Welcome back.
It is the champ home show here on 98.9 WXO online at WXO dot FM mobile devices and Alexa by searching WXO and on the civic media app It is Thursday, February the 5th of 2026 and I look at the counter sometimes because You got to think about where we are today
where we've been in the past and we're going to be in the future.
And I think it's good to have these bench posts and somebody that's always keeping an eye on what's happening around Central Wisconsin.
You know, when I say happening because you are cool and you have the hand on the pulse of what's going on.
Marathon County Democratic Party chairperson Nancy Stencil.
Nancy, good to see you.
Good to be back.
It's always good to be back, right?
Yes.
Well, again, there's a lot of stuff to talk about.
Oh, we'll never run out.
No, no.
Actually, I'm gonna start a little differently.
We'll talk about the other stuff because I just said we were talking and about There is something happening out there and last thing was last week in Saturday if I'm not mistaken There was a special election down in Texas for a state Senate seat state Senate seat and if I'm not mistaken Trump carried that seat by roughly 20 points the last time around
the Democrat wanted by about 17 or something like that.
I think it's from 35 to 37% turn around, which does not happen in this era of, we got 45% here, we got 45% here, and we fight for the 10% in the middle.
That does not happen.
He
whole-handedly won that.
But at the same time, I mean, we look at it like, oh, maybe things are changing this and that, but we can't let our guard down and then along with it.
You have Trump that now wants to control our elections because of
it.
I've seen if you're not the only one that's talking about that wire where you see, Hey.
They announced, well, we're moving 700 ICE agents from Minnesota.
Yeah.
I mean, the idea then is.
We have
to be a little bit more gentle.
Right.
But that's not changing the ultimate policy either.
That doesn't say the 700 are being released.
Nope.
They may be going somewhere else and doing the same thing somewhere else.
That's not good enough either.
Yeah, who's
next?
That was my thought.
Who's next?
But what does that?
Texas election say does does it feel as though that adds a little bit of juice to the work that people like yourself are doing that definitely that because sometimes and I said this to you sometimes our eyes can be deceiving we can see some folks and we can talk to people that we agree with and we all say Trump is bad this is bad this is bad and then we see the voters like well
The boats are the same as they were four years ago.
No, this seems like there's actual numbers.
Something is really happening.
It's really turning around.
But like I said, at the same time, we can't just say, yep, it's taken care of itself.
We got to stay on it.
But there's a definite tight turning in this country and it's too bad that.
Couple people several people actually have had to die to make that happen.
That's a thing as well I get so upset and I got she and sometimes you know, I very rarely get into conversations online because it doesn't it doesn't go anywhere.
No, but I but after The truck Schumer made a statement late last it was on Friday actually
And it concerns the funding for DHS and ICE.
And I put out there, I want to see Chuck Schumer stop acting like there's some sort of special negotiated settlement here that could work, that could make it somehow better.
And then I add at the end, and I sure would like to hear him talk about again,
How he's gonna help people like me who's paying all this extra money for their health care premiums.
I haven't heard much about that recently.
Right.
If somebody comes at me, oh, I'm gonna be bad, so bad, so stupid.
I don't think these folks, again, I maybe have a little pessimism.
I think they're out of touch.
I think I'm a little pessimistic about it, that unless people like myself and other, I would call, average citizens.
Yes.
Push them, they're not gonna do anything.
They're not gonna
do anything.
And I also, I mentioned as well, you mentioned the two people that passed away, but were killed, I guess I should have.
Yeah.
Uh, that...
I said, Chuck would not have done a thing if not for the second killing.
They would have passed that bill.
It would have just remained quiet.
Which is so sad, isn't
it?
Very sad.
Well, and then you think, you know, as these two were murdered, you know, look back, there was there was more other people along the way that had been killed as well.
And like you said, the high health care premiums.
Now, yesterday we had
There's a press conference in front of Tom Tiffany's office with Sarah Rodriguez regarding health care If elected she will push through the badger care expansion and whatnot and at the same time if this happens We need to hold her feet to the fire to do it
exactly.
I think that we
need something done for the people.
It's not
Being traitorous to your no, it's not the people you said to push you
truly believe in this I expect to see
and and sometimes and frankly I you know I get emails from
Political figures and yeah, once in a while see a email from senator Baldwin I with her I want her to be and I know who senator Baldwin is.
I know where her heart is I know but at the same time they're feeling there's moments where I would like to see a little fire Yeah, a little bit of meanness in her I'm not sure she can be mean but even pushing harder.
Yeah, and I would like to see somebody say you know
Chuck Schumer's not doing the job for us Well, he's not I'm gonna
admit it as a tried and true Democrat.
I'm gonna say it.
He's not Baldwin on the other hand is there's times even I have a question like why Why'd you vote that way on that?
But then when you actually go and read
the
explanation you can see why she did and it is for you
Yes,
I mean it's it's so much more complicated at times and I know a lot of people don't want to hear that either it's like oh well they don't want to
look
Little bit further to find out why
and that's also another point why we have to be educated voters We have to understand why yeah, they're being done and take all that into account And and sometimes it's taken to account the reasons why they're not doing things you want to do because they're getting money from some of the people and Take for that
too the bottom line get the money out of it, and
then you don't have to be beholden There's so many different layers that it's up to us as the voter
as the people that truly are the we the people in order to be the most qualified folks to get the right people in the office and at election time.
That's right.
We're going to come back, talk to Nancy Stenzo about more.
We got a new candidate for the 85th Assembly District, which is very exciting.
We'll touch on what happened last weekend, a great show up again in Rim Mountain, a whole bunch more to come.
It's 830 here on 98.9 WXCO.
center off of the strip.
And welcome back, Chad Home Show 98.9 WXCO.
Time is 8.53 on this Thursday morning overcast, guys.
A little bit dark out there, but 21 degrees is the temperature here with Nancy Stencil.
It's been fun talking to these gubernatorial candidates because it's, and a lot of people don't get that opportunity to actually sit in the same room and actually talk to them, maybe even off the air a little bit.
And I got to say, I
people I like them and I imagine yeah I do
I do too and you know I I hate to say if the race was tomorrow I'm really not sure who would have my vote some I know better than others but
They all have a common thread and they all have just that little something extra and I think that's really important
It's actually been some point so we don't have to make a decision right now.
No actually I got a message from somebody who's part of a I think sort of a union kind of thing, you know Some sort of organization and they were down in Madison a couple of weeks ago And it was in the midst of our our interviews and he says well what what question would you think I should ask?
He was involved in education
And he said, well, you know, there's a lot of good questions, but he says, well, I get the sense that our group wants to make an endorsement right away.
And I said, no, no, don't do that.
No, don't.
There
are groups out there that, yeah, they
want to
make that endorsement, pre-prime area endorsement.
No, no, you've got to let them, you know, I agree.
There's, there's times I look at it and I think, oh, there's so many candidates.
This is ridiculous.
Some of that will kind of take
care of itself.
Yes it
will.
your cream will rise to the top and will have some really good choices.
But I think that's what separates us too in the Democratic Party is that there are choices.
It's, you know, the other side tends to, they get their candidate and no matter what, they just lock step behind them.
They're
told what to say.
Isn't that amazing though?
Isn't that amazing that in an open seat here, that...
Tom Tiffany we know Tom Tiffin.
Oh goodness.
I know we know Tom, but but you can be politically Disagreed with a person and realize that they're a talented politician.
This guy's not a talented.
No, he's
not a talented anything to
tell you the
truth We were surprised yesterday because that's where Sarah Rodriguez has decided to do her press conference and
I was talking with the state trooper.
I had a time, you know, he's asking, you know, what should we expect this and that?
And I told him, one of the things that he could expect is that the sprinklers
probably would
not be turned on.
And he was like, what?
So, you know, not the state patrol knows that
story.
But again, it's like that.
Good for the Republican Party.
No,
I don't think it is either.
They have no plan for your future Tom Tiffany
come up with a
health care plan a long time ago
and he never did by the way, isn't that sort of a Slap in the face and I hate to use that terminology But I can't think of anything off the top of my head to the voters of Wisconsin that Donald do you think
they're that dumb?
But that Donald Trump makes an endorsement and then the field clears for Tom Tiffany.
Yeah
Do you think
the
American people are that dumb?
That's what I love about your program.
We get a chance to actually educate voters.
And the thing about it, I mean, it's amazing to have so many Democrats only.
And I don't think, again, I truly believe that winning a primary is a good thing for somebody.
Somebody's gonna win that primary.
Tom Tiffany's not gonna get that boost because he's going up against the shadows.
Stop
being the news.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah, by that time, he should hopefully be a war out.
But
again, maybe you know, because I was actually talking to somebody recently, because one of the things I've been able to find in the conversation with the Democratic candidates is they want to do important things.
They really do.
Whether it's health care, whether it's child care, whether it's education, whether it's tax policy.
Everything that you and I need in our everyday life is what they are talking about.
And the fact is we need to.
Also, flip that legislature so that we can get these things done.
But the thing about Tom Tiffany is I really have no idea why he wants to be governor.
What does he want to do?
No, I don't
think he's ever really said.
Y'all do
Tom.
We could use the call.
Let us know.
And Tom will get his invitation as well.
Tom, I would love to have Tom on board here.
But somebody, somebody on my social media said, Oh, is he all you?
Republicans coming?
Absolutely.
Right.
Yeah.
I've given an open invitation to Republicans to come on here.
If
anybody can talk to them, you
can.
And also have a civilized conversation.
I'm not going to come here with my big mallets and start pounding Tom on the head or anything.
No, that would be me.
No, we can have conversations because
We're going back to early in our conversation.
The battle of ideas is what the system is all about.
It
is.
It is.
And you need to hear both sides to make that educated decision.
Not some stinking lip service.
Anything happening in the next week or so that people should know about?
Let's see, the 21st, there will be an ice out protest once again on Red Mountain Drive.
This one will be on Stewart Avenue.
So stay tuned for details there.
led by the indivisible groups.
And we're looking forward to having, like, just, you know, more candidates come in and...
I think one thing I've noticed... And local elections.
Yep.
And that's one thing I've been very pleased about is how quickly some of these candidates get back.
Oh, yeah.
Because they want to talk.
Yes, they do.
Oh, my goodness.
And they want to reach out to folks here in Central Wisconsin as well.
And we've
got some really good candidates up and coming.
That's going to be a lot of fun.
So, Nancy Sencel, thank you again.
Thank
you.
Hey, we're gonna take a time out again next hour Flip on over our online hours coming up at 906 continue on YouTube YouTube comm and the 98.9 WXO channel also at WXO dot FM and the civic media app on the sports to stream So hopefully keep you on board.
If not, Greg Bach will be on 98.9 WXO
