MADISON, Wis. — Early voting starts Tuesday in a special primary to fill an empty state Senate seat representing northern Milwaukee.
State Reps. Dora Drake and LaKeshia Myers – both Milwaukee Democrats who already serve in the state Assembly – are facing off for the job. The winner will finish the term of former state Sen. Lena Taylor, who resigned earlier this year. The July 2 primary is almost certain to decide the race since no Republicans have entered and the 4th Senate District has voted more than 80% Democratic in recent elections.
Both candidates are also running for a full term in the Senate during the general election and will face off again in Wisconsin’s August primary.
TMJ4 Capitol Reporter Harm Venhuizen sat down with each of them to talk about the race.
The questions and responses below have been edited for brevity.
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Asked about their differences, both candidates highlighted their willingness to speak up and work across the aisle.
Venhuizen: “You’re both Democrats from Milwaukee with experience in the Assembly, and you’ve also advocated for a lot of the same priorities. What differences will voters see if they elect you to the Senate over your opponent?”
Myers: “I would say activation of voice and being vocal in the beginning of an issue, understanding issues right away… There needs to be somebody that’s willing to give voice to folks that are back home, and I’ve been one of the people that were able to do that. Even when I disagreed with the administration, I was vocal about that.”
Drake: “The difference is that I’m a bridge builder. I know that there are a lot of things that can divide us, and I think we’re seeing that play out in our local communities and nationally when it comes to our democracy. What’s different is I can stand for what’s right, but if there’s something we can agree on, I’m willing to work on that.”
Drake, a former social worker, said she’s proud of her work to help put in place regulations on vaping in Wisconsin. She has also introduced bills on truancy and racial justice. Drake was first elected to the Assembly in 2020.
Myers, a former teacher, touted her work on education legislation. She has also introduced a bill to allow red light cameras in Milwaukee. Myers was first elected to the Assembly in 2018.
Venhuizen: “What piece of legislation that you’ve authored or worked on are you most proud of?”
Drake: “A piece of legislation that had a lot of regulations added to catch some bad actors, but it was around public safety and health. According to the CDC, one in every three high school students are known to vape. In Wisconsin prior to this law being signed, it wasn’t regulated at all. Because I pushed for that amendment that is now signed into law, it’s just the start of pushing for healthier outcomes not just for youth but for everybody.”
Myers: “Making sure that we have equity in education. There were education bills that we were able to get passed. I was able to help teachers that earn their licenses out of state be able to come to Wisconsin easier so that we can get quality educators in front of our students.”
Both candidates share similar priorities.
Venhuizen: “What are your top three issues as a lawmaker?”
Myers:
· Reckless driving
· Health care
· School funding
Drake:
· Public safety
· Mental health
· Equal access to economic opportunities
Both candidates support Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ calls for a two-pronged audit of Milwaukee Public Schools amid the district’s ongoing financial reporting issues. Myers questioned the governor’s decision to go with an outside auditing agency, but Drake said she supports the decision not to use the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau.
Venhuizen: “What needs to be done, and what would you do as a state senator, to address the ongoing financial issues at Milwaukee Public Schools?”
Myers: “We need to have all stakeholders at the table. I think Gov. Evers is on point with asking for a full-fledged audit of the academic side of the house as well as financial, because one greatly impacts the other. I was glad that he brought that up. Do I think that an outside audit agency should do it? Not necessarily. We have the Legislative Audit Bureau who could possibly do this work.”
Drake: “First and foremost, I think there needs to be an audit, and as the news was coming out with the financial mis-reportings from MPS, I was hopeful that there would be some pathway or agreement between DPI and MPS, but we don’t even know what we’re dealing with. I agree with Gov. Evers on this one that there needs to be an audit so we can actually see what the issue is, and moving forward still making sure that there’s local control of our education system.”
Myers and Drake both support President Joe Biden and his administration.
Venhuizen: “In November, this race will be on the ballot alongside the presidential race. Do you support President Biden, and do you believe he’s done enough for the people of Milwaukee?”
Drake: “Yes, I do, and I think he is the best choice for us as far as governance is concerned. When you look at his track record – he and Vice President Harris and what they’ve been able to accomplish through this administration – it is astounding. It’s like they put their nose to the grindstone and just work.” … “There’s no such thing as a perfect president, but they can be close, and I think this administration has proven itself to be in the public’s corner.”
Myers: “I am supporting President Biden, and I think he has. When President Biden was elected, there was a lot that was happening in our country. We were coming in after the insurrection on January 6, and there was really a loss of trust I think from a lot of people … This election really boils down to fighting for our democracy or having it completely erased. And with President Biden we have the infrastructure law that was passed and so much funding coming our way to Wisconsin.”
Asked whether they see representing Senate District 4 as a path to higher office, neither candidate ruled out the possibility.
Venhuizen: “Former Sen. Lena Taylor served in the state Senate for nearly two decades. Do you see this office as a place you would want to stay potentially for decades, or is this a steppingstone to a higher office?”
Myers: “I have always said I will stay in public office as long as the people will have me. When they say, ‘Okay, we’ve had enough,’ it’s time for me to go. I cannot predict the future – I don’t know. But I do look at this office and this as an opportunity right now to serve in the Senate – it has been a goal.”
Drake: “I think it’s too soon to call for that, but what I will say is I respect what Sen. Taylor did for this community. Her legacy lives on as someone who has fought for her people. I absolutely agree with that, and moving forward I want to ensure that regardless of how long I’m in this seat, that I’m not only just fighting for the people but I’m also serving them, too.”
There have been controversies out of each campaign. Earlier this month, Myers challenged Drake’s nomination forms because she had incorrectly used the form for nonpartisan offices. Drake’s campaign had altered the headers of the nomination papers to state that she was affiliated with the Democratic Party. The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission unanimously rejected Myers’ challenge, keeping Drake on the ballot. Myers said she disagrees with that decision.
Venhuizen: “Why did you challenge Rep. Drake’s nomination papers, and do you believe she deserves to be on the ballot?”
Myers: “First of all, there’s legislating and then there’s politics. In politics, you do what is necessary, and I thought that that was necessary at the time to challenge the nomination papers… I still stand by that decision.”
Venhuizen: What’s your response to Rep. Myers challenging your nomination forms?
Drake: “Quite frankly, it was frivolous. The form that I used was the correct form, the header up top was merely a clerical error that we made. But that was also the same form that was approved by the Wisconsin Elections Commission staff. So, I did my due diligence… I think it’s unfortunate that we’re spending time talking about this… I believe it’s a better use of our time talking about the issues we stand for and talking to our constituents than fighting over something so frivolous.”
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported last month that Myers left her job as dean of students at Wauwatosa School District after being suspended amid an investigation into allegations of unprofessional conduct. Myers says she decided on her own to resign.
Venhuizen: “Why shouldn’t that be a concern for voters?”
Myers: “I look at that as ‘read between the lines.’ I will say this: I’ve been an educator for 17 years. Never once have I been written up, reprimanded, anything else, until I got to Wauwatosa School District. So, this had been something that had built over time. There was consternation from individuals over the fact that I was a state representative and working in Wauwatosa, and that’s where I’ll leave that.”
For more information on 2024 early voting sites, click here.
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