In an energetic campaign rally Sunday, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif., endorsed U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., for re-election to the Senate and Mandela Barnes for lieutenant governor.
Taking place at the Madison Concourse Hotel, the three politicians spoke to a small group from the press before the campaign rally.
Barnes spoke first on a question about Medicaid expansion, specifically on how it would be expanded under Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Evers with a hostile state Legislature.
“There will be a mandate that Medicare expansion is the right way to go for this state,” Barnes said. “We’ve got to make sure that the 2.4 million people in the state of Wisconsin with pre-existing conditions keep their access to quality and affordable healthcare.”
Senator Baldwin was next questioned on her positions of tax credits, re-enforcing her views on the tax bill passed last year.
“I’ve been talking a lot during my campaign about the tax bill that passed last year, where 83 percent of its benefits went to the top 1 percent” she said. In addition to her distaste of the bill, Baldwin stated, “It was discovered that one company, ExxonMobil, will get a bigger tax break in the first year of this tax measure than every Wisconsin individual and family combined.”
When Senator Harris was then asked about President Trump’s hesitancy to identify Saudi Arabia’s role in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Harris expressed her concern.
“It’s not the first time I don’t understand the President’s reaction to something. This should cause him and the American public a great deal of concern,” Harris said.
Volunteers on Baldwin’s campaign stood on stage to mark the official start to the campaign rally as they introduced Mandela Barnes.
Barnes contrasted his criticism of Gov. Scott Walker on a range of issues with his and Tony Evers’ vision of different policies on health care, the environment, and education — the forefront issue of Evers’ campaign.
Barnes emphasized the necessity of voting in widespread numbers in order for Democrats to be successful in the midterm election.
Barnes then introduced Tammy Baldwin, who was met with rapid applause and chants of her name. The senator began by praising Barnes and Evers, who she has spoken highly of in the recent past.
Baldwin spoke about the issues she’s focusing on, similar to those Barnes spoke of. She reinforced her attention on health care affordability; creating a stronger economy that benefits working class people; how she wants to fight big money and interest groups; and her desire to help fix what she says is “a mess” in Washington.
The senator didn’t go without attacking her opponent, state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Brookfield. Baldwin specifically criticized Vukmir for her record on health care.
“Over her 16-year career as a politician in Madison, she has consistently stood with the insurance companies and not with us,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin then introduced Senator Harris to the stage.
Coming off fresh from her recent work in the Kavanaugh hearings, Harris strongly emphasized the importance of voting and encouraged those in attendance to vote.
“Elections matter. Who holds the office matters. Who is in the United States Senate matters. Who is governor and lieutenant governor, that matters,” she said.
Harris went on to discuss her admiration for Tammy Baldwin, praising her work.
“Your leader, Tammy Baldwin, has been fighting fighting like a champ, for what we have to do about the opioid epidemic, to what we have to do to support manufacturing in our country, to what we need to do to make sure all Americans have access to affordable health care,” Harris said.
At a time where Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate, the majority of governor seats, and perhaps most importantly the Supreme Court, Democrats across the country have been desperately seeking victories.
