Democrats vie to face Grothman
Three challengers plan Sheboygan forum Friday
SHEBOYGAN – Three Democrats are running to challenge 6th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman, who is in his third term.
Voters will choose one of them in the primary on Aug. 11.
Candidates Michael G. Beardsley of Oshkosh, Matthew L. Boor of Cleveland and Jessica J. King of Oshkosh are scheduled to face off in a candidate forum four days before the election in Sheboygan. They met in a candidate forum in mid-July in Oshkosh and another virtually last week. Recordings of the forums are available on Oshkosh Media’s YouTube channel and website and the Ozaukee County Democrats’ website, respectively. Candidates will also meet in another candidate forum in Sheboygan on Friday hosted by the Sheboygan County Chamber at the Elks Lodge. Registration is required and can be completed on the Sheboygan County Chamber website.
We asked each candidate some questions about their qualifications and priorities. Here’s what they told us.
Responses were limited to 100 words for each question.
Michael Beardsley
Name: Michael
Beardsley
Address: P.O. Box 301, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Age: 26
Occupation and highest education level: IT consultant at Acorio, bachelor’s degree of business administration in information systems with emphasis in international management and enterprise resource planning from UW-Oshkosh
Family: Married to wife, Megan, for two years, have one rescued dog named Coach.
Relevant experience: Board member for Our Wisconsin Revolution. Elected Sen. Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Why are you running for office?
To bring something new and urgent to the position. I joined the race later than usual for congressional campaigns because I wasn’t seeing my top issues being addressed to the level that I wanted as a voter. After assessing the best ways for me to make the change I wanted to see, I determined that this race provided the greatest opportunity. I am running on specific solutions to address climate change, health care, rural communities and more. I feel that it’s important to focus on plans that can better our future, instead of returning to the past.
What makes you the best candidate in this race?
If there is a struggle you are facing or an issue you have with politics today, I have a plan for that. I am running an unconventional campaign, focusing on specific plans instead of gaining support with my name or platitudes. It’s important to me that we do things differently because that’s truly the only way to make a difference. We can’t expect to do the same thing every election and expect different results. It’s time for something new and fresh that is focused on doing whatever it takes to boost our communities and make all of our lives better.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Issues revolving around agriculture, manufacturing and the environment. By addressing and adapting to climate change, we can create thousands of jobs and continue to support the agriculture and manufacturing industries that will be hit the hardest. Being proactive and providing relief and transition paths to environmentally sustainable operations will keep this state as a powerhouse in those respective industries. Family dairy farms are closing down at an alarming rate, we need to move fast to shift subsidies from mega farms to small/medium farms while also incentivizing sustainable transitions. A winwin for a struggling industry and pro
tecting our environment.
Looking ahead to 2021, what would be your No. 1 priority in Congress for the benefit of your constituents?
I will be wasting no time getting to work, knowing full well that the seat is not guaranteed to be won again in two years. Putting the legislative infrastructure in place to allow the agricultural and manufacturing industries to begin transitioning to sustainable operations, while being provided financial relief and incentives, will be the top priority. Also, enacting a health care plan that transitions to a single-payer system as the end goal would provide the most relief for people and businesses. There are so many top issues, but those are the two things we need to do as soon as possible.
Why would you have the best chance of defeating Glenn Grothman in November?
I am a fresh face in politics who is bringing urgency and boldness to stand up for this district. It is clear that people are fed up with the state of politics from both sides, so I am coming into this with a new approach instead of pointing fingers. I believe in science, trusting experts, supporting equality (no matter your race, gender or sexual orientation), and supporting plans that boost us all up. All things that Grothman has failed to do. I am working diligently toward a brighter future that I know will make this district proud.
Matthew Boor
Name: Matthew L.
Boor
Address: 876 Hickory St., Cleveland, WI 53015 Age: 41
Occupation and highest education level: Director, business development at Broadwind. I have a master of business administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee and a bachelor of science from DePaul University in Chicago.
Family: Never married, but I’ve been close.
Relevant experience: I have not previously sought public office.
Why are you running for office?
I think a lot of people who decide to run for office have a “get off the couch” moment when they decide that they’ve heard enough and need to really pay attention and figure out how they can help a given situation. Mine began when then-candidate Trump made comments about John McCain not being a war hero because he was captured during Vietnam. Congressman Grothman’s silence on this issue was deafening, and I began thinking how I could work for my neighbors and friends to inject reasonable dialogue into public discourse.
What makes you the best candidate in this race?
I have worked in and adjacent to renewable energy and business since 2005 as a technician, teacher, project manager and in business development. I have never run for office before this campaign. I am a lifelong consensusbuilder and have worked extensively with diverse teams to accomplish financial and physical goals. I was raised in a small business, and the knowledge and hard work it takes to make a business work are more relatable to normal, living and working Wisconsinites than the skill set of career politicians.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Currently, parents are asking me left, right and center if their kids are going back to school in the fall and how this will look; I can’t ignore that. We also can’t ignore the reality that many at-risk individuals like grandparents help pick up and drop off students from school every day. I favor de-politicizing COVID-19 immediately and supporting both online and in-person approaches to restarting school to support students, their families, teachers and their staff. We have to make this work.
Looking ahead to 2021, what would be your No. 1 priority in Congress for
the benefit of your constituents?
Prior to COVID-19, my top priorities were incentivizing renewable energy development, decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level and investing in the access to reliable, high-speed internet in rural parts of our state. I believe this 1-2-3 combination would put rural Wisconsinites in a better position than they’ve been in decades. My magic wand issue is rewriting the Authorized for Use of Military Force Act of 2001, as this gives the executive branch the unchecked leeway to involve U.S. troops in entangling conflicts that Congress does not vote on or decide how this will be paid for; this needs to change.
Why would you have the best chance of defeating Glenn Grothman in November?
I am the only candidate who has shamelessly copied Glenn Grothman’s strategy of supporting all types of community events throughout the 6th District. This strategy clearly works for him, as it worked for Tom Petri for decades. Additionally, I have worked as a teacher, in construction and in business. I am uniquely qualified to relate to the business community and disenchanted moderates and even Republicans who aren’t seeing the leadership they’d hoped for when previously voting for Mr. Grothman.