Candidates make last-minute pitches in Superior

Nov. 7—SUPERIOR — Candidates running for federal and state offices from both parties made last-minute pitches to supporters Friday, Nov. 4.

Democratic candidates gave brief speeches and mingled with supporters at the Marcovich Wellness Center at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.

Republican candidates gathered at the proposed site of the Nemadji Trail Energy Center to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to allow construction of the 550-megawatt natural gas-powered generation facility near the Nemadji River.

At the end of the day, it's going to be issues that decide the race, said Gov. Tony Evers, who is facing a challenge from Republican businessman Tim Michels.

"Certainly, it's a very, very, very, very close race, so what I'm trying to do ... is address issues and talk about very obvious differences between myself and my opponent," he said.

Evers was joined by Richard "Dick" Ausman, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress; Kelly Westlund, who is running to represent Northwest Wisconsin in the state Senate; and Laura Gapske, the candidate from Superior who is running for the state Assembly.

Ausman's opponent, Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, gathered with state Senate candidate Romaine Quinn and state Assembly candidate Angie Sapik near the Enbridge facility at the end of 31st Avenue East.

"We're here to talk about clean, reliable, affordable energy for the Northland, and here is a project ... a modern facility to be able to provide electricity for people who live in the upper Midwest," Tiffany said.

Nemadji Trail is going to provide the baseload power that is going to be needed in the future as coal-fired and nuclear power plants close, and more renewable energy sources are used, Tiffany said.

"It complements renewables," Quinn said.

Voters will choose their representatives Tuesday, Nov. 8.