Republican candidates running for the U.S. Senate met in Waukesha Wednesday for the first of many senatorial debates.
The debate featured four Republican hopefuls including Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, former U.S. Congressman Mark Neumann, businessman Eric Hovde and physical therapist Kip Smith.
Sen. Herb Kohl, who announced his retirement in May of last year, holds the current senate seat.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, the front-runner in the race, was not present at the debate. Instead, Thompson attended a fundraising event in Minneapolis.
Fitzgerald said the actions taken by Wisconsin to balance the state budget need to be implemented on a national level.
“We don’t have a taxing problem in Washington D.C we have a spending problem…We balanced the budget in Wisconsin,” said Fitzgerald. “We cut spending, we didn’t raise your taxes and we put in a permanent property tax freeze with revenue limits.”
Fitzgerald also emphasized his close ties to Gov. Scott Walker, saying they are “joined at the hip.”
Neumann, who ran against Walker for the republican nomination in the 2010 governor race, said term limits for all members of congress must be implemented.
“This government is being run by career politicians who have never spent their lives other than in politics,” said Neumann. “I understand how important it is that we get some transition there and get back to legislatures that are based in private sector experience”
Hovde, a newcomer to politics, said his experience in the financial sector makes him the perfect candidate to address the country’s economic problems.
