As May 12th approaches, the Global Women’s Caucus would like to update you on the special election in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional district! The Candidate Information Team has been working hard to support Tricia Zunker. Tricia is fighting to flip a Red seat Blue by running for the vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Wisconsin’s 7th district. Tricia is running for Congress to be a voice for the industrious workers and farmers of Northwest Wisconsin, and to represent the Ho-Chunk people as Wisconsin’s first Native American Congresswomen.
Tricia, the first in her family to graduate from college, went to law school and became a practicing attorney and law professor. In 2013, she was elected by the Ho-Chunk Nation to serve as Associate Justice of the Ho-Chunk Supreme Court (and re-elected to that position in 2017). In 2018, Tricia was elected to the Wausau School Board and currently serves as board president. A fierce advocate for education, criminal justice reform, and workers’ rights, Tricia could be the candidate to provide Democrats with traction in a key battleground state.
Tricia was the first candidate to be featured as a part of the Candidate Information Team’s series “Women to Win,” which highlights women running for office across the country. We were grateful for the opportunity to interview Tricia and learn about her story. Click here to read the original article.
We are continually learning how impressive Tricia is, and the importance of her race. Wisconsin’s 7th district is one of the largest in the country, and consists of many rural voters. When Republicans took control of Wisconsin in 2010, the 7th district was gerrymandered. As a result, the seat was held by Republican Sean Duffy for the past ten years. Prior to that, Democrat David Obey represented the district for over forty years.
Because of Wisconsin’s status as a battleground state, this special election will be one to watch. Tricia’s win would signify weakness in Trump’s re-election campaign, prove Democrats’ ability to reach rural voters, and provide Democrats with early traction.
Tricia has the full support of her party. Tricia won her primary with 88.8% of the vote, while her opponent, Tom Tiffany (R), won with a little over half. Tricia is also the first candidate to receive the endorsement of her would-be predecessor, David Obey for this election since Obey himself stepped down. Tricia has also been endorsed by former presidential candidate, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker.
Tricia believes the political climate in Wisconsin is ripe for her to reach typically Republican voters as well. Her future constituents are tired of the gridlock in Washington. She is the only candidate in the race committed to working in a bipartisan manner to get things done.
Tricia knows her opponent is afraid of her. In a district that does not usually get much national attention, large Republican donors have thrown their support behind Tiffany. However, Tricia believes her team is stronger on the ground; her message has been spread far and wide. Further, the transition to a virtual campaign has been smooth and effective. At the moment, her fundraising is going towards expanding the campaign with more TV ads in the three media markets for her district.
Tricia has new voters on her side. She has been working hard to get out the vote of her fellow Native Americans; 11 of whose tribes are federally recognized in Wisconsin. Further, her campaign has garnered the support of immigrants and other minorities, who feel left behind by Trump and the Republican party.
Do you vote in Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district? If you live in the Northwest corner of Wisconsin, (which covers Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Clark, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Monroe, Oneida, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, Washburn counties and portions of Chippewa, Jackson, Juneau, and Wood counties) your vote can be the difference! Turnout for special elections tends to be very low. The hundreds of voters who live abroad but vote in this district can be key!
Send In Your Ballot Now! If you’ve received your Special Election ballot, please fill it out and MAIL it back right away! Your voted ballot must be RECEIVED in Wisconsin by Tuesday, May 12th, at 8 p.m. (Central Standard Time).
If you haven’t received your ballot yet, there is still time to request it and vote in this special election! Overseas voters need to request a ballot in every calendar year you want to vote. It only takes a few minutes: Go to www.votefromabroad.org and follow the prompts to fill out the form. To ensure you receive your ballot in time, please check the box to have your blank ballot sent to you by “Email/Online” or “Fax”. Then email, fax or mail your signed form to your Local Election Official in Wisconsin. To request a ballot in time for this Special Election, your form must be RECEIVED in Wisconsin by Thursday, May 7th at 5pm (Wisconsin time). When you get your Special Election ballot, please fill it out and MAIL it back right away! Your voted ballot must be RECEIVED in Wisconsin by Tuesday, May 12th, at 8pm (Wisconsin time). If you don’t think you’ll receive your ballot in time to meet the deadline to mail it back to Wisconsin, you can VOTE using the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (or FWAB). Just send in your ballot request form, then fill out a FWAB. For more information about using a FWAB, go to www.votefromabroad.org/fwab
If you have any family or friends in Wisconsin, please spread the message about this special election! The Candidate Information Team will be supporting Tricia right up until May 12th, and again for her re-election in November. We look forward to showcasing many women candidates this election cycle, and providing you with the resources and tools you need to support your own state candidates.