Tom Nelson jabs Alex Lasry on wealth, New York roots during Democratic U.S. Senate forum

With a month to go in their primary race, Democratic U.S. Senate candidates dug into issues ranging from inflation to abortion to war in Ukraine during a Wednesday night forum sponsored by the Dane County Democrats.

Billed as a debate, the virtual event was a round-robin question-and-answer session among eight candidates.

The four top runners stuck close to their talking points.

Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson carefully outlined their policy positions.

More: Wisconsin U.S. Senate election updates: Cory Booker to headline Mandela Barnes campaign rally

And the only verbal jab came late when Nelson brought up the governor's race as a way to zero in on Lasry's wealth and New York roots.

Nelson claimed that Republican Tim Michels is "an out-of-state millionaire trying to buy the governor's race." Michels is a Wisconsin resident who has homes in New York and Connecticut and whose children attended school in Connecticut.

More: With massive wealth, Tim Michels can afford to stay on the air in Wisconsin's race for governor

"Now, if we nominate someone who's also an out-of-state billionaire we lose our best argument in that race (governor) and we can't allow that to happen," Nelson said.

Lasry is a multimillionaire who has lived in Milwaukee for eight years.

On the issues, several of the candidates waded into abortion in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

More: Here's how Wisconsin leaders, politicians and others are reacting to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade

Barnes said U.S. Senate Democrats need to "abolish the filibuster" to codify the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion.

Godlewski lamented Democrats had a half-century to codify the ruling. She called on President Joe Biden to use executive action to allow Medicaid to cover abortion service's outside a patient's home state.

"We have to make sure we are making it easier for people to get the abortion pill," she added.

More: What is mifepristone, the abortion pill? What to know after the Supreme Court overturned Roe

Lasry was asked about bail and said the current system needs to be reformed but stopped short of calling for an elimination of cash bail.

"People who do not pose a danger or threat to our community shouldn't be held in jail just because they can't afford to get out," Lasry said.

Lasry added that "people who have been arrested for violent crime, or (are a) danger to our communities, should not be released, no matter their financial situation."

More: Bice: U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes favors eliminating cash bail nationally, aide says

On inflation, particularly gas prices, Godlewski said "one of the first things would be making sure that we hold them (fossil fuel companies) accountable for their profiteering" with fines of "at least $2 million a day."

She also called for a gas tax holiday and lower prescription drug prices.

Lasry called for "repeal of the Trump-era tax cuts," while "restoring tax cuts for working-class Americans."

Barnes backed the Biden administration and the Western effort to defend Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Barnes said that "nobody in this country has the appetite for the United States to be involved, boots on the ground" in the conflict, and that Russian President Vladimir Putin and those around him have to be "held accountable."

Nelson emphasized his stance on trade, which he said is especially important for a top manufacturing state.

Nelson said that "the Chinese have eaten our lunch" and that under both Democrats and Republicans the country has entered into "awful trade deals" that "have hurt the American worker."

"We need a national industrial strategy," he said.

Nonprofit executive Steven Olikara made his case to change the "business model" of politics, including prohibiting federal legislators from raising campaign cash while Congress is in session.

Other participants included attorney Peter Peckarsky, businessman Kou Lee and educator and military veteran Darrell Williams.

The primary will be held Aug. 9. The winner will face Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in the fall.

Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement that the debate "showcased that the Democrat candidates have no real solutions for the issues that matter most to Wisconsinites. While Senator Ron Johnson continues to fight for Wisconsin families, the Democrats are pushing their far-left agendas that prove they are out of touch with reality.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tom Nelson jabs Alex Lasry on wealth at Democratic U.S. Senate forum