Democratic candidates for governor lay out plans at forum in Milwaukee

In the Democratic race for governor, the field is large, time is short and the final mass sprint to the Aug. 14 primary is about to begin.

But first, another forum.

Monday night, five of the 10 candidates showed up in Milwaukee at an event co-sponsored by the liberal group Citizen Action of Wisconsin and the American Federation of Teachers Local 212.

The candidates agreed on most of the issues as they sought to make the case that they have the right stuff to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker in the fall.

Matt Flynn, a lawyer and former state Democratic Party chair, said "one of the most important issues in this race is stopping Foxconn," the Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer that will build a factory in Racine County aided by $4 billion in state and local public incentives.

Flynn called it a "crooked deal" that will affect the state budget well beyond Walker's political career.

Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, stressed his credentials of public service.

"We're building a coalition of folks to win this thing," Mitchell said.

Mitchell and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin clashed near the end of the forum. Soglin accused Mitchell of writing a "suck-up letter" to Walker when the governor sought to impose Act 10.

Mitchell denied Soglin's accusation and said he was there "early" and "speaking every day" during demonstrations against the bill that curtailed collective bargaining for most public-sector unions.

Kelda Roys, a lawyer and former two-term member of the Assembly, said she "wanted to restore opportunity and fairness" in the state and was "prepared to bring progressive governance back to the state where it belongs."

"We don't want to make this race about the current governor," she said in her closing remarks.

State Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire said, "This state is completely dominated and run by Scott Walker's billionaires and powerful special interests."

He said, "We're going to bring a halt to that. We're going to get our state back. This state belongs to people."

Soglin, dressed informally in a Hawaiian shirt, emphasized his long political experience and winning tough elections. He said major issues include housing, transportation and health care.

Two candidates, businessman Andy Gronik and liberal activist Mike McCabe, sent video messages and had surrogates at the forum. Kenosha attorney Josh Pade was not invited.

State Schools Superintendent Tony Evers and state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout from Alma had previous commitments and did not attend.

Mitchell, Roys, Wachs and Mitchell backed free tuition for technical college students and expressed support to find ways to provide a tuition-free, four-year college education.

Soglin bucked the crowd, though. "The short answer is no," he said, adding, "If I'm faced with a choice, I'm going to fund the public schools first."

On immigration, Roys said she supported in-state tuition for so-called dreamers — young, undocumented people brought to the country at an early age — and backed driver's licenses for undocumented people in the state.

She called on Walker to condemn the separation of children from their parents at the border and called out the governor for sending around two dozen Wisconsin National Guard troops to Arizona to bolster border security.

"By God, this state will be a safe haven if I'm governor," Wachs said.

Soglin noted that Madison was a "sanctuary city."

Flynn said "it's disgusting to take people away from their parents," and backed birth-right citizenship and a path to citizenship for the dreamers.

"We can do so much in America," Mitchell said. "We're better than this."

Soglin, Mitchell, Roys, Wachs and Flynn all supported an independent redistricting process for Wisconsin.

The candidates backed a $15-an-hour minimum wage as a way to help health care workers, especially those involved in long-term care.

They all agreed that more resources should be put into mental health services and stemming the opioid crisis.

On the issue of mass incarceration, Flynn said he would close the Milwaukee Secure Detention facility, legalize marijuana and "pardon anyone with a low-level (drug) possession offense."

Mitchell said he will "tackle" mass incarceration from day one. Roys vowed to cut the state's prison population in half by the end of her first term.

"We've got to build families," Soglin said as he emphasized housing, transportation, child care, health care and education.