Eleven gubernatorial candidates, including 10 Democratic hopefuls, will be in Eau Claire next Monday (Dec. 11) for a candidate forum at the VFW Club 305, 1300 Starr Ave.
The forum is scheduled for 12:30 to 2 p.m., with registration starting at noon. This will be the first time such a forum has been held in northwest Wisconsin ahead of an upcoming election.
The lone Republican will be Ryan Cason, Solon Springs, who is running against incumbent Gov. Scott Walker on a platform that stresses his belief that “it is the responsibility of the executive office to end abortion and homosexual ‘marriage.’”
Democratic candidates who have said they will participate in the forum include Tony Evers, currently the state Superintendent of Public Instruction; Andy Gronik, a Milwaukee businessman; Bob Harlow, a Barneveld native and a 2016 Stanford University graduate; Matt Flynn, former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic party; and Kurt Kober, a Sheboygan businessman.
Others include Mike McCabe, former executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign; Mahlon Mitchell, president of the state firefighters association since 2011; former state Rep. Kelda Roys, Middleton, who is the founder and CEO of OpenHomes, a real estate tech company; Jeff Rumbaugh, Madison, who has worked with and advocated for adults and adolescents with various disabilities for the last 17 years; and state Rep. Dana Wachs, a former Eau Claire City Council member who has been in the state Assembly since 2013.
At least three other Democrats have indicated they are considering a run for governor.
The forum is sponsored by the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans (WIARA), the Wisconsin Farmers Union, One Wisconsin Now, the state AFL-CIO and Subchapter 63 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).
The primary election will be held on Aug. 14, 2018 and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 6.