Meet Sheboygan County incumbent Devin LeMahieu and a Democrat running as a write-in candidate for Senate District 9
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SHEBOYGAN - Jarrod Schroeder is running as a Democratic write-in candidate for Wisconsin Senate District 9.
That means Schroeder's name will not appear on the ballot for the Nov. 8 election, but he registered as a candidate to signal to supporters they can write his name on the ballot as a long-shot alternative choice to Republican incumbent Sen. Devin LeMahieu.
Wisconsin’s Senate District 9 covers most of Sheboygan County, the southern half of Manitowoc County and a portion of Calumet County.
LeMahieu easily beat out two other candidates in the August primary to win the Republican nomination for the seat. First elected in 2014, LeMahieu has served two (four-year) terms in the Senate and became majority leader in late 2020.
Schroeder, born and raised in Sheboygan, said he is "just a citizen" frustrated with partisan politics in Madison.
Because Schroeder only registered as a candidate in September, he has not filed any campaign finance reports.
Since the beginning of last year, LeMahieu's campaign has received more than $270,000 in contributions from individuals and more than $87,000 in contributions from more than 40 different political action committees, according to his campaign finance reports.
From January 2021 through August 2022, LeMahieu's campaign has spent approximately $300,000, more than half of which his campaign forwarded to the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate, according to campaign finance reports.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit myvote.wi.gov.
More: Meet the candidates for Sheboygan County Clerk of Circuit Court.
More: Meet the Sheboygan County candidates for Wisconsin Assembly District 27
More: Meet the Sheboygan County candidates for Wisconsin Assembly District 26
Meet the candidates
Name: Devin LeMahieu
Age: 50
Address: South Eighth Street, Oostburg
Occupation: State Senator and owner, publisher and printer of the Lakeshore Weekly
Highest education level: Bachelor's degree from Dordt University
Campaign website: Devin LeMahieu for Senate on Facebook and www.devinforsenate.com
Relevant experience: As a small business owner and former Sheboygan County Board member, I have a deep understanding and connection to the people and values of our area. I’ve brought those values and experiences to the State Capitol and translated them into state law and good-government reforms to make life better, not only for our district, but for everyone in the state of Wisconsin. I’m committed to building on my proven track record of responsible budgets, tax cuts and conservative problem-solving I’ve shown over the past eight years as your state senator.
Name: Jarrod Schroeder
Age: 39
Address: South Ninth Street, Sheboygan
Occupation: Self-employed automotive detailer
Highest educational attainment: High school, with advanced education in automotive detailing
Campaign website: Jarrod for Wisconsin Senate, District 9 on Facebook and www.jarrodschroederforsenate.com
Relevant experience: I'm just a citizen who sees how we can be better. I'm not in anybody's back pocket. I like honesty. I like transparency. I've been involved in a few non-profit organizations throughout Sheboygan. I enjoy meeting people and helping them solve problems, and possibly connect them to services and resources. I'm also a small business owner and a happily married man. I have one daughter who attends local schools. I believe that makes me very familiar with how smaller families operate on fixed incomes.
Why are you running for State Senate?
LeMahieu: From our responsible budgets, $3 billion tax cut and fundamental reforms, I’ve worked incredibly hard to deliver huge wins for our district and the state. Wisconsin is the best state in the nation, but there’s more work to do. I’m running to make sure we effectively address the challenges we face going forward.
Schroeder: I'm running for Senate because I myself, like many citizens, am not happy with how District 9 has been represented in Madison. My opponent chooses to ignore his constituents and vote along party lines. Both Democrats and Republicans understand that we aren't moving forward with this type of typical partisan politics. We the people feel Wisconsin needs to move forward together without Republicans and Democrats sabotaging each other for the progress of their party. I will work hard for my constituents while serving our community as a whole. The people of District 9 deserve better and can achieve more with me.
Why are you the best candidate in this race?
LeMahieu: Democrat policies have led to rising crime, school shutdowns leaving kids falling behind, rampant inflation, workforce shortages, election law violations and abuse of emergency powers. During the disastrous Biden/Evers era, I’ve fought back and have a proven track record of protecting Wisconsin families and businesses from bearing the brunt of their policies.
Editor's note: Overall crime in Wisconsin decreased over the past five years, including a significant (17%) decrease in property crime and relatively unchanged violent crime, according to a September 2022 report from the Badger Institute. In Milwaukee specifically, while overall crime has been decreasing since 2005, some violent crimes, including assault and homicide, have been increasing, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Schroeder: I'm the best candidate because I have taken the time and will continue to listen to the people of District 9. I will take their ideas, thoughts and lived experiences into consideration. We have plenty of urgent needs our constituents would like to address including access to mental health care, women's health care, combating inflation, marijuana legalization, and affordable housing, just to name a few. I'm ready to start leading District 9 forward instead of showing up and doing nothing.
What is the most pressing issue facing Wisconsin, and how would you address it?
LeMahieu: The biggest issue is inflation and rising costs. Democrat policies of extended shutdowns, war on fossil fuels and runaway government spending have hurt families and small businesses. In Wisconsin, Republicans cut taxes and regulations and saved taxpayers $22 billion over the last decade. That’s $22 billion kept out of government and kept in family budgets — this helps our economy grow and people to thrive. We’ve prepared our state to weather this storm and we’ll emerge stronger than we were before. I’ll continue the work to lower costs on families by keeping government limited and economic freedom maximized.
Schroeder: The most pressing issue facing Wisconsin is women's health care. We need to focus on the actual point: saving women's lives. Not every fetus is viable. In the unfortunate event that a life is endangered or at risk during pregnancy, we need to have protocols in place to provide protection. We also need to address removal of a non-viable fetuses that directly puts a woman's life at risk. If we want the best for our own bodies, we shouldn't be able to tell others how they need to live their lives. There are better solutions to these problems.
Would you support policy initiatives to address the impact of climate change in Wisconsin? If so, what would be your priorities? If not, please explain.
LeMahieu: It is important to let the free market determine energy production in Wisconsin. We are a northern state with a strong manufacturing presence in our economy. It is vitally important for all businesses, especially manufacturers, to have a reliable and affordable energy supply. The best way to accomplish this is a diversified energy portfolio. This is accomplished through the free market and not with government interference.
Schroeder: Of course, I would! Unfortunately, there's no magic reset button. Setting realistic goals starts with us, as people, first. We begin by investing in better infrastructure throughout District 9, such as upgrading to more energy efficient appliances. We can utilize clean energy such as wind/solar during peak times to reduce our carbon footprint, then supplement with non-renewable resources to cover the additional load. It's definitely a compromise, but current statistics don't prove fully renewable energy being attainable in the near future. With improved technology and better infrastructure in place, I'm confident we can make a difference.
What should Wisconsin do to protect the democratic process and ensure the integrity of its elections?
LeMahieu: The state’s Legislative Audit Bureau conducted the most comprehensive review of our election administration in state history. It revealed numerous law violations during the COVID pandemic. We shed light on the problems and were able to craft clear solutions. Unfortunately, our strong election integrity reforms were vetoed by Gov. Evers. We may never know the full impact of the unlawful use of unmanned ballot drop boxes, nursing home abuses or "Zuckerbucks" had on the 2020 election, but we can ensure those violations never happen again in Wisconsin.
Schroeder: Remove Ron Johnson from office, I'm kidding, but I'm also very serious. The idea that Donald Trump truly won the election simply because "he said so" has been proven incorrect many times over. Wisconsin came under scrutiny with "the Green Bay sweep" and Ron Johnson's office had a part in it. There needs to be an investigation in Wisconsin, Arizona and Georgia on these baseless attacks. The current election laws in Wisconsin are fine, but we can always add more rules. Gerrymandering is out of control in Wisconsin. Not only can we do better, but we should all want better.
More:All Republican candidates for state Senate D9 claim election fraud occurred in 2020
Would you vote to uphold the current abortion ban in Wisconsin, vote to add exemptions to the law, or vote to repeal the law?
LeMahieu: Life is sacred and we need to make sure that all life is protected in Wisconsin. We’ll continue to uphold the laws surrounding everyone’s right to life whether that is a mother, an unborn baby, a victim of violent crime or any citizen. We will also look at ways to expand funding and programs to provide hope, options and resources to women experiencing unexpected or crisis pregnancies. Wisconsin can be a state that protects unborn babies and also empowers and uplifts women with life-affirming options and resources.
Schroeder: The current abortion ban in Wisconsin needs to be repealed. As of now, until something is in place, it shouldn’t be upheld. What we should ask instead is "Why did our legislators, who knew full well in advance this would come back to the states, do absolutely nothing to ensure the rights of women in Wisconsin?" Those in leadership who do not protect the great people of Wisconsin need to be removed. Reactive legislation hasn’t helped anyone. When people see a problem and do nothing, that only increases the burden of the taxpayer.
How should state government help Wisconsin residents combat the effects of inflation?
LeMahieu: We need to continue to reduce taxes on Wisconsin’s hard-working families. Over the last decade we have held the line on property taxes while continuing to reduce income taxes including $3 billion in tax cuts in the most recent budget. This leaves more money in the hands of Wisconsin’s residents. Fortunately, we have positioned the state with a projected surplus in the billions of dollars going into the next budget cycle that will be used for further tax reductions.
Schroeder: We need to create a meaningful, long-term plan to help all Americans for generations to come. When Wisconsin finally legalizes marijuana, the tax revenue gained can help to offset inflation. Tax revenue collected from all states with legalized recreational marijuana generated more than $3.7 billion in tax revenue in 2021 alone (Editor's note: according to the Marijuana Policy Project, which is dedicated to legalization of marijuana). New Frontier Data projected that if cannabis had been legalized at the federal level in 2019, there would be 1.63 million jobs in the industry by 2025. States without legalized cannabis had an average of 9.33% inflation over the previous year, compared to 8.86% (Editor's note: according to the CBD Oracle, a group pro-CBD).
Are the schools in your district properly funded?
LeMahieu: For the first time in a long time, we hit two-thirds state funding of K-12 education as a result of the last budget produced by the Legislature. Since 2017, state aid has increased by 18.2% while enrollment has declined by 3.7% in public education. However, schools are facing increasing inflationary pressures that will need to be addressed in the next budget. Thanks to our prudent budgeting, we have a projected surplus in the billions of dollars to continue to reduce taxes while also investing in important core functions like education, roads and health care.
Schroeder: No. Schools are severely underfunded. Public school teachers are underpaid and do not receive the benefits they deserve. How do we expect our children to learn and retain knowledge when our teachers are expected to supply their own classrooms? They deserve proper compensation.
What should state government do about gun violence and crime in Wisconsin?
LeMahieu: The surge in violence in Milwaukee and around the country is alarming. Violence, like what occurred in Madison and Kenosha, has unfortunately been normalized and allowed by prosecutors in big cities. It’s no wonder criminals feel emboldened to commit violence, property damage or illegally use a gun. Gun laws are no good if soft-on-crime prosecutors like D.A. John Chisholm refuse to prosecute those who violate them. In Wisconsin, we’re working to address the root causes of violence by increasing investment in mental health services. Additionally, in the 2017-18 session we instituted school safety plans statewide that included $100 million for schools to make safety and infrastructure improvements.
Schroeder: Expand mental health care! We can't uninvent firearms. Weapon bans do not work. We need to address the issue of why people want to hurt themselves or others. I'm not insinuating that mental health is the answer for every problem. It does, however, correlate with the amount of healthy, responsible gun ownership. According to everystat.org, an average of 621 people die as a result of gun violence in Wisconsin every year. My father died from gun violence. My step-dad died from gun violence. I’ve had dear friends pass away this year from suicide with a firearm. We just aren’t doing enough.
How to vote
To vote, people must be registered and present a photo ID. People can register to vote online at myvote.wi.gov until Oct. 19, in person at their municipal clerk's office or at the polling place the day of the election.
In-person voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 8.
People must vote at the polling location of the ward in which they live. As a result of redistricting, some wards have changed. People can find their voting location at myvote.wi.gov or by calling their municipal clerk's office.
Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @maya_hilty.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan County Senator LeMahieu faces write-in Democratic challenger
