Candidates for 8th Congressional District debate

GREEN BAY, WI – (WGBW & WISS) – The candidates for the 8th Congressional District race, Kristin Lyerly (D – De Pere) and Tony Wied (R – De Pere) debated the issues Friday night. 

The debate was sponsored by the independent non-profit Mauthe Center on the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay campus and was aired on television station WBAY. About 250 people attended the debate.

The candidates

Lyerly, a Democrat, is an OB-GYN whose primary issues are protecting reproductive rights, ensuring access to quality, affordable healthcare, investing in rural communities, and strengthening the economy.

Wied, a Republican, is a small business owner. He is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. His key issues are securing the southern border, curbing out-of-control spending, supporting Wisconsin agriculture, and American energy independence. 

The debate

WBAY Action 2 News anchor Cami Rapson served as moderator of the debate. WBAY Chief political reporter Jason Zimmerman and Green Bay Press-Gazette community and politics reporter Jesse Lin asked the questions.

The candidates for the 8th Congressional District took turns answering questions first. Each candidate got 90 seconds to respond to the question. They then were given 60 seconds for a follow-up. 

Affordable Housing

Candidates were asked how they would assure voters that the trend of increasing housing costs, for buying and renting homes, would not continue. 

Wied blamed the housing crisis and increasing rent and housing prices on inflation. 

“Inflation is really a tax. And it’s a tax that affects the poor and the middle class the most. It really doesn’t affect those that have a lot of money. It affects the poor and the middle class. And again, it is a tax. And where does it come from? It comes from the reckless spending that we continue to see in Washington and during this administration,” said Wied. “So again, this is a reckless spending issue and we need to stop it. And I will stop it.” 

Lyerly agreed that inflation is a problem in the nation right now and offered ideas for ways to fix the issue. 

“There’s no question. Inflation has been a giant burden for all of us. Two years ago, it was at 9%. It was really high and we all saw the price of everything go up,” Lyerly said. “We need programs for first-time homebuyers. We need federal incentives for developers and builders so that they will put their time and energy into local projects that will get these renters into homes because home ownership is a step in upward mobility.”

Economy

When asked about ways to stimulate the economy Lyerly agreed that she supports expanding a federal child tax credit, lowering taxes on the middle class, and raising taxes for more wealthy Americans. 

“What I do know is we’ve got to change what we are doing in this country to support the middle class. The tax cuts that President Trump passed in his last presidency really benefited the very wealthy and corporations, but the little guy bared the brunt of it,” Lyerly said. “But corporations and wealthy folks made out like bandits. We’ve got to focus on the middle class.”

Wied said spending in Washington is reckless and needs to be curtailed, and former President Trump’s tax cuts should be renewed. 

The new tax right now is inflation. We’re at a point right now with President Trump’s tax cuts, they were effective and helped stimulate the economy during his administration.  And President Biden and Kamala Harris kept those tax cuts in place, but they’re at risk of coming due next year. I believe we need to extend those tax cuts in order to keep more money in everybody’s pocket,” said Wied. “Prices continue to rise, and it’s from the reckless spending that we continue to see in Washington.”

High cost of higher education and Student Loan Relief

Wied took the stance that college costs are expensive but should be handled at a state level and at the college level through cuts in operation costs. He said competition is needed to drive higher education costs down. 

I think we need to continue to lean into the marketplace. I think we need to continue to have increased competition,” Weid said. “It’s very difficult from a student loan perspective. And I don’t think that we can just give student loan forgiveness for people that go to college. That wouldn’t help those that are going to tech school and going on and learning the trades.”

Lyerly said that while a college education is expensive, so is the financing of that education.

“College should be something that is available to everyone. And not just four-year colleges, but grad school, trade schools, and all of the other options that will educate people. So they can go out into the workforce, go into the trades, and contribute to society,” Lyerly said. “We need better programs, we need lower interest rates, we need more opportunities for students.”

Immigration and Border Control

Lyerly admitted there is a crisis at the border, but said that a bi-partisan bill before Congress would have helped. 

“People are worried about crime. They’re worried about drugs.  They’re worried that this is not going to get solved, and they’re worried that the government is putting politics over people,” Lyerly said. “Especially when we had this bipartisan border bill that was put together by some of the most conservative and some of the most liberal members of the Senate. It wasn’t perfect. But it put 1,500 new border patrol agents into play. It also created a better path, a more efficient path, to citizenship.”

Wied countered that the border bill didn’t go far enough, and the Biden/Harris administration left the border wide open. He said he’d like to see the border wall finished.

“During President Trump’s term, the border was doing well. He was working towards a border while we had the “Remain-in-Mexico” policy, which didn’t allow for folks to cross the border and then apply for asylum,” Wied said. “We were having great success. In fact, the most success that any president has had in recent history, although many presidents have said they were going to close the border.”

Abortion and Women’s Reproductive Rights

Wied firmly believes that abortion is an issue for the states to decide. 

“The Supreme Court made the decision. That the right of abortion is within the state’s hands where it was before it is now,” said Wied. “I believe that it should continue to stay as a state’s right issue.”

Lyerly, an OB-GYN doctor, spoke passionately about allowing women the ability to make their own choices with their bodies.

“Saying that this is a decision for the states is a cop-out.  What that means is that in states like Arkansas and Idaho, where there are no exceptions for rape or incest – that tells me that you’re okay with that. That tells me It tells me that in states with bans, where mothers die at a rate three times greater than in states without bans, you’re okay with that. 

“It also tells me that in states like Texas,  where they have a major abortion ban, infants die. Babies die at a rate 12 percent higher than in states without bans.  You’re okay with that?” Lyerly asked.

Weid countered that abortion is a state issue, not a federal issue. 

“Look, I’m running for the United States House of Representatives. Our job is to present spending bills and oversee the agencies at the federal level. I am not for continuing to add more power to the federal government,” said Wied. “This is a state issue. It will continue to be a state issue.”

Mental Heath

The conversation on mental health mentioned suicide – farmer suicide and veteran suicide as an issue in Wisconsin. 

Lyerly said the way to move forward is for more funding for mental health.

“What are we funding?” Lyerly asked. “Mental health treatment, training for professionals. We have a profound physician and healthcare provider crisis in this country. It is worse in places that are rural.”

Wied blamed part of the mental health crisis in the county on the polarization that is seen in politics and other aspects of life.

“I’m in favor of funding. Anything to help with the mental health crisis from a federal level, I will make sure of it,” Wied said.

A Polarized Nation

In light of that discussion on the nation’s polarization, the candidates were asked how they would reach out to the moderate voter. They were also asked how they would work with the opposing political party. 

“I will work with anyone. Whether they’re a Democrat, a Republican, male, female, whatever – Whatever god you believe in,” Wied said. “To me it doesn’t matter. What matters is your character…You have to show more love towards each other and actually work together to solve problems because there’s too much at stake right now in this country.”

Lyerly said she has voted Republican. She claimed that she was never a Democrat before running for office, but rather an independent.

“Congress is so divided They are the least effective Congress since the Civil War.  And why?  Because they’ve got this take my ball and go home mentality,” Lyerly said. “Instead of sitting down, having a beer, figuring it out. Like the bipartisan border bill. – That’s a great example of something that could have happened but didn’t because of politics.”

Affordable Health Care

The candidates agreed that health care and insurance premiums are too high. 

“We have a complicated healthcare system,” Lyerly stated. “And it’s gotten this way because of the way it was built. And the way we have to fix it is by working within the system.  The ACA (Affordable Care Act)  was a wonderful step in the right direction. And I support the ACA. I have been very vocal in my support for the ACA.” 

Wied said being a part of the House of Representatives would allow him to work on reducing the cost of health care and insurance premiums.

“People are paying way too much for their health care premiums. And way too much when they have to go to the doctor,” Wied said. “We need to fix that again with increasing competition, providing more transparency and decentralizing these big institutions that are continuing to form into one big institution that we have to go to for the hospital.”

Social Security

The final question of the night for the candidates of the 8th Congressional District dealt with the dwindling Social Security Trust Fund that is expected to run out of money in less than two decades.

Lyerly said Social Security is the number one issue she hears about from seniors. 

“Seniors are worried that things are going to change – that they’re going to lose their benefits – that their age of retirement is going to rise,” Lyerly said. “But how do we fix that problem? It’s tricky…We have to have some political courage. But I think the wealthy are gonna have to pitch in a little bit more here.” 

Wied said cutting spending elsewhere in the government and reducing costs will be the way to keep the Social Security Trust Fund solvent. 

“I would never allow for Social Security to not continue. These are things that you paid into. You deserve it. You should be getting those benefits, and that should not go away,” Wied said. “We need, though, to continue to look at ways of reducing the cost on the side of the government, and finding efficiencies within that system so that you can continue to get the benefits you work so hard for.”

8th Congressional District

There will be two elections for the 8th Congressional District on the November 5th ballot. One is a special election to fill the remainder of Mike Gallagher’s term. Gallagher resigned from his congressional seat in April. The winner of that election will fill the term until January 2025. 

The second election is the regular election for the 2-year term starting in January 2025.

The 8th Congressional District includes Brown, Door, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Shawano, Kewaunee, Waupaca, Outagamie, and Calumet counties, and a portion of northern Winnebago County.