The Thursday, June 20 forum sponsored by Northeast Wisconsin (N.E.W.) Patriots featured two of the three candidates for the 8th Congressional District seat abandoned by Mike Gallagher.
Wisconsin State Sen. André Jacque and businessman Tony Wied participated in the forum, held at Rock K Ranch in Greenleaf.
Candidate Roger Roth skipped the event, his campaign staff telling organizers a few days ahead of time that Roth had a prior commitment. Master of ceremonies Ron Zahn, a member of the N.E.W. Patriots leadership team, wondered out loud what the commitment could have been, given that “Roth and the other candidates were invited multiple times, with the first invitation being extended nearly eight weeks ago.”
Roth’s absence may have been for the best, as the two-candidate discussion provided ample time for Jacque and Wied to connect with the 60 audience members.
The candidates appeared to differ very little on the issues, both expressing solidly conservative positions on abortion, election integrity, domestic energy production, health care freedom, immigration, school choice, and more.
The difference was stark, however, when each candidate expressed his “unique selling proposition.”
Jacque presented himself as the never-back-down, get-things-done, battle-tested conservative. He has represented Wisconsin’s 1st Senate District since 2019; served in the State Assembly for four terms between 2011 and 2019; and staffed several political campaigns before throwing his own hat into the ring.
Wied, by contrast, presented himself as the political outsider who largely ignored local, state, and national politics while running his six successful Dino Stop gas stations. He said he was inspired to enter politics by businessman/outsider Donald Trump and was honored to be the “only Trump-endorsed candidate in this race.”
When asked how they would withstand the “pressure to go along and get along” that a freshman congressman would immediately be subjected to by the RINO establishment in Washington, Wied noted he would be immune to such pressure because he didn’t intend to make politics his career. “I don’t intend to serve more than three terms,” he said, “and then I will come home, where I belong.”
Jacque pointed to his track record in the legislature and reminded the audience of the “slings and arrows” he’s taken on many occasions butting heads with Wisconsin House Speaker Robin Vos and others in the state legislative establishment. “Anyone who has followed my legislative career knows I don’t compromise my principles. I have to be able to look myself in the mirror,” he said.
After the candidates’ closing remarks, the crowd offered hearty applause for both. Emcee Zahn took a few minutes to remind the audience that the two candidates (plus Roth) would appear TWICE on the August 13 Republican primary ballot: Once for the special election called by Gov. Tony Evers to fill two months of Gallagher’s unfinished term, and once again for the general election to fill the seat starting in January 2025. Zahn reminded the audience of the “critical importance” of voting for their preferred candidate TWICE on the primary ballot.
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N.E.W. Patriots will host a U.S. Senate candidate forum on Thursday, July 18, also at the Rock K Ranch. Candidates Rejani Raveendran and Charles Barman have accepted the invitation; Eric Hovde has yet to accept. Click here for more information. Veteran Dan Sanchez will provide live patriot music from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., as he did (to significant applause) for an hour before the Congressional candidate forum.
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