Vying for public approval this election are four U.S. Senate candidates: Former Governor Tommy Thompson, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin, Nimrod Y. U. Allen III and Joseph Kexel.
Tommy Thompson, the Republican candidate, was born and raised in Elroy, Wis. where he still operates his family’s farm. He also practices law for Akin Gump, a firm based in Washington D.C. He holds a law degree from UW-Madison and is a former captain in the U.S. Army.
Thompson served as Governor of Wisconsin for four terms, from 1987-2001. He also served under President George Bush as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2001-2005. He feels that his budget reduction and welfare reform accomplishments while serving in these positions qualify him to lead Wisconsin toward a free-market, budget-balanced future.
If elected Thompson plans to help replace Obamacare with his own policy of Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration, which provides reimbursement to hospitals based on quality outcomes. He supports a reform of Medicaid to focus more on private sector involvement and less on government subsidies.
Thompson approves of the government’s intervention in building the Keystone Pipeline as a means of gaining independence from foreign oil. He feels that the government should not regulate the development of alternative energy sources. Thompson also proposes to align federal employee pay and benefits more closely with private sector pay and benefits. More on his proposed solutions can be found at tommyforwisconsin.com.
The Democratic candidate, Tammy Baldwin, was born and raised in Madison, Wis. where she still resides. She holds a law degree from UW-Madison. Baldwin served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors from 1986-1994 and held a position in the Wisconsin Assembly from 1993-1999. During that time, she fought for equal rights for women and the legalization of gay marriage.
Baldwin currently serves in congress, where she has enacted many laws that support government-funded health care. She has voted for more affordable education, regulation of banks and oil companies and increased fees for companies who outsource labor.
Baldwin strongly believes in affordable health care for all and if elected Senator she promises to continue protecting the rights of veterans and seniors. She believes that the wealthy should be taxed at the same rate as the middle class and that this will help balance the budget. Baldwin also plans to help bring jobs back to the U.S. from overseas through tax break incentives for small businesses. Find more detailed information on Baldwin’s website at tammybaldwin.com.
Running as the Libertarian candidate, Joseph Kexel hails from Kenosha, Wis. where he still resides. He attended UW-Parkside. He has worked in many fields, including factory assembly and information technology, and currently runs his own IT support company, Vikkex.
Kexel believes that his experiences as a former union worker, small business owner and father have given him insight into the needs of the average Wisconsinite. He feels the keys to success are a reduced role of the federal government and a return to the ideals of the Constitution. Kexel also states that the only way to balance the budget is through the reformation of entitlement programs and military expenses. To learn more about Kexel and his ideas, visit kexel2012.com.
Running as an independent is Nimrod Y. U. Allen III. Allen was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wis. where he still lives. He is a former U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and holds a degree from the University of Hawaii.
Allen created the Independent Democratic Enforcement Alliance party based on the concept of turning political focus away from special interest and toward the wellbeing of the people. He is passionate about many issues, from preserving veteran rights to cultivating urban agriculture. Allen also feels that federal aid is needed to encourage businesses to hire, which will lessen the number of citizens needing financial aid. Visit yuallen.com for more information on Allen’s proposed solutions.