Welcome everybody to Midday magazine for this Thursday October 10th, 2024.
Have your host James J. Mailoff here in part two today at 430.
We're going to speak with our friend Jen McNally.
She is a natural resource groundwater educator with UW Extension.
Right now we have in with us Suzanne Campbell, candidate for Wisconsin State
Assembly District 72. Suzanne, thank you so much for being here today.
Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here and talk to you today, James.
We are going to be doing a series of interviews with our candidates coming up
for the November 5th election. We'll be giving each candidate the same amount of questions,
same amount of time, similar to how the great Carl Hilke always did things around here
and the way we like to do things here at WFHR for many, many decades.
And we're so appreciative to all of our candidates joining us.
Thank you again so much for the time and Suzanne.
I'd like to start off asking people a little bit about themselves, their origin story, if you don't mind.
So could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Well, I was bitten by a radioactive spider.
And ever since then, I just, it's the strangest thing.
I've been doing this for years and nobody's answered it like that.
That's an interesting answer.
Well, no, okay.
So it's seriously not bitten by a radioactive spider.
But I was born here in Wisconsin, Strapids.
grew up here, went to school here, graduated from the UW at Marshfield.
My husband and I have three wonderful children.
They are not children anymore. We have a grandchild as well.
And just have lived in this area.
My folks have lived in this area and just, yeah, that it's a pretty simple origin story.
Sure, Ben here, love the area, done, lived the life, raised the kids and done the job here.
Why did you decide to run for this position?
That's such a good question because there are a lot of reasons I think people can run.
For any political office and for me, it took me a little while into the campaign to realize
it really doesn't have anything to do with me.
It is I am, I'm here to do a job and I'm here to do the job that the people need me to do.
So there are campaigning, campaigning is tough.
And what I've learned during the process of this campaign is that who I am is an avatar
for what people need and my job is to hear them.
So I'm in the campaign to represent the values of the people I represent in Madison
and to get down there and do good things for the people of Wisconsin.
Suzanne, what qualifies you?
How do you feel you specifically can best represent the area?
So my career has been for the last 25 years in credit unions and credit unions as some people know
and now here's a plug for credit unions are not for profit, not for profit cooperatives.
And that means that when you work in a credit union, everything you're focused on is serving the needs of the members.
And so that's all I've done in my adult life is learn how, learn how I can best help the people I serve.
And I do think that attitude uniquely qualifies someone for a life of public service.
When it comes to that previous job and other jobs that you may have held,
how do you feel your previous jobs have prepared you for doing this job if you are elected?
So when I have been in the credit union industry, I have done a lot of different positions.
But all of them wrap around to being able to deal with budget, deal with strategic planning,
be able to be future focused, be able to take lessons from the past,
and take all of that information and make the absolute best decisions you can.
What are your passions, Suzanne?
What would you like to focus on if elected?
And it doesn't have to just be one thing, it could be multiple things.
Yeah, there are so many things that there are so many opportunities here in the state.
You know, the number one and two, and maybe in no particular order,
that I have been focused on this election season are probably first and foremost a woman's right to choose,
a person's right to choose, and the ability to ensure that the citizens of Wisconsin
that can give birth have the right to make that choice for themselves and their family.
So that's huge to me, and I believe that should be one of the first things
that this next session of the legislature deals with.
Another thing that is very extremely personal to me is extending protections
and ensuring unity and equity for people of the LGBTQ community.
I have a queer child who identifies as non-binary,
and they have unique challenges in their life.
And I've talked to a lot of people in the area who not only have gay or queer kids,
but have had to watch them leave the area because it's safer for them not to be here.
So I think everything that we can do to support our kids,
to support the queer adults around us,
and make sure that we're all living together is another major focus of mine.
What do you feel are some of the biggest,
if not the biggest challenges facing your fellow Wisconsinites?
The economy is probably number one on a lot of people's minds,
and it's an incredibly complex problem,
because we genuinely need to work with the industries that are creating that economy around us,
and not just drive prices down, but ensure that people are being paid,
commensurate to their abilities and their skills.
So I know that is big on people's minds.
We are speaking with Suzanne Campbell, candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72.
Suzanne, survey after survey, poll after poll,
we are seeing people are done with the divisiveness of today's politics.
How important is it to you to be able to reach across the aisle,
to be able to work with the other side if you are elected?
I believe that is fundamentally how government should work.
I think that that's our responsibility,
not only as humans, to be able to connect in that way,
no matter what we're doing, but it's certainly the responsibility of all of our legislators,
to be able to work together, to be able to hear each other,
and the fact that we have had problems doing that in this state, it really is concerning.
And to extend on that, if elected, you plan to represent everybody,
not just the people that voted for you that.
That is absolutely true.
That is absolutely true.
I believe, as we have heard a lot this election cycle,
there's more that United States than divides us.
There are people with concerns who come from all walks of life,
and we all need to be heard and be able to work together.
Suzanne, you are running to represent the 72nd District.
How would you describe the District?
It, you know, I am probably biased,
but I really honestly think it is one of the most beautiful areas of our state.
It is, Wisconsin Rapids, it's very strange to be in a race
where I come from the big city in the area.
But Wisconsin Rapids is our largest population center,
and we really, once we spread down into more towards Adam and Juneau County,
you know, there is a really wonderfully diverse population throughout the district.
And we have a lot, we have a lot of blessings in terms of natural resources,
and ability to create industry.
There, I see beauty, I see opportunity,
and I see just really amazing, hardworking people in our district.
Suzanne, we appreciate the time so much from you.
We're all wrapping up.
You have time now for final statements, if you'd like.
Oh my goodness.
So final statements, what a good, what a good, that's your got your question for me.
It is, it is, it definitely is.
I did have one, I guess I did have one.
Yeah, that was it.
Okay, so what is the final thing I want people to know?
I guess the, my major message to people is that, you know,
when we, you reference James, some of the division and some of the real problems politically,
and a message that I've carried with me throughout this whole campaign is that,
that is not at the core who we are.
And we all together have this ability every single day,
but certainly in this election to create, create a better district, 72,
to create a better state, to create a better country.
And I believe that's what, that really is the challenge that stands before us,
to make a decision to, to build and come together and make something beautiful,
is an opportunity that we have.
So that's what I hope people choose to do.
Thank you very much for that, Suzanne.
Thank you so much for the time putting up with my questions and hanging out with us.
We really do appreciate it.
People have filed questions or wanted to learn more about you.
Is there a way they can do that?
They can.
I am a super cheap candidate.
So you can find me on my Facebook page, which is free.
So it's at Suzanne Campbell for Wisconsin, and you can check me out there,
or you can email me at Suzanne Campbell for Wisconsin with the number four at gmail.com.
Really do appreciate what you're doing, Suzanne.
We appreciate all of our candidates running.
Thank you again for joining us today, looking forward to talking again soon.
Take care.
Thank you.
We'll have more of these interviews coming up.
Everybody will be interviewing each one of our local candidates coming up for the number
of November 5th election.
We once again remind everybody out there to make sure that you are registered to vote.
Go to myboat.wi.gov, find out more information about where your polling services are,
and certainly if you are signed up and ready to go and ready for November 5th.
We'll have more coming up here at WFHR, locally grown radio.
