ entry into the race.