Campaigns have always been rough. I'm sick of politics of personal destruction.
In 1966, I ran in the Republican primary against incumbent Louis Romell to represent a rural district in the Wisconsin Assembly. Louis began serving in the Legislature in 1947 but hadn't risen to a leadership position. Wisconsin needed a new generation of conservative leaders who would keep taxes low and protect our rural communities, and I believed I could do better.
Louis may have taken his reelection for granted because he took an extended vacation that summer while I went door to door in Adams, Juneau and Marquette counties. I met thousands of farmers, small business owners, factory workers and retired persons who shared concerns for their families and communities. I listened, honed my message and used their views to set an agenda for when I got to Madison.
Opinion: Here's what you told us about Wisconsin Supreme Court race
I liked Louis and didn't disparage him on the trail or in the press. Instead, hard work and a positive message propelled me to a primary win with 57 percent of the vote and 72 percent in the general election. When the Assembly met in January 1967 with Republicans in charge, I nominated Louis to serve as the house's Sergeant at Arms. We remained friends until he passed in 1987.
I ran against Tony Earl for governor but still considered him a friend
I ran against another friend in 1986 when I challenged Tony Earl for the governorship. Tony and I served together in the Legislature beginning in 1969, a time when Republicans and Democrats fought fiercely for their principles and policies in the Capitol during the day, and then crossed the street to drink beer together at the Park Motor Inn at night. Like me, Tony quickly rose into leadership in his caucus and looked forward to a promising future.
Tony's governorship was plagued by a stagnant economy and difficult budgets. He and the Democrats in charge of the Legislature had raised taxes to fix the state's fiscal woes and that issue became a problem for him when reelection time came around. In contrast, I opposed tax increases and questioned Tony's plan to locate a prison in downtown Milwaukee. Our campaigns focused on issues, and the voters ultimately chose my vision for the state.
Tony and I continued to discuss important issues even after our hard fought race. In particular, Tony had a national reputation on water policy and I shared his vision for the future of the Great Lakes. I named him as my representative on the new Great Lakes Protection Fund and asked him to find ways to improve water quality across the basin. I trusted Tony to make good decisions and his leadership led to investments that continue to serve Wisconsin and the entire region. My last conversation with my friend Tony was at his apartment in Madison, not long before he died in 2023.
Supreme Court campaign featured vicious and sickening attacks
Louis and Tony came to mind as I watched the recent Supreme Court race with disgust. I have no doubt both court candidates are well-intentioned public servants, but the nature of today's politics pushed them to engage in vicious, sickening attacks that went beyond questioning their opponent's qualifications to disparaging their ethics and morality.
Do I believe Susan Crawford or Brad Schimel think child rapists should be given light sentences and released back into the community to reoffend? Of course not. But $100 million of negative, nauseating advertising went on the air to make us all believe just that.
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I am not so naïve to propose turning back the clock to some idealized version of 1966 when candidates ran campaigns that focused on issues. Campaigning has always been a rough business where candidates occasionally have to throw and take an elbow. But I join the many voters today who are sick of the politics of personal destruction that tear down an opponent rather than uplift us with ideas and positive visions for the future.
Wisconsin is more than a year away from the next round of statewide elections that will determine who controls the governorship and Legislature. I hope my fellow citizens will use that time to insist that candidates focus on issues and treat their opponents with respect. Unless voters demand better, we can expect campaigns to spiral deeper into the abyss of vitriol and destruction.
By the way, if candidates have $100 million to throw into negative advertising, they might consider putting that money to better use by building hospitals and schools. Okay, there I go being naïve.
Tommy G. Thompson was elected governor of Wisconsin four times, serving from 1987 to 2001. In 2001, he became Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a post he held for four years. He previously served in the State Assembly from 1967 to his election as governor.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Unless voters demand better, campaigns will spiral deeper | Opinion
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