All eyes are on presidential candidates Donald Trump (R) and Kamala Harris (D) just days away from the election Nov. 5. However, this election will also decide key winners for state-wide and local races, which can have direct impacts on constituents. While any resident of Wisconsin can see a preview of what their ballot will look like based on their home address, here’s what’s on the ballot for UW Oshkosh students living on campus.
United States Senator
Tammy Baldwin (D)
Incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin, 62, will be running for re-election after defeating Republican nominee Leah Vukmir by more than 10 percentage points in 2018, cementing her second term as a U.S. senator.
Before taking reign as state senator in 2013, Baldwin served Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District in 1998, when she became the first openly gay member of Congress. She was also the first woman from Wisconsin elected to either chamber of the legislative branch.
During her time in the Senate, Baldwin has supported the America’s College Promise Act, which helped waive community and technical college tuition for eligible students.
She also supported the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which supports investment in fixing roads and bridges and rebuilding outdated and unsafe water infrastructure to provide clean drinking water across the state. This bill also expanded affordable, accessible and reliable internet access to Wisconsin families.
For the upcoming election, Baldwin has campaigned on preserving reproductive rights, bolstering a Made in Wisconsin economy, lowering prescription drug prices and supporting veterans.
Eric Hovde (R)
Madison-based Eric Hovde entered his first U.S. Senate race in 2011, when he ran for the Republican nomination but ended up being defeated by former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R).
Hovde describes himself as a “classic entrepreneur.” He is the CEO of Hovde Properties, a real estate company founded by his grandfather in 1933 and co-owns three banking companies.
Hovde and his brother, Steve Hovde, also co-founded the Hovde Foundation, which was originally created to help fund research to find a cure for multiple sclerosis. However, the foundation expanded to create safe houses for children who have been enslaved, abandoned and/or sex-trafficked.
In 2012, Hovde said he was “totally opposed” to abortion, but has since changed his position, giving support for exceptions of rape, incest and life-threatening conditions of the mother. He has also publicly opposed the Affordable Care Act in a column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in early October.
According to Hovde’s campaign website, his biggest concerns are tackling inflation, immigration, foreign policy and a healthcare overhaul.
Independent Candidates
The Wisconsin Senate race will include two independent candidates, including long-time libertarian Phil Anderson. According to his campaign website, his goals are “challenging the status quo, drawing attention to issues such as government overreach, excessive spending and the need for a more accountable and transparent political system.”
Thomas Leager, the other independent candidate running for Senator, is an avid Second Amendment activist who also helped organize ReOpen Wisconsin, which protested against COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates. In a survey from Ballotpedia, Leager described himself as “Pro-America, Closed Borders, Pro-Life, Pro-Family, Pro-Prosperity, Pro-God and Anti-Intervention in foreign wars.”
6th Congressional District
Glenn Grothman (R)
Incumbent Congressman for Wisconsin’s 6th District, 69-year-old Glenn Grothman, will be running for re-election after serving his fifth term in Congress.
During his 10 years in office, Grothman has been assigned to the the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. He serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs, and the House Committee on the Budget.
According to Grothman’s website, he’s built his campaign on advocacy for “manufacturing, worker training, welfare reform, higher education reform, immigration reform and pro-life causes.”
In 2020, Axios released Grothman had scored a 93 on their “Trump Loyalty Index,” which was used as an indication of to what extent members of Congress voted in loyalty to Donald Trump during his presidency. Grothman had the highest score of any member of Congress.
John Zarbano (D)
Democrat John Zarbano will be making his first Congressional bid in the upcoming election. A retired attorney living in Oshkosh, Zarbano spent the bulk of his legal career as a bank lawyer with experience in secured lending, real estate development, mergers and bankruptcy litigation.
After retiring from his law practice, Zarbano worked at the UW Oshkosh Theater Department box office and “enjoyed teaching entertainment law at UWO and hospitality law at Fox Valley Technical College.”
After his eldest son died of brain cancer while in medical school, Zarbano was driven to create a healthcare concept proposal called “Healthcare of Wisconsin,” which he worked with Wisconsin Republican legislators to develop.
In addition to supporting Medicare, Zarbano campaigns on preserving women’s reproductive rights, a bipartisan compromise for border security, protecting labor unions and funding education systems.
State Senator District 18
Kristin Alfheim (D)
After falling short in her 2022 bid for State Senate, Democrat Kristin Alfheim will be running for the State Senate District 18 seat.
Sitting on the Appleton City Council, Alfheim has helped pass city ordinances to help the city plan for climate change, worked to fund and rebuild a new public library and distributed tax dollars.
In her campaign for District 18, Alfheim aims to protect abortion access, create and expand affordable healthcare options and fully fund public schools.
Anthony Phillips (R)
Long-time Republican Anthony Phillips will be making his first bid for the District 18 Senate seat.
As a cancer physician in the Fox Valley, Phillips has cared for Wisconsin patients for 30 years. According to his campaign website, Phillips has a long history of financially supporting Republican candidates from the area including Congressman Mike Gallagher, former Gov. Scott Walker and former State Sen. Roger Roth.
He said his goals include supporting law enforcement and first responders, parents having more input on public education, investing in statewide roads and anti-abortion legislation.
Assembly District 54 Representative
Lori Palmeri (D)
Incumbent Democrat Lori Palmeri will be running for re-election after edging out her opponent Donnie Herman by eight percentage points in 2022.
Palmeri served two terms as an Oshkosh Common Council member and served two terms as Oshkosh mayor.
While in office, Palmeri has helped create a Diversion, Equity and Inclusion committee, worked with city officials to create Oshkosh’s response to COVID-19 and advocated to fund homelessness initiatives and mental health support programs.
In the past month, she’s proposed multiple bills surrounding gun violence, including propositions to introduce an office of gun violence within the Department of Justice, a waiting period after buying a handgun and legislation to require storage of a firearm when in the presence of a minor.
Tim Paterson (R )
Republican Tim Paterson will be making his first bid for the 54th Assembly District Representative.
Paterson has spent 33 years of his life in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves, was deployed twice overseas, served as a Blackhawk Pilot and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
He has worked as the Winnebago District 11 County Board Supervisor. Here, he served on the Veterans Service Commission, the Aviation Committee and the Solid Waste Management Board.
According to his campaign website, Paterson aims to address rising costs and reduce tax burden, strike down “soft on crime policies” and reform education systems to allow parents more options and transparency.
