Nelson stumps in Shawano for Senate seat

Tom Nelson, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate and current Outagamie County executive, kicked off his listening tour of Wisconsin’s 72 counties July 28 at Angie’s Main Cafe in Shawano, trying to get the pulse of the people he hopes to represent.

Nelson said he decided to kick things off in Shawano instead of his home county because he had previously represented southeast Shawano County, including the Town of Maple Grove, when he was a member of the Wisconsin Assembly representing District 5 in the 2000s. He had previously tried for federal office in 2016 when he ran against Mike Gallagher in the Eighth Congressional District to replace retiring Rep. Reid Ribble and lost.

“We’re neighbors, so I thought, why not start with a neighbor?” Nelson said.

Now, Nelson has his sights set on the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Ron Johnson. Johnson has not announced whether he will seek a third six-year term, but regardless, Nelson feels Johnson has to go.

“He’s gone a long, long way toward hurting people in this country,” Nelson said. “That’s not just me as a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate. I hear that from Republicans and especially independents.”

Before Nelson can face Johnson — or whomever the Republican candidate will be — he’ll have to face off against a number of his fellow Democrats. The field includes current Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes, State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Gillian Battino, Chris Larson, Alex Lasry, Kou Lee, Chantia Lewis, Adam Murphy and Peter Peckarsky.

Nelson said he stands out among the other Democrats because he’s not a millionaire, touting his family’s background in agriculture and noting that his father is a Lutheran pastor. He said it was officials at local levels who led the country out of the coronavirus pandemic, not federal officials like Johnson and former President Donald Trump, so he feels he can bring that experience to the halls of the U.S. Capitol.

“Call me old-fashioned, but I think experience matters,” Nelson said. “I’ve been around the state more than anyone else. I have talked to the people of the state. I have a pretty good sense of where the people are at.”

Nelson realizes he’ll need more than the Democratic base to win the election and noted that both Shawano and Outagamie counties consist of Republican-majority voters. He said he has the history of bringing both sides together when needed.

“We’re going to get to every nook and cranny of this state and talk not only to Democrats, but to Republicans and independents,” Nelson said. “I come from Outagamie County, which on balance is a red county, but I’ve won re-election six times. I would not have won re-election if I was not able to bring Democrats, Republicans and independents together. That’s what the state needs. We don’t need a polarizing figure like Ron Johnson. We need someone to bring the people together.”

Nelson said he was baffled that neither senator representing the state or Wisconsin’s eight representatives in Congress are sitting on a federal agriculture committee, and he vowed that, after being elected, he plans to push to be on the one for the Senate.

“It’s not just because of the personal relationship,” Nelson said. “There are a lot of farms in Outagamie County, a lot of farms in Shawano County. America’s Dairyland, and we have no representation when it comes to policymaking in a committee in the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House. That changes when I get to Washington.”

Nelson also talked about broadband and the need for it to be available across the country. Currently, 14% of Wisconsin does not have an internet service provider that offers high-speed broadband internet, and Nelson vowed to make sure that internet service becomes a utility, the same as electricity and water.

“With broadband, it’s not just about the money (for infrastructure). We need to make sure it’s a utility,” Nelson said. “Think about it. You get all that infrastructure in the ground, and two years later, the companies jack up the prices. You can’t control that unless it’s a public utility.”

Nelson noted that former U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold had previously done a 72-county listening tour when he was in the Senate, and he feels it’s necessary to get to the heart of what constituents want from elected officials. He plans to get it done in a 40-day period.

“When I win, my constituency is going to be more than the people that voted for me,” Nelson said. “It’s not just going to be Democrats; it’s going to be everybody. We’re going to have disagreements, but to have a philosophy that you’re just focused on this one band doesn’t do any good.”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com