Q&A with 56th Assembly candidates: Dave Murphy and Patrick Hayden discuss education and inflation
Software developer Patrick Hayden is challenging 10-year incumbent Dave Murphy for Wisconsin's 56th Assembly District in the Nov. 8 election.
Murphy, R-Greenville, is seeking his fifth term in the district that covers northern Outagamie County. Hayden, a Democrat who lives in Appleton, is new to running for office.
The 56th District covers parts of southwest Outagamie County including Grand Chute, Greenville, Medina and western Appleton.
The Post-Crescent asked each candidate to fill out a questionnaire before the election explaining why they are running and their positions on issues. Some responses were lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov.
Dave Murphy
Age: 67
Occupation: State legislator
Highest level of education: Two years at University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley
Relevant experience: Ten years representing the 56th Assembly District
Campaign website: www.MurphyForAssembly.com
Patrick Hayden
Age: 43
Occupation: Software developer
Highest level of education: Bachelor’s degree in software information systems from University of North Carolina at Charlotte and bachelor’s degree in political science from The Queens University of Charlotte
Relevant experience: I was an intern in Congress, working on issues around transportation and environmental issues. Along with this, I’ve served on the international board for a community service organization.
Campaign website: www.HaydenForWisconsin.com
Why are you running for office?
Murphy: I care very deeply for the Fox Valley. I grew up and raised a family here. My entire life is invested in the Fox Valley. I have been successful in representing the values of the good people who live here who are my friends and neighbors.
Hayden: I’m concerned about the direction of our state. Issues like K-12 funding, gerrymandering and the price of prescription drugs aren’t getting addressed. Career politicians like my opponent refuse to do anything about these issues so I want to bring new ideas to Madison.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
Murphy: My experience over the last decade in office helps me get results. I have gained a strong knowledge of our state finances and the legislative process. My committee chairmanships and important committee assignments position me to effectively represent you.
Hayden: I’m committed to fighting for the people of Wisconsin. Over the last few years, so many people have been left behind when COVID-19 and inflation hit our economy. I will work to make sure that there are pathways available to everyone not just to stay afloat but get ahead.
What is the most pressing issue facing Wisconsin, and how would you address it?
Murphy: It was difficult to decide whether inflation, education or crime is the most important issue in Wisconsin, but I’m going to talk about inflation and crime later. The COVID-19 pandemic allowed many parents to see what their children were being taught in school, and many were unhappy. Schools were closed for too long in many cases. Schools with the widest achievement gaps were the schools that were closed longest. While the Hortonville district was closed very little, Appleton schools closed for long stretches. We also quit academic student testing during COVID, so we didn’t even know how much ground our students lost. (Editor's note: Wisconsin standardized tests were canceled in the spring of 2020 and resumed in 2021 and 2022. This Post-Crescent article reports scores for Fox Cities students in the most recent tests.)
Hayden: K-12 funding is the biggest issue I see in our state. In the last three years funding for our schools has flatlined and inflation has only made it harder for us to recruit and retain the best teachers. The biggest challenge our schools face is a broken funding formula that makes it impossible to get money into the classroom where it is needed. I’d work to pass elements of a bipartisan package that was put together a few years ago to make sure our schools continue to be some of the best in the nation. (Editor's note: Reports show revenue limits, inflation and pandemic-related costs have stretched school budgets; however, state spending on K12 education has increased in total dollars over the past three years.)
What should Wisconsin do to protect the democratic process and ensure the integrity of its elections?
Murphy: I serve on the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections, so I was able to listen to testimony in committee hearings related to our elections. I have concluded that while some allegations of fraud were not substantiated, others were. The biggest issues were ballot harvesting and using drop boxes, certifying incompetent citizens voting and cities accepting large amounts of money, with many strings attached, from billionaires. Fortunately, the courts have already found drop boxes illegal, but we must protect our seniors from being preyed upon and prevent billionaires from buying our elections. (Editor's note: Ballot harvesting means returning ballots for others, but that doesn't mean any voter fraud took place. A ballot must be connected to one voter. If it's not, it's thrown out. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in July absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal. However, the court said ballots returned to ballot boxes were not fraudulent.)
Hayden: Gerrymandering poses the biggest threat to Wisconsin’s democracy today. Races in two of our 99 districts are considered competitive. When races aren’t competitive, representatives aren’t held accountable to their constituents. Along with this being an undemocratic process, it wastes millions in tax dollars. It’s estimated that we spent around $3.5 million to redraw our maps while our neighbors do the same for less. Our elections are secure, and I say that as someone with a background in software security, but we have to fix the foundations of our democracy. (Editor's note: Marquette University research fellow and redistricting expert John Johnson analyzed 2022 legislative maps using the average results of the 2020 presidential race, the 2018 governor’s race and the 2016 presidential race. The analysis found two Assembly districts with a 2% or less partisan lean.)
Would you vote to repeal Wisconsin's ban on abortions, or to add exemptions to the law, such as for rape and incest victims?
Murphy: I am proudly pro-life. The Dobbs decision was appropriately decided by the Supreme Court as the U.S. Constitution doesn’t speak to the issue of abortion. This makes it a state issue. Wisconsin law permits protecting the life of the mother which is appropriate, and which I support. I am open to discussing the issue going forward, but any changes must protect human life and be grounded in medical science.
Hayden: I would vote to repeal. Banning abortions only outsources them to neighboring states and makes being pregnant more dangerous. For a solution, I would look to a fellow purple state, Colorado. They are providing contraceptives to women free of charge and have found this has reduced not only abortions, but teenage pregnancy, and childhood poverty as well. These programs pay for themselves since there is a reduction in the need for social services. Our abortion ban also creates unnecessary risks for those who want a child. Under current laws, there is nothing to protect a woman with an ectopic pregnancy.
What should state government do about gun violence and crime in Wisconsin?
Murphy: Anything we can do to support the border states that are dealing with overwhelming illegal immigration is imperative. Drugs, guns and human trafficking on the Southern border are making it impossible for the police to keep up. The undocumented firearms that are entering the country will never be traced to the criminals who use them. Drugs are driving a surge in mental illness and crime. Recently, at a hotel just a block from the grocery store where I shop, four people overdosed on fentanyl, with two deaths.
Hayden: Hunting is part of the culture here in Wisconsin so I wouldn’t propose to do anything that takes away from someone’s ability to enjoy the outdoors. I also believe in an individual’s right to defend their home and family. However, I believe assault rifles have no place in hunting and are overkill when we are talking about home defense. Not long ago we had a national ban on assault rifles and during that time the number of deaths in mass shootings dropped. After it expired they went back up. It is time to reinstate the ban on assault rifles. (Editor's note: The U.S. banned both "assault weapons" — semiautomatic guns — and large-capacity ammunition magazines from 1994 to 2004. Some studies have concluded the large-capacity magazine ban likely had a greater role in the reduction of mass killings than the semiautomatic-firearm ban.)
Would you support policy initiatives to address the impact of climate change in Wisconsin?
Murphy: Climate change is a global issue and needs global answers. Wisconsin is less than one one-hundredth of 1 percent of the world’s population. If countries like China and India, who have about 40% of the world population, won’t take serious steps ... what we do will be meaningless. It’s important to support new technology so we can move toward cleaner energy without ruining our economy and driving people into poverty. We must also look seriously at developing carbon-free nuclear power.
Hayden: Yes, and we don’t have to choose between the economy and fighting climate change. I would work to invest in companies like DVO, which is based out of Chilton. They manufacture digesters which take waste and convert it to energy or compressed natural gas. The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh currently uses one to power over 10% of its campus using just grass clippings and waste from their cafeteria. Helping companies like DVO get digesters into the hands of our farmers would create manufacturing jobs, create new revenue streams for our farmers and decrease energy prices for consumers all while helping address climate change.
How should state government help Wisconsin residents combat the effects of inflation?
Murphy: Inflation is caused by declining productivity and increased printing of money. When too few goods are produced compared with the dollars competing to purchase those goods, prices rise. The federal government flooded the country with money, with no corresponding increased production. The Federal Reserve is raising interest rates to help bring inflation under control, but this is most likely going to cause a recession. That is why Republicans in the Legislature have fought to protect the surplus in the current state budget. A recession will cause reduced tax revenue going forward and that surplus cushion will make tax increases unnecessary.
Hayden: One challenge with working in the state government and fighting things like inflation is that these are national and international issues. On that level, Wisconsin’s economy is relatively small so it is very hard for us to make any measurable difference when it comes to inflation. What we can do is invest in Wisconsin-based companies over spending money on the next Foxconn to make sure that we are creating real jobs here at home. That way when these issues hit that we can’t control, like inflation, we at least are giving workers a solid foundation to stand on.
Sophia Voight can be reached at svoight@postcrescent.com. Follow her on Twitter @sophia_voight
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Assembly candidates Dave Murphy and Patrick Hayden discuss top issues
