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WI Gov Debate Recap: Gov. Tony Evers Touts His Strong Record While Tim Michels Proves He’s Unqualified

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In Friday’s debate, Gov. Tony Evers touted his strong record of cutting taxes for the middle class, investing in public schools and safety, and protecting abortion and democracy. Meanwhile, Tim Michels continued to unapologetically embrace banning abortion and undermining elections.

Here’s what people are saying about the clear contrast in the debate:

  • CNN: “Evers demonstrated his technocratic approach, diving into detailed proposals to issue child care tax credits, share state government revenue with local governments, eliminate the ‘minimum markup’ law that requires gas stations to charge at least 9% more than what they pay for gas, and reduce state income taxes for middle-class earners by 10%. Michels was much shorter on specifics, promising ‘massive tax reform’ without offering details.”
  • NBC News: “‘I am pro-life and I make no apologies for that,’ Michels said Friday … [He] avoided directly answering a question about whether he would, as governor, attempt to stand in the way of — or punish — Wisconsin women seeking abortion care out of state.”
  • Associated Press: “In response to a question about climate change, after Michels cast doubt about whether it’s caused by actions of people, Evers responded, ‘Instead of blah, blah here, I’m going to talk about our clean energy plan.’”
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “When asked whether they would respect the results of the Nov. 8 election, Evers said he will. Michels didn’t answer directly … Michels has embraced former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in 2020 and has said he would consider decertifying the last presidential election if elected, despite the move being illegal and impossible.”
  • Cap Times: “The governor also touted the more than $100 million of federal COVID-19 relief money he earmarked for community safety and violence prevention. In response, Michels simply said he would ‘be tough.’”
  • Wisconsin State Journal: “Asked about potential conflicts of interest with his company if elected, Michels said state contracts his construction company received were awarded through a legitimate, transparent bid process. He also vowed to divest himself from the company. Evers said state rules against self-enrichment don’t really apply to him because he’s a teacher from Plymouth.”
  • WBAY: “Education, too, was a big issue, and how public education in Wisconsin is funded might change depending on this election … ‘What his plan is right now is to take 40 percent of the funding away from our public schools. That is called defunding our public schools. Both of those are radical positions,’ Evers said.

“Friday’s debate proved that Gov. Tony Evers is running on a record of success and real plans to move Wisconsin forward without leaving anyone behind,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisory Christina Amestoy. “Tim Michels, on the other hand, is running a divisive campaign focused on stripping funding away from public schools and restricting women’s freedoms. The choice this November couldn’t be clearer.”

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