The Nov. 8 elections are just around the corner, and Wisconsin elections are split almost 50-50, according to recent CBS polls. 

Although midterm elections do not garner as much media attention as presidential races, it’s important to go to the polls to vote for candidates that will best serve and represent your community.

The Wisconsin State Governor race will be between Democratic incumbent Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels.

Oshkosh Democrat  Lori Palmeri and Republican businessman Donnie Herman will battle to take on the role of the 54th  District Assembly Representative.

The race to be a Wisconsin state senator will be between Republican incumbent Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes.

The Advance-Titan took a poll among staff members to learn who they will be voting for and why. 

Here are the results.

Wisconsin State Governor

The race for Wisconsin State Governor continues in a deadlock between Democrat incumbent Tony Evers and Republican Tim Michels, according to an CBS Poll on Oct.9.

It’s Evers, however, who earned the endorsement of the Advance-Titan staff with his experience, clear plans and advertising methods.

Meanwhile, Michels’s often-announced affiliation with Donald Trump also raised flags about his radical methods to “turn Madison upside down.” 

“When Evers discusses what he intends for the state, there is a legitimate, pragmatic backing to his plans, while half of Michels’s ideas seem loudly sourced from Donald Trump,” said one staff member. 

“Evers led the state through some of its most challenging times, from COVID-19 to the riots after multiple police shootings,” said another staff member. “Evers has proven himself capable of leading the state of Wisconsin, while Michels hasn’t proven that he can even run his own company.”

Michels’s general contracting company, Michels Corporation, has had five sexual harassment allegations against the company between 1998 and 2020, all of which were settled out of court. 

Evers’s campaign was quick to reveal this information, but Michels accused the release as a “desperate and disgusting attempt to distract voters from Tony Evers’s many failures.” 

Michels’s response illustrates just how little responsibility he takes for what goes on under his leadership and what action he takes to resolve serious issues. 

Michels Corporation has also raised other concerns of Michels’s integrity.

“I don’t like either of [the candidates], but Michels has a clear conflict of interest,” said one staff member. 

Although Michels has claimed he would divest from Michels Corporation if he wins the race for governor, he has failed to answer how he would separate himself from the multi-million dollar family owned and operated company. Evers, on the other hand, has shown he has the ability to act as governor through tumultuous times and serve the best interests of Wisconsin.

54th Assembly Representative

One of the most local elections, the race for the 54th Assembly District Representative is between Democrat Oshkosh Mayor Lori Palmeri and Republican local businessman Donnie Herman.

The winner will take over the seat previously occupied by Gordon Hintz, who has held the position for the last 16 years. We think Palmeri is just the candidate to do so.

Palmeri has addressed key issues in the community, like rising living costs, unlivable minimum wages and the economic distress of the healthcare system. 

Unlike her opponent, Palmeri has given clear answers about how she will work to resolve these problems, promising to give builders incentives to create lower-cost housing, bring high-paying “green” jobs to the area and implement health care system reforms.

One staff member said it best: “Palmeri has a specific plan for every issue that she has been questioned about, which makes her the candidate for the job. Herman is a businessman … who doesn’t really seem to have a plan for anything, but loves to complain about the way things are run.”

In an interview with the Oshkosh Northwestern, Herman’s responses fell short, often leaning on him not being a “career politician.” 

“He insists that ‘career politicians’ all have empty promises and that he wants to use his ‘real-world experience’ — whatever that means — to solve the state’s problems, but never discusses his plans,” they said.

While Herman lacks direction,  Palmeri has proven herself worthy of leading the Oshkosh area after serving two terms as the city mayor with her clean-cut plans to tackle relevant issues.

Wisconsin State Senator

In another toss-up election, incumbent  Republican Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes will fight neck-and-neck to be seated as a Wisconsin state senator. 

The race has been full of candidates’ distasteful advertisements dragging their opponents name through the mud.

“Both campaigns have been deceitful in their ads—while this is not abnormal for politicians, it’s still scummy,” said one staff member.

However, Johnson’s “no cash bail” advertisement not only theatrically villainizes Barnes, but also misinforms viewers.

“It misleads the public, heavily implying that it will automatically put murderers back out into society without any restrictions or exceptions,” they said. “I may be wrong, but I highly doubt anyone advocates for that.”

Johnson has also downplayed the harm of the Jan. 6 attack, which left seven people dead, an action one staff member described as a “move that voters cannot forget.”

To the Advance-Titan staff, Barnes is the best option in a case of choosing the lesser of two evils.

“The biggest reason Mandela Barnes is the candidate I’m voting for is because he’s running against Ron Johnson,” said another staff member. “It is sickening the way [Johnson] treats the press and spreads falsehoods to the less educated in this country.”

Johnson said that he has the “worst opponent anyone could have”: the press.

Blaming journalists for holding him accountable spreads misinformation about the reliability of news outlets and turns people against the press.

Additionally, like Herman, Johnson lacks a clear plan of how he will serve the people as a senator. Instead, he focuses on bashing his opponent and calling him “un-American.” It’s time to get a fresh face into office, and finally get rid of Johnson.