Chinese investment in a swing seat Senate race

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“If you have to go to Claude to figure it out, it probably isn't a really effective ad.”

– Todd Albaugh, a former Republican legislative staffer on a campaign ad about Chinese investments in Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District

In Wisconsin’s 17th Senate District, state Rep. Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) is running to unseat Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). But instead of focusing on the iron fist Marklein has wielded over Wisconsin’s state budget as co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance, Jacobson’s campaign has been running an ad about Marklein’s previous investment in “emerging markets funds” that included Chinese companies. Baylor Spears reports on the ad and how Republicans — who have spent years legislating about the looming threat of Communist China — are trying to hit back.

As polls have continually shown Democrats marching toward big wins this November, the money, infrastructure and attention of the national parties has continued to shift. Henry Redman reports on the resources pouring into Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, where Mitchell Berman is trying to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil to become the first Democrat to hold the seat in more than 30 years.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for governor, has agreed to only one debate with his opponent, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, before the November election. Tiffany has said he believes the two can cover all the relevant issues in a single hour of debate. In a commentary, Ruth Conniff writes about what Wisconsin’s voters miss out on when their candidates refuse to debate the issues they care about.

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