The latest Democratic gubernatorial forum was hosted in Waukesha County by WISDOM Wisconsin.
Perhaps the biggest misnomers in Wisconsin politics, the far-left advocacy group has spent years pushing a laundry list of progressive causes, including driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, ending 287(g) agreements with ICE, granting legal rights to forests, and closing prisons without building new ones. In other words, if there’s a fringe policy idea floating around Madison, there’s a good chance WISDOM has endorsed it.
So it probably won’t shock you to learn that the forum produced some truly remarkable answers.
Fortunately, I watched it so you don’t have to. Here are the five craziest things said at the WISDOM gubernatorial forum:
1. Every Democrat Raises Their Hand for Driver’s Licenses and In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants
During one of the forum’s lightning rounds, moderators asked candidates to raise their hands if they support providing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants and offering in-state tuition rates to non-citizens residing in Wisconsin.
Every single Democrat on stage raised their hand in agreement.
At a time when the UW System has once again raised tuition on Wisconsin students, Democrats apparently believe Wisconsin taxpayers should subsidize college tuition for people who are in the country illegally.
The driver’s license issue is equally revealing. Supporters argue the policy is about safety and helping people get to work. But really, it is just another step toward normalizing illegal immigration, turning Wisconsin into a sanctuary state, and providing a photo ID that illegal immigrants definitely won’t be using to try to vote in our elections.
Whatever your view, the forum made one thing clear: there was no daylight between any of the candidates on the issue.
2. Sara Rodriguez Doubles Down on the Evers-Rodriguez Commutations Policy
When asked about criminal justice reform, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez once again embraced the Evers administration’s commutations policy, referring to it as the “Evers-Rodriguez administration’s” process.
Rodriguez didn’t merely defend the Evers commutations policy. She slapped her name on it.
That’s notable because Governor Tony Evers recently reopened the door to commutations for inmates serving life sentences, making some convicted murderers eligible to seek release after decades behind bars. This includes Waukesha cop-killer Ted Oswald, who recently filed an appeal with Evers’s commutations board to be released from prison early.
Rodriguez has previously called Evers’s commutations policy a “thoughtful approach,” and she showed no signs of distancing herself from it during the forum.
For voters concerned about violent crime, it was another reminder that if Rodriguez becomes governor, the Evers approach to criminal justice isn’t going anywhere.
3. Francesca Hong Says ICE Is an “Enforcer of Fascism” and Suggests Taxpayer-Funded Support Services
During the immigration portion of the program, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong wasted little time in rushing to the defense of illegal aliens while demonizing the men and women tasked with enforcing our country’s immigration laws.
Francesca Hong opened her response by calling ICE an “enforcer of fascism,” which is apparently what passes for mainstream Democratic rhetoric these days.
Hong then stated that it is “imperative” that taxpayers fund so-called “immigrant justice organizations” to help provide services, specifically legal consultations, to undocumented immigrants to help them evade immigration enforcement. She also indicated that Wisconsin employers should be required to undergo some sort of legal observer training to disrupt immigration enforcement in the workplace.
But she didn’t stop there.
Hong then seemed to imply that taxpayers should fund support services ranging from childcare and car seats to taxpayer-funded mechanics for illegals, arguing that immigrant families need those resources to get to work and live their lives.
That’s right, folks. While Wisconsin citizens struggle with out-of-control property taxes, rising utility bills, and childcare costs–Francesca Hong wants you to pick up the tab for an MS-13 member’s car repairs.
4. Kelda Roys Brags About Defending Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Not wanting to be left behind in the race to the left, State Senator Kelda Roys declared that “Trump’s ICE is incompatible with a free society,” referred to the agency as a “paramilitary force,” and called for its abolition.
That position is increasingly common on the activist left. In fact, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin recently adopted abolishing ICE as part of its party platform.
But Roys went a step further.
She proudly highlighted her early opposition to the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—the so-called “Maryland Man” from El Salvador who has been charged with human smuggling, has a documented history of domestic violence allegations, and has faced allegations related to child pornography—describing his removal as an “illegal kidnapping.” Roys then touted legislation she has introduced to unmask ICE agents, end 287(g) agreements, and provide driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
By the time the lightning round arrived, she’d already answered half the questions before moderators could ask them.
5. Mandela Barnes Brags About Shutting Down Coal Plants to Combat Racism
Mandela Barnes has spent the last few months talking a big game about his plans to freeze utility rates and lower electric bills, even though energy experts say the majority of those plans are legally implausible.
Then came the environmental section.
While discussing issues like lead poisoning and environmental justice, Barnes touted his efforts to pressure utilities into shutting down coal-fired power plants, citing what he described as the disproportionate environmental impacts borne by black and brown communities as well as lower-income families.
The problem?
Those same communities are now facing higher utility bills as Wisconsin ratepayers continue absorbing the costs of retiring reliable baseload generation and transitioning to more expensive energy sources. Not only that, but ratepayers still find themselves on the hook for more than $1 billion to pay for stranded asset coal plants that have been shut down in favor of green energy schemes.
It’s a striking contradiction. Barnes wants voters to believe he’s the affordability candidate while simultaneously celebrating policies that have contributed to rising energy costs.
But hey, at least they ended racism.
Final Thoughts
The WISDOM forum wasn’t particularly useful for learning how candidates would balance a budget, improve schools, or lower costs for Wisconsin families.
It was, however, an excellent window into where Wisconsin Democrats are headed. It is abundantly clear that every single Democrat in this race for governor, including the supposed mainstream candidates, will use the executive office to push soft on crime policies that make our communities less safe while turning Wisconsin into a sanctuary state.
If this forum was any indication, the race isn’t about who can move the state forward. It’s about who can move furthest to the left.
If you want to subject yourself to 90+ minutes of torture, you can view the forum in its entirety here.
