Baylor Spears, Wisconsin Examiner

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will once again pause abortion services at its clinics next week after an injunction that blocked portions of President Donald Trump’s megabill was lifted.

Three Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin clinics in Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan currently offer abortion services and are together the largest provider for abortion services in the state.

The temporary pause in services will take effect on Oct. 1. Until then, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin says that it is working to see as many patients as possible and continuing to monitor the legal landscape.

“Our commitment is unwavering: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin will continue to provide the full spectrum of reproductive health care — including abortion — as soon and as we are able to,” Tanya Atkinson, president of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin said in a statement. “In the meantime, we are pursuing every available option — through the courts, through operations, and civic engagement.”

“To the patients who count on us: we are here for you. To our staff and supporters: thank you for standing with us. We remain dedicated to care — no matter what,” Atkinson said.

The organization is halting services due the federal tax cut and spending megabill — officially titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act — signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year.

Federal funds have been prohibited from being used to pay for most abortion care for nearly five decades under the Hyde Amendment. However, Planned Parenthood has been able to use federal funds via Medicaid payments and Title X, a federally funded family planning program, to help provide services other than abortion care, including contraceptive care, STI testing, pregnancy testing, and gynecological services to low-income and uninsured individuals.

The new law includes a provision, which is set to expire July 4, 2026, that bars Medicaid payments for one year for organizations that received more than $800,000 in Medicaid reimbursements in fiscal year 2023 and primarily engage in family planning services and reproductive health and provide abortions. Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin noted that the law was crafted specifically to penalize Planned Parenthood and its patients.

The law is being challenged in court, but an injunction that was blocking the law from taking effect was lifted earlier this month by the First District Court of Appeals.

According to the UW-Madison’s Collaborative for Reproductive Equity (CORE), after October 1, clinic-based abortion care in Wisconsin will only be available at two independent clinics in Milwaukee.

“Effectively, 99% of Wisconsin counties now lack clinic-based abortion care,” the organization said in an email.

This is the second time that abortion services will disappear from the state since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

After the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, abortion care in Wisconsin halted for about 15 months from June 2022 until September 2023, when Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin determined it had enough legal standing to resume.

Abortion had been halted in Wisconsin due to a criminal law enacted in 1849, but that was ruled invalid and unenforceable by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July. The Court found in its 4-3 decision that the law had effectively been repealed by other laws passed after it.

A coalition of Illinois abortion providers and advocates said at a press conference in Chicago Thursday morning that they were prepared to take Wisconsin residents who need abortion services.

Dr. Allison Cowett, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer for Family Planning Associates, which is the largest independent abortion provider in Illinois, said the agency saw a significant jump in patients the last time abortion services were restricted in Wisconsin.

“Before Dobbs, less than 3% of our patients traveled to Illinois from Wisconsin for an abortion. When Wisconsin’s 1849 trigger ban went into effect, that number jumped to 9%,” Cowett said. “One in every 12 patients we cared for here in this building came from Wisconsin. After 15 months of that ban, abortion services in Wisconsin were restored, and that number dropped in half.”

She expects the previous increase to be repeated.

“With the sharp reduction in abortion access expected in Wisconsin in less than a week, we anticipate a large influx of patients, once again, forced to travel to Illinois for this basic health care,” Cowett said.

Megan Jeyifo, executive director of the Chicago Abortion Fund, said the pause in services amounts to a ban and Illinois is prepared to once again take in patients.

“Illinois is ready. Our constellation of care, which includes providers, funds, advocates, and our incredible elected officials will not leave people stranded,” Jeyifo said. “We will not abandon people when they need us. We will be here with open arms to support the needs of our neighbors. Abortion is not just a procedure or a few pills. Abortion gives women and girls and trans and non-binary people control of our lives, our families and our futures.”

Wisconsin Democrats were critical of Trump’s law for how it is affecting access and recommended that people continue to reach out to Planned Parenthood if they need care.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) told reporters after a discussion with people affected by Trump administration changes to the Affordable Care Act in Mount Horeb that Planned Parenthood’s announcement is just one of the health care impacts from Trump’s “big, ugly bill.”

“Planned Parenthood does incredible things for people’s health, cancer screenings, wellness checkups, full range of reproductive care, and this is obviously already having impacts on the type of care that Wisconsinites will be able to receive, and it’s a tragic result,” Baldwin said.

State Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) and state Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a joint statement that “the Trump administration and Republican extremists are focused on targeting access to reproductive health care.”

“Planned Parenthood’s announcement that it is pausing abortion services is the latest example of the devastating effects of Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill. Wisconsinites will continue to have their lives upended and their wellbeing threatened by that piece of legislation,” the lawmakers said. “It is important to note that abortion is and remains legal in the State of Wisconsin. Those who need that health care should continue to contact Planned Parenthood for help in finding access to those services or reach out to other providers who offer abortion services.”

Wisconsin Right to Life, an anti-abortion advocacy organization, celebrated the pause in services in a statement.

“Taxpayer dollars should never fund the taking of innocent preborn lives,” Executive Director Heather Weininger said, claiming that Planned Parenthood has “long centered its operations around abortion services, and this announcement only confirms that reality.”

According to Planned Parenthood’s annual report from 2022-23, abortion services accounted for 4% of all the health services the organization provided.

“Women and girls facing difficult or unexpected pregnancies deserve compassion, real support, and life-affirming care — and that’s exactly what the pro-life movement is committed to providing,” Weininger said.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan Tuesday due to the federal charges that allege she tried to help a man in her courtroom avoid arrest by federal immigration agents.

Dugan was arrested Friday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the Milwaukee County courthouse and has been charged with two federal criminal offenses, felony obstruction of a federal agency and a misdemeanor for concealing a person to help them avoid arrest.

Earlier this month, ICE and other federal agents showed up outside her courtroom to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant accused of misdemeanor battery. The federal government alleges she helped Flores-Ruiz evade them by allowing him to exit using a side door without going past the agents. The agents then apprehended him outside the courthouse on foot.

The Court said in a two-page letter that it was in the public interest to relieve Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan of her duties. The letter stated that Dugan is temporarily banned from “exercising the powers of a circuit court judge” as of Tuesday.

“In the exercise of [the Supreme Court’s] constitutional authority and in order to uphold the public’s confidence in the courts of this state during the pendency of the criminal proceeding against Judge Dugan, we conclude, on our own motion, that it is in the public interest that she be temporarily relieved of her official duties,” the Court stated.

Dugan’s legal team said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that they “are disappointed that the Court acted in unilateral fashion. We continue to assert Judge Dugan’s innocence and look forward [to] her vindication in court.”

Republican state lawmakers said Tuesday they would introduce a bill to force local law enforcement to verify the citizenship status of people in custody for a felony offense and to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if citizenship cannot be verified. Counties that do not comply would be at risk of losing state money.

Lawmakers said that Wisconsin needs to assist President Donald Trump and the federal government with its work deporting “illegal immigrants” from the United States. Since inauguration day, federal agents have arrested more than 8,000 people, including some people who had no criminal history.

State Sen. Julian Bradley (R-New Berlin) said at a press conference that the legislation is meant to “keep communities safe” and that the message to sheriffs is “do not put your personal politics above the safety of the citizens who elected you.”

Under the bill, noncompliance by a sheriff would result in a 15% reduction in the county’s shared revenue payments from the state in the next year. Counties across Wisconsin rely on those payments to fund public safety, emergency medical services, transportation and other services. Sheriffs would have to certify compliance each year with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

The bill would also require sheriffs to comply with detainers and administrative warrants received from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for individuals held in the county jail for a criminal offense. Sheriffs would also need to seek reimbursement from the federal government for any costs incurred while holding people.

“We don’t want Wisconsin on the hook for this,” Bradley said.

The bill would also require sheriffs to keep a record of people who were verified as unlawfully residing in the U.S. and submit the information to the Legislature in a biannual report.

Lawmakers said that sheriffs would continue to have discretion over whether to report people who aren’t detained for a felony offense.

Bradley said that only “far left extremists in this country believe that someone here illegally that commits a felony should be allowed to stay.” He noted that the Laken Riley Act, which expands the mandatory detention requirements of immigrants charged and arrested on petty and other crimes, passed Congress with the help of 46 House and 12 Senate Democrats. He said the issue should be one with bipartisan support and called on his Democratic colleagues to sign on.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported the legislation after obtaining a copy of the draft bill.

Similar legislation was enacted in North Carolina last year.

Democratic opposition

Gov. Tony Evers has already committed to vetoing the legislation should it make it to his desk.

In a statement released to the Journal Sentinel, Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback called the bill an “unserious proposal” that is “trying to micromanage local law enforcement decisions by threatening to gut state aid by 15% for our local communities — that’s a non-starter.”

“We shouldn’t be threatening law enforcement with deep budget cuts, we should be working together with local law enforcement to improve public safety, reduce crime, and keep dangerous drugs and violent criminals off of our streets,” Cudaback said.

Assembly Majority Leaders Tyler August (R-Walworth) said it’s “unbelievable” Evers would threaten a veto of the legislation.

“It’s unbelievably unfortunate, but not unexpected that the governor would threaten to veto a bill that he hasn’t even seen yet,” August said. “[It] seems to be his M.O. that he governs by veto.”

Currently, seven Wisconsin counties have agreements with ICE to hold in jail immigrants without legal status to reside in the U.S. At one point, that number was eight, but Lafayette County ended its participation in ICE’s 287(g) program.

August said lawmakers talked with county officials, including those in Waukesha, while drafting the bill.

“A lot of the sheriffs already do this by practice because they know that it’s what’s right for their communities,” August said.

Dane, Milwaukee counties considered noncooperative

In a cosponsorship memo, lawmakers point to a June 2024 ICE report that lists Dane and Milwaukee counties as “noncooperative institutions.”

Dane County until recently participated in the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), in which it provided the names of immigrants lacking legal status to the federal government and in return were reimbursed for the costs of their incarceration.

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett recently ended the county’s participation in the program. He told Channel 3000 that it’s a “different time” and that the “the previous administration is completely different than our current administration, and we have to be able to continue to represent the values of our community.”

Milwaukee County Supervisors Caroline Gómez-Tom, Juan Miguel Martínez, Anne O’Connor, Steven Shea, Sky Z. Capriolo and Justin Bielinski denounced the legislation in a statement, calling it a “dangerous” proposal that would make sheriffs “a tool of the Trump administration’s bigoted obsession with scapegoating immigrants.”

The supervisors said that mandating that sheriffs honor ‘administrative warrants’ not approved by a judge would “bog down law enforcement with false alarms — preventing them from focusing on real public safety concerns like reckless driving, drug overdoses, and rising crime.”

They also warned that the bill could force Wisconsin residents to carry documents at all times to prove they have “the right to live in their homes, go to work and pick their children up from school,” and that “anyone detained by a Wisconsin sheriff who cannot immediately prove their legal status would be at risk of being handed over to federal authorities.”

A 2024 survey conducted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland in conjunction with the Brennan Center for Justice found that more than 9% of American citizens of voting age don’t have documents — including a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers — to serve as proof of citizenship readily available. The survey found that the lack of documentation could be for various reasons including documents being in the home of another family member or in a safety deposit box or that the documents have been lost, destroyed or stolen.

“The only thing this proposal accomplishes is to bankrupt Wisconsin law enforcement both morally and fiscally,” the supervisors said, adding that they encourage the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office to “remain focused on actual public safety instead of enabling the worst policies of Trump extremists.”

ACLU of Wisconsin condemned the legislation, saying it “sends the wrong message.” The group noted that it could mean that any one who invokes their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent would have to be reported to ICE along with anyone who cooperates but fails to have access to the specific documents listed in the bill.

“It sends the message that local law enforcement should take on the additional tasks and risks of immigration status investigations,” Executive Director Melinda Brennan said in a statement. “It will encourage xenophobic sheriffs to investigate the status of not just persons accused of serious crimes but of anyone who enters their custody.”

Republican lawmakers accused Democrats of being extremist. Democratic lawmakers announced a proposal last week that would block state and local government officials from cooperating with federal deportation efforts without a judicial warrant. It would apply to detentions in a public building or facility, school, place of worship, place where child care services are provided, or place where medical or other health care services are provided.

August said Democrats’ proposal “basically would turn the entire state into a sanctuary state.”

Wisconsin Democrats announced legislation Tuesday that would block state and local government officials from cooperating with federal deportation efforts — getting ahead of an expected bill from Republican lawmakers this week that would instruct the opposite.

The legislation comes as President Donald Trump has launched highly publicized immigration raids across the country yielding close to 1,000 arrests. Last week, the new administration threw out guidelines limiting enforcement in or near “sensitive” areas, including places of worship, schools, health care facilities, relief centers and social services centers.

Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee) said at a press conference that everyone in Wisconsin and the U.S. is protected from unreasonable searches and seizures regardless of immigration status.

“We want people in Wisconsin’s kids to feel safe in Wisconsin schools, places of worship, places where child care services are provided, in places where medical or other health care services are provided,” Ortiz-Velez said. “Kids deserve to feel safe in school. People deserve to seek medical care without fear of separation or detainment.”

The bill would prohibit state agency and local government officials, employees and agents, including law enforcement officers, from aiding in the detention of a person if they are being detained on the “sole basis that the individual is or is alleged to be not lawfully present in the United States” unless there is a judicial warrant. It would only apply to detentions in a public building or facility, school, place of worship, place where child care services are provided, or place where medical or other health care services are provided. Under the bill, civilians also wouldn’t be required to aid unless there is a judicial warrant.

The bill would also prohibit the state from using its money to aid in detention efforts.

Ortiz-Velez said that Wisconsin should protect the law-abiding residents of the state regardless of immigration status and emphasized that Wisconsin doesn’t have to comply with the federal government in its deportation efforts.

“While as a state we may not stop the federal government from exercising its legitimate power within the state’s borders, a state is not required to help the federal government in the exercise of its powers,” Ortiz-Velez.

“Good, hard-working people deserve to be treated with dignity — a pathway to citizenship, fair wages. We need real and meaningful immigration reform from Washington DC,” Ortiz-Velez continued. “And I’m urging Congress and the president to move forward with solutions that secure the border but also work to reform our broken immigration system.”

It’s unlikely the bill will become law given that Republican lawmakers, who hold a majority in the Assembly and Senate, plan to introduce legislation soon that would do the opposite.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said last week at the State of the State address the Republicans plan to propose a bill this week that would require local law enforcement to cooperate with the deportation efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

GOP lawmakers have argued that Wisconsinites, in voting for President Donald Trump in November, signaled support for his immigration policies. Trump won Wisconsin by fewer than 30,000 votes — or 0.9% of the vote.

Forward Latino National President Darryl Morrin sought to address some misconceptions about undocumented immigrants. He cited research showing that undocumented workers pay taxes in the U.S. without benefiting from the social services they help to pay for, and most are not criminals and are in the U.S. solely to work. One report found that in 2022 undocumented immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.

“The overwhelming number of undocumented immigrants are guilty of one thing: wanting to provide for their families and do so in a safe and nurturing environment,” Morrin said. “Being undocumented in the United States is not a crime, despite what is being repeated on the airwaves nightly, it’s a civil violation. It’s the same thing as if I had a parking ticket.”

Lawmakers and advocates said the bill was necessary as a way to protect people from inhumane treatment.

“What is happening at the federal level is not a safety plan. It is fear weaponized, targeting the most vulnerable among us, and we know that this approach silences victims of violence who are afraid to speak out,” Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison) said. “It fosters exploitation and fractures trust. Chaos is not a safety solution. Hate is not a policy, and fear is not safety. The only path to a freer, fairer future is through humane constitutional policies. It’s through investments in communities, not draconian crackdowns.”

Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) said the actions of the federal government, under the guidance of Trump, have caused “significant anxiety and chaos across America.” He quoted the Bible, Leviticus 19:33: “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner resides among you and must be treated as your native-born.”

Christian and religious teachings were a repeated theme throughout the press conference as multiple advocates and faith leaders spoke in support of the bill.

Executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches Rev. Kerri Parker speaking at the press conference Tuesday. Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner.

Executive director of the Wisconsin Council of Churches Rev. Kerri Parker said it’s necessary for religious and human services workers to be allowed to do their jobs without fear of disruption by “state violence.” She said she was delivering the message with the backing of the board of directors of the Wisconsin Council of Churches.

“We live in an age of fear and separation, but Wisconsin, we can do better,” Parker said. “A practice of care and accommodation, feeding and clothing, healing and safety has been in place among people of faith for millennia. Hospitality is a central piece of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. How then are we to allow simple human need to be treated as a trespass? We can’t.”

The pleas from Wisconsin faith leaders come as others across the country have been calling for the Trump administration to treat immigrants with dignity. Last week, Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, directly pleaded with Trump during a service to “have mercy” on vulnerable people in the U.S. including those who “pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants.”

“We have many messages from churches, supporting those who live in fear because of the color of their skin, their national origin, their immigration status. Our neighbors are seeking help, solidarity and peace,” Parker said. “We desperately need reconciliation, something that will not be achieved by making us more fearful and suspicious of one another or by adding more violence to an already violent world.”

The Republican-connected Badger Values PAC is spending in Wisconsin to boost Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, according to a report from the Washington Post.

The spending is a sign that some think third party presidential candidates in Wisconsin, a key battleground state, could influence the outcome of the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. Three third-party candidates — Stein, Robert F. Kennedy and Cornel West — will appear on Wisconsin ballots, though Kennedy, who has been seen as a potential spoiler for Trump, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to get his name removed since he dropped out and endorsed Trump, filing his appeal after early voting started in the state.

Stein, who remained on the ballot in Wisconsin after the state Supreme Court decided not to hear a challenge brought by Democrats, is seen as a potential spoiler for Harris.

Wisconsin’s election results are known for being close with the last two presidential elections decided by about 20,000 votes. A recent Marquette University Law School poll released on Oct. 16 found that the presidential race nationally remains extremely tight, with Harris being the choice for 48% of likely voters and Republican former President Donald Trump is the choice of 47% among likely voters.

Mailers sent by Badger Values PAC this year in Wisconsin have been attacking Vice President Kamala Harris, while speaking favorably of Stein.

“As President, JILL STEIN Would End Pollution in Our Great Lakes and Rivers,” one mailer stated. “Kamala Harris and Co. Don’t Care About Our Environment. VOTE FOR JILL STEIN by November 5th.”

The independent group registered with the FEC on Sept. 24 to spend on federal elections, and has the same address and treasurer as a group by the same name that registered in Wisconsin in July 2022. Badger Values PAC spent $407,483 during the 2022 Wisconsin attorney general race, including $137,000 on television ads to support Adam Jarchow, a former state representative, during the Republican primary. During that campaign, Jarchow described himself as “pro-life,” saying that an 1849 criminal law should be enforced to ban abortion in the state.

Les Williamson, the group’s treasurer, has worked for Republican groups in the past, including working for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and serving as treasurer to other super PACs that supported Republicans in races in New Hampshire and this year’s Montana Senate race.

As of Oct. 25, the group has spent about $982,900 on 2024 federal elections, including about $307,000 for Stein.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said in a statement responding to news of the spending that Stein has no chance of winning, but Republicans think she could deliver a win for Trump. The DNC has also recently launched ads in Wisconsin, as well as other swing states, against Stein.

“That’s why Republicans are spending heavily in battleground states like Wisconsin to prop up her spoiler candidacy and manipulate voters,” DNC Communications Advisor Lis Smith said. “Republican operatives like Badger Values PAC couldn’t make it any clearer — a vote for Stein is a vote for Trump.”

Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and X.

The Republican State Leadership Committee is investing funds and launching ads in Wisconsin in an effort to help protect Republicans’ long held majorities in the state Assembly and Senate.

Wisconsin’s state legislative races are in the spotlight this election cycle as new legislative maps adopted this year have created the opportunity for a shift in power for the first time in over 10 years. The RSLC has identified Wisconsin as one of the states where Republican majorities need to be defended and said in early September that it and its affiliated PACs have invested over $34 million this cycle across 21 states with a focus on Wisconsin, Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The announcement comes as the group’s Democratic counterpart is boosting Wisconsin Democratic state legislative candidates.

As a part of the effort, the RSLC announced a slate of ads Wednesday it will launch in Wisconsin to target three Democratic candidates running for the state Assembly. Republicans currently hold a 64-seat majority.

RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a statement that the organization’s “top priority these next few weeks is to defend our GOP majorities in battleground states and the best way to play defense is to go directly on offense.”

Duncan said the ad campaign will “make an example” of Democratic candidates in Wisconsin by “holding them accountable.” The organization is launching similar ads in Arizona and New Hampshire.

“We will continue to invest the necessary resources needed through Election Day to defend our majorities across the country and hold the line against extremist Democrats running up-and-down the ballot on November 5th,” Duncan added.

The organization is running ads targeting three Democratic candidates for their views on Wisconsin’s school voucher programs, which allows students to attend private schools at taxpayer expense. Each candidate is running in a competitive district to oust a current Republican lawmaker.

The focus on the choice program is notable as the state Legislature plays an influential role in deciding the shape of education funding. In recent legislative cycles in Wisconsin, lawmakers have chosen to make increasing investments into the state’s voucher program, even as public school funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation and schools are increasingly going to referendum to ask voters to pay additional property taxes to fund school costs.

One ad focuses on Democrat David Marstellar, a health care advocate and former businessman, running against Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek), who was first elected to the Assembly, in the race for the 21st Assembly district. The district covers Oak Creek and parts of Milwaukee and Greenfield.

The ad asks “Who should decide where Wisconsin kids should go to school? Parents or Madison politicians?” It then accuses Marstellar of thinking politicians should decide. It includes a written comment from Marstellar included in Vote411, a voter guide funded by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.

“We need to invest money in our public schools rather than for-profit voucher schools that get to pick their own students. Public education should be guaranteed for every child in our state, and the money should not be diverted to voucher schools,” Marstellar said. “If people want to send their children to private schools, they should pay for it themselves.”

Rodriguez, for her part, has long been an outspoken advocate for Wisconsin’s school voucher program.

Another ad will focus on LuAnn Bird, a former school board member and executive director of Wisconsin’s League of Women Voters, who is running against Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) in the race for the 61st Assembly District. The toss-up district covers the southwestern Milwaukee villages of Greendale and Hales Corners and parts of Greenfield.

The third ad will target Joe Sheehan, former superintendent of the Sheboygan Area School District and executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, who is running against Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan) in the 26th Assembly district, which represents Sheboygan.

Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and X.

Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her case for the presidency to an energetic crowd in the gym of West Allis Central High School in Milwaukee on Tuesday — two days after President Joe Biden decided to step out of the 2024 presidential race.

The rally in the battleground state of Wisconsin, which was planned before Biden’s decision to drop out, was Harris’ first as the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, having gathered the support of enough delegates to secure the nomination on Monday. The energy at the rally was palpable with rally-goers embracing Harris’ candidacy after weeks of uncertainty that plagued Democrats following Biden’s unsteady debate performance in June.

Harris painted a stark contrast between her campaign and that of former President Donald Trump.

“Ultimately, in this election we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?” Harris said. “Do we want to live in a country of freedom, compassion and rule of law, or a country of chaos, fear and hate?”

She pointed to her experience as the California attorney general, San Francisco district attorney and as a prosecutor, saying it prepared her to run against Trump.

“In those roles, I took on perpetrators of all kinds — predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who wrote the rules for their own game.” Harris said. “So hear me what I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.” The crowd erupted into cheers and chants of “Kamala!” “Kamala!” Kamala!”

Harris said she would “proudly” put her record up against Trump’s any day. She also emphasized, however, that the campaign is not “just about us versus Donald Trump.”

“This campaign is about who we fight for,” Harris said, adding that it would be a “people powered” campaign.

“This campaign is also about two different visions for our nation — one where we are focused on the future, the other focused on the past,” Harris said. “We believe in a future where every person has the opportunity, not just to get by, but to get ahead, a future where no child has to grow up in poverty, where every worker has the freedom to join a union, where everyone has affordable health care, child care and paid family leave…. This is to say building up the middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.”

More than 3,000 people attended the rally according to the Harris campaign — making it the largest event of the year for the Biden, now Harris, campaign. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

Harris was welcomed to Milwaukee by Wisconsin Democratic leaders, many of whom announced their support of Harris’ candidacy within 48 hours of Biden’s announcement. Before Harris took the stage, those leaders sought to emphasize the stakes of the election.

Gov. Tony Evers said that on his excitement scale — which goes from “holy mackerel and maxes out at heck yes” — he was “jazzed as hell” to welcome Harris to Wisconsin. He said the choice has never been clearer.

“Donald Trump and J.D. Vance’s path to seizing power, destroying our democracy and taking away our freedoms runs right through the state of Wisconsin, and we are going to stop them,” Evers said.

Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, who kicked off the event, said that Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, want to take the country backwards. He told rally-goers to google Project 2025 — the 900-page document created by the Heritage Foundation that is meant to serve as a policy blueprint for the Trump administration.

Wikler, before taking the stage, told reporters that the biggest challenge of the campaign is “totally out the window.”

“If you’d asked me six weeks ago, what was the biggest challenge in this campaign? I would have said the biggest challenge is that a lot of voters have stopped paying attention. They’re not tuning in. They’re not paying attention to what Trump wants to do to this country,” Wikler said.

“This is now one of the most fascinating and exciting presidential elections in modern history and Vice President Harris is an unparalleled messenger for a message of freedom, of expanding democracy and hope and opportunity, of lifting up working people in every corner of this country,” Wikler said.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley told the Examiner that he is starting to see enthusiasm about Harris online, at home from his wife and daughters and in general.

“We’ve been dealing with distractions for the past couple of weeks, past couple of months — whether or not Biden was going to stay in this race and many Democrats calling for him to step aside,” Crowley said. “This gives us an opportunity again to focus on the issues that are at hand — focusing on reproductive rights, focusing on making sure that we can move this entire country forward and really unifying this country.”

The issue of reproductive rights came up repeatedly from elected officials as well as attendees of the rally and in Harris’ remarks.

“We trust women to make decisions about their own body,” Harris said.

Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski rallied the crowd by saying that Harris could help break the “glass ceiling” finally. She told the Examiner that Harris would be able to bring reproductive rights to the forefront of the campaign in part because she is a woman.

“For far too long, women have felt that reproductive rights has been treated like an afterthought, and part of that reason is because we don’t have a woman fighting at the front of that line,” Godlewski said. “[Harris] understands that it’s our body, it’s our choice and it’s not going to be this second or third tier issue. It’s going to be a top priority for her to make sure we get these reproductive rights back once and for all.”

More than 3,000 people attended the rally according to the Harris campaign — making it the largest event of the year for the Biden, now Harris, campaign.

Déysha Smith-Jenkins, a Milwaukee freelance journalist, said she was feeling “fired up” following the speech.

“I love how she emphasized ‘We.’ I didn’t hear what ‘I will do.’ It was ‘We’ — We, as a people, we, as a nation, we, as a Democratic party, in order for us to keep fighting and get this job done. … I’m sweating with excitement,” Smith-Jenkins said. “I believe in the words that she said.”

Smith-Jenkins said she was planning on attending the rally before Biden dropped out but Harris’ candidacy gave her a reason to wear her “power green suit.” She is part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. — AKA — the same historically Black sorority that Harris joined at Howard University.

“Now that [Kamala Harris] was already the [VPOTUS], president doesn’t seem too far, so that just goes to say there’s no dream that’s too wide, too far that can’t be reached and it’s amazing to see someone that looks like me in a position that way. And also we just happen to be in the same sorority,” Smith-Jenking said. “It’s beautiful.”

Jodi Jean Amble attended the rally with her 9-year-old daughter, Ada. She said that she wanted her daughter to see a Black woman running for president.

“[My daughter] said this morning that she didn’t know if she wanted to come, but she thought when she was an adult, she would regret it if she didn’t,” Amble said. “I think she knows that she’s seeing a big piece of history.”

Chris Ahmuty, a Milwaukee retiree who used to serve as the executive director of the Wisconsin ACLU, said Harris’ candidacy will “give us a chance to reset the election and offer some real hope.” He was at a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who is being challenged by Republican millionaire businessman Eric Hovde, when he and the other attendees learned that Biden would be dropping out.

“It’s not about [Biden’s] fitness to serve out the end of his term. He’s totally fit. He’s certainly done a good job… but my concern for quite a while has been, what about in two years? What about in three years? Are we just postponing a crisis?” Ahmuty said.

Ahmuty, who has lived in Milwaukee since 1972, said he appreciates that Harris, who is 59, is younger. He said that he hopes the “reset of the campaign” will solidify the Democratic base and bring in voters who were less enthusiastic about Biden, including young voters.

16-year-old Ava Hicks of Milwaukee said it was exciting to learn that Biden would be stepping out of the race.

“I think universally, everyone’s kind of tired of these older candidates and staying a little bit redundant, so it’s nice to see something fresh,” Hicks said.

Hicks noted that she won’t be able to vote in November, but that “it’s really important that everyone gets out.” She is a part of High School Democrats of America, and said she would be working to organize and spread awareness leading up to November.

“Women’s rights, education costs, everything is on the ballot this November,” she said.

In a similar vein, Harris told rally-goers that there is a lot of work to be done in the 105 days left until the November 5 election.

“We have doors to knock on. We have phone calls to make. Wisconsin, today I ask you, are you ready to get to work? Are we ready to fight for it? When we fight, we win,” Harris said, before walking off the stage to Beyonce’s song ‘Freedom.’

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