6th CD Candidate calls for end to political violence

OSHKOSH, Wis. (WISS) – One of the candidates for U.S. Congress from Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District was the victim of an attack at his home in October. Joey Marschall of Berlin is now speaking out, calling on all sides to condemn political violence.

The Backstory

Marschall lives in rural Waushara County between Berlin and Poy Sippi. On a Wednesday evening into the early morning hours on Thursday, he was at home, waiting for his fiancée to return home from work. Marschall walked outside to his vehicle to retrieve a box from the back seat when he was attacked.

He said the assailant came up behind him, slammed his head against the vehicle’s roof and door frame, and began beating him. Marschall fought back. The assailant then took off on foot.

Marschall was not seriously injured but was bruised and had a black eye.

Motivation

Marschall said he didn’t recognize his assailant, nor does he know why he was attacked. He is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. But he doesn’t believe this was a hate crime. 

“We don’t have a big flag or anything outside. We are not hiding it, but we’re not flaunting it in front of people either,” he said.

Marschall believes the attack was politically motivated.

“ My only thought is that it has to be some type of politically related thing where I’m out in public all the time. I’m talking about things. A lot of people may not agree with the views that I’m making,” said Marschall. “It may be a combination of the things that I’m an openly gay man running as a candidate, but I think it has to be something dealing with politics.”

Since the attack, Marschall has been contacted by many of his opponents in the Democratic primary, other politicians, and even by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. The one person he did not hear from was his own congressman, Glenn Grothman.

End Political Violence

On Saturday, Nov. 1, Marschall and several supporters, armed with signs reading “Stop Political Violence,” “Love trumps hate,” and “Kindness over cruelty,” picketed outside of U.S. Rep. Grothman’s Fond du Lac office. 

“ When different political violence things happen on the right, he’s right there to say, ‘This is horrible.’ But, literally, a candidate in his own district gets attacked and nothing.”

Marschall said political violence should be condemned on all sides of the political divide.