AND LATER, THE ROAD PROJECT THAT HAS THE GOVERNOR AND HIS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR NOT ON THE SAME PAGE. JOYCE: VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS MADE HER FIRST STOP IN MILWAUKEE SINCE THE ELECTION TO PUSH PRESIDENT BIDEN’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN. SHE TOURED THE CLEAN ENERGY RESEARCH LABS AT U.W. MILWAUKEE AND SAID THE ADMINISTRATION’S $2 TRILLION PLAN WOULD FUND RESEARCH PROJECTS LIKE THAT IF IT PASSES CONGRESS. VICE PRES. HARRIS: YOU KNOW IT’S NOT GOING TO BE EASY. PEOPLE OUT THERE ARE GOING TO SAY THAT’S TOO MUCH. JOYCE: THE VICE PRESIDENT’S VISIT HERE IS A SIGN THAT WISCONSIN REMAINS AN IMPORTANT STATE FOR DEMOCRATS. STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN BEN WIKLER HAS ANNOUNCED HE’LL BE RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION IN THE PARTY’S VIRTUAL CONVENTION NEXT MONTH. HE JOINS US NOW ON UPFRONT. Thank you for your time today. CHAIRMAN WIKLER: thank you for having me on eared JOYCE: I want to start with your priorities, what is job one for you? Defeating Ron Johnson should he decide to run? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: job one is reelecting Governor Tony Evers, he has been a spectacular leader for our state. I got my Klobuchar, my wife got her shot, most adults are vaccinated are on track for their second it is terrific and we need to build on that momentum going forward. We have to defeat Ron Johnson, we have to grow democratic strength down the ballot and we have to go -- build the movement across the country and advocate for issues and the differences in people’s lives because dollars in the bank puts kids to schools. We need to have a Democratic governor for a second term. JOYCE: do you have insight in his plans? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: I’m confident that he will run for reelection and I have tremendous faith in the people of Wisconsin to redo a second term for a governor that demonstrated his ability to lead in a way best for the state. JOYCE: he said that his reelection as democracy’s last line of defense, can you elaborate? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: we have seen it Republicans respond to Donald’s loss in 2020 by attacking the right to vote. They have now restricted voting rights in Florida and Georgia and in Wisconsin, Republicans have advanced a slew of bills to contract the franchise, to rollback hard-fought voting rights gains and that Republicans wanted to make it harder to vote. That is not OK. Governor Evers has vowed to veto the legislation if it makes it harder to vote, that is what we need in the governor’s position, they should be following his lead on that. If Republicans win the governorship, they made it clear that they will stop at nothing to rip away people’s ability to make their voice heard through our democratic processes and that is a threat to democracy not just in Wisconsin but to the entire country because we have been the tipping point state in the electoral College for 200 presidential elections in a row. If Republicans win the governorship, they will make it harder for a national free and fair election to take place by rolling back voting rights in Wisconsin. Governor Evers will stand for that and that is why we stand for the governor. JOYCE: the governor -- Republicans counter that this is to protect the ballot and ensure that there is election integrity? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: there’s a lot of rhetoric and talk on the Republican side of the aisle about what their intent is. If you look at the effect of -- there is no reason to limit the number of drop boxes that can safely and securely receive absentee ballots unless you wanted to be harder for people that cast absentee ballots. They have no clear impact other than increasing the hardship and challenges imposed on Wisconsin voters. JOYCE: let’s talk about the Senate race, you call the Ron Johnson and a Beersmen, that he is not good, that he tells dangerous lies, if you want two Senate elections, do you think if he runs, his alignment with Former President Trump helps or hurts your cause? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: ever Ron Johnson decides to break his promise to only serve two terms and runs again and it seemed like that is the track he is on, he has WEDDED himself to a president -- maybe numbers greater than 130. Ron Johnson is clearly a menace to American democracy and has over and over betrayed Wisconsin families. I think that it is a disqualifying set of decision by Senator Ron Johnson. However, we know that he benefits from his alliance with out-of-state billionaires, President -- Former President Trump endorsed his reelection. I think Democrats and folks in the general public who want a senator other than Ron Johnson, they should not underestimate his ability to mobilize his voting base and get support from the fringe of the Republican Party nationally. We have to take this seriously even though there is no question that Ron Johnson is unfit for public office. JOYCE: was your plan if he decides not to run? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: if he does not run, as a country, we can all breathe a sigh of relief because he should be nowhere near the Senate. We should support whoever wins the Democratic nomination, we have a slew of tremendous candidates, the nominations in August 17 and we will find out who the Republicans put up. There are different Republicans who are saying they want to run it. You look at the Democratic platform, it contains ideas like making sure folks have family supporting jobs in the right to organize and making sure they have clean water and air, making sure there is health care prevalent in the Republican Party platform is that there is no platform, they did not pass on, they support Donald Trump. If the next has no vision for the future of our country other than -- they make a clear contrast between the Democratic challenger for the seat and that Republican nominee. JOYCE: while I recognize your party required that the party a neutral, which Democratic candidate would make your job easiest? CHAIRMAN WIKLER: I will say that I have tremendous confidence in the primary voters to make their decision on August 17. We will learn a lot about our candidates and about the state of the country and what kind of leadership meets the moment. Once we have a nominee, the Democratic party will have built a grassroots organizing apparatus will all over the state, we have been organizing for four years. We are wrapping things up. The party to a campaign and the nominee will join to sprint to the finish line. JOYCE: we will follow the progress, thank you for your time, the chair of the state Democratic party, BEN WIKLER ibid. NEXT MONTH, A TOP REPUBLICAN PARTY OFFICIAL WILL JOIN US AHEAD OF THE GOP STATE CONVENTION. IT’S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR YEARS, AND NOW THERE’S A RENEWED PUSH TO WIDEN I-94 IN MILW