85th Assembly District candidates Snyder, Johnson talk COVID-19 response, racial injustice

Wausau Daily Herald

Jeff Johnson, left, and State Rep. Patrick Snyder, right.

WAUSAU - Republican State Rep. Patrick Snyder will face Democratic challenger Jeff Johnson in the race for Wisconsin's 85th Assembly District.

Snyder, 64, a Republican from Schofield, has represented the district since 2016. He formerly worked as a congressional staffer for former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and as a radio host. He has a degree in communications from the University of Iowa.

Johnson, 61, a Democrat from Wausau, is a retired probation and parole agent, criminal defense consultant and private detective. He studied philosophy for four years at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh but joined the U.S. Air Force before graduating. Johnson has served on the Marathon County Board since 2018.

The 85th Assembly District stretches from central to southeastern Marathon County, and includes Wausau, Schofield, Rothschild, Ringle, Hatley and Elderon. For more information on how to register to vote and where to find polling places, people can visit MyVote Wisconsin's website.

The Wausau Daily Herald sent each candidate a questionnaire and asked them to limit their responses to about 100 words. Their answers have been edited slightly for length and clarity. Here's what they had to say.

Why are you running for office?

Johnson: Our state government isn’t functioning very well. The Legislature has its own agenda and doesn’t cooperate with other branches of government. The legislators appear to only have interest in maintaining their own power and not doing the business of the people.

I believe that working men and women have been left behind and have not received the representation they deserve. As a working man myself, I have been in the situation where many of our working folks find themselves today — trying to decide what bills to pay and which ones you can afford to pay.

The people that actually create wealth in this country, the working people, need to get their fair share. I’m running to represent them, not some lobbyist or party boss.

Snyder: I chose to run for office for the people. I have had the privilege of speaking with the hard working individuals who live in this great district. I have spoken with business owners, parents, police officers, bus drivers and many more.

Before I became the state representative of the 85th Assembly District, I worked in former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy’s office where I learned what it takes to create legislation and help people in that process. This was my motivation to run for the 85th District — to make a positive impact in this community and the state of Wisconsin.

What makes you the better candidate in this race?

Johnson: I do not have any strong ideological beliefs that guide my decision making other than doing what is best for the people I represent. I do not owe allegiance to any lobbyist, donor or political party leader.

The first and last question I will ask regarding any issue is “How does this affect the working people in the 85th District?”

I have held positions in almost every sector of the economy at some point in my life, and my experience with everyday working people has taught me that we all want pretty much the same things — good paying jobs so we can take care of our families; good schools; clean air and water; good roads; and the prospect of a better future.

Snyder: Many people I talk with want the Legislature to work together. During my four years in office, I have made it a point to work with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle.

Much of my legislation in foster care, adoption and homelessness has included Democrat representatives. I have had many organizations reach out to me with legislative ideas because they know I will listen and work with them.

What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?

Johnson: People want their lives to get back to normal as soon as possible. The pandemic has disrupted everyone’s lives and we are facing unprecedented financial challenges ahead.

People are also concerned about the economy as we face these challenges. One thing that is certain is that another tax break for corporations and the wealthy is not the right way to get our economy going again.

Working people have proven to be the real essential workers and it is time that they share in the wealth that they create by their labor. We need to raise wages for working people once some semblance of normalcy returns, and, until then, we must fix our unemployment system.

Snyder: Listening to constituents is my most important job as a representative. As I am out each day going door to door, I have continually heard people express concern for their families staying healthy and safe, the need to get the economy going again and the importance of not raising taxes as we prepare for the next budget.

Looking at state reforms that will help small businesses continue rebuilding, making sure we support law enforcement, and working to reduce health care costs will be a priority.

What are top 2 issues the Legislature should address?

Johnson: First and foremost is to accept the federal Medicaid money. It is our tax money that we paid to the federal government and we should accept the funds that would provide coverage for more than 80,000 Wisconsinites and inject money into our economy.

Secondly, we need to work to raise the wages of people that get up every day and go to work. Our wages have been stagnant while the cost of just about everything has been going up. You can’t tell me that in the richest and most powerful nation in the history of the world that we can’t afford to pay our workers better. We can and we should.

Snyder: We need to get the economy back on track as we continue to deal with COVID-19 issues in the state. From major manufacturers to small businesses, we need to help them regain the momentum they had before COVID-19 and get the state back to the point it was prior to the pandemic, allowing us to move forward to meet priorities including health care, education, and transportation.

I am also anxious to address bills that come out of the Speaker’s Task Force and continue my work on child care issues. I want to work to create more quality accessible child care that is affordable to working families.

What should the Legislature be doing to help address the COVID-19 pandemic?

Johnson: The first thing that needs to happen is for the Legislature to show up to work. They adjourned in April and have no plan to return until January of 2021. When called into special session they have gaveled in and out in less than 30 seconds and have refused to work to address the serious issues we face.

We need to collectively work to lower the infection rate so we can safely get back to normal. This should not be a political football. All of our elected leaders need to be at work and advocating for social practices that will get us back to normal faster.

It’s not a hoax, and it will not magically disappear. It will take leadership and a commitment to serve the people first, and political stances should not play a part in decisions.

Snyder: Back in April, we passed the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill that provided resources and flexibility that helped our state deal with the pandemic. It’s been great to see how families, businesses, and communities have come together during challenging times.

As businesses, schools, and communities continue to deal with the virus and work to get things back to normal, it will be important for the Legislature to continue listening and working with all the stakeholders. That will be the most effective way for us as a state to identify changes to state law that will help us move forward successfully. It will also help as we come up on the next state budget and are making decisions on where funding is needed.

Thankfully, over the last eight years we were able to make significant investments in our state rainy-day fund, which will help us as we deal with the economic impact on our state revenue in the next budget.

What can it do to help those affected by the pandemic?

Johnson: Accepting the federal Medicaid money would strengthen our health care system. This money would put our hospitals and clinics in a better position should the situation worsen.

Unemployment benefit enhancements need to be extended because some working people are having a very hard time staying afloat due to layoffs. We need to ramp up testing and follow the science.

If we want this virus to go away we have to work together, proactively regardless of which political party we belong to.

Snyder: We must continue to help our communities and businesses to open and remain open safely with the necessary protocols in place to keep all in our community healthy.

Unfortunately, I have heard from many constituents who are still waiting to receive their unemployment insurance benefits from the Department of Workforce Development, and my office has worked hard to help those individuals get the benefits they need.

One woman called me just this week and hasn’t received any information from the department in 13 weeks. We must make sure the agency provides these benefits in a timely manner as many families are desperately in need of these benefits to provide for their families and keep food on the table.

In your view, how big of a problem is racial injustice and discrimination and what should be done about it?

Johnson: We are very fortunate to have excellent police and sheriff’s departments in the 85th District. However, not everyone in this state enjoys the professional and compassionate way our local law enforcement does their job.

We need to have statewide training standards and standards on the use of force. For five years, I taught probation and parole agents how to safely and effectively take people into custody. I have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of people to jail, and I understand the force option continuum that law enforcement should follow.

We should also require that law enforcement officers be licensed, as most professions in Wisconsin are. Licensure would keep bad cops from jumping from job to job as they sometimes do.

Snyder: I am thankful to live in a country, state and community with rights provided in the Constitution, which guides laws made to protect the people in this country and allow individuals to work hard to achieve their dreams.

However, we must also acknowledge that we are not perfect and should always be striving to improve society as a whole to ensure that we are making it better for people now and for future generations.

We have laws in place that prohibit discrimination, are meant to keep people safe and be followed, and those who break them should be held accountable. This is an issue that goes beyond just what legislation is passed. It’s important that we treat people in our communities with the respect, kindness, and equality that everyone deserves.

Contact USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporter Melissa Siegler at msiegler@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Marie2Melissa.