Mid-Term Candidates Reply to Policing Questionnaire
Will they defend police officers or can we expect more of the same?
Public safety is on the ballot this fall. The law-abiding of this nation have taken note. They’ve watched as politicians allow criminal offenders to prey on innocent civilians and police officers. They see the Police Staffing Shortages headlines and fear living in a nation where law enforcement has been neutered.
Voters have already begun to reject politicians who prioritize the welfare of criminal offenders. Most notably, last month the people of San Francisco voted to recall their district attorney, Chesa Boudin. As I write this, Recall George Gascon organizers (he’s district attorney for Los Angeles county) are poised to deliver more than 566 thousand signed petitions in hopes of prompting a recall.
It’s a momentum expected to continue into the November mid-terms.
Though we have a real opportunity to change this destructive path we’re on, let’s not rejoice just yet. Nothing is guaranteed and even then, one election isn’t a panacea. The fact that people -regardless of background or political ideology- are outraged and want change, however, is indeed a good sign. It’s a uniting issue.
We can’t assume that the people we elect will prioritize public safety and protect police officers, though. It’s too important a topic to be left to chance - which is why I developed a policing questionnaire for candidates planning to run in the mid-terms.
Why a Policing Questionnaire is Necessary
It’s not enough for politicians to just say they support law enforcement. Call me a stickler, but I want to know precisely how they plan to defend police officers and restore public safety.
The questions I asked in this questionnaire are specific and straight-forward. They require thought and an understanding of the issues, or at least a willingness to learn. If a candidate is sincere, there shouldn’t be an issue in replying to them.
This questionnaire is also about keeping politicians at their word and making sure if elected, they keep their promises.
I’ve witnessed too many missed opportunities to just take any politician’s word for it. With exceptions like Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida officials (who crafted legislation mandating prison time for striking an officer in special circumstances) or the members of Congress who co-signed the Protect and Serve Act, efforts to protect police officers and the public they serve have been lackluster.
About the For the Blue Policing Questionnaire
Why just poll Wisconsin Candidates?
Given that this is my first nationwide-based questionnaire and I’m a volunteer solo police advocate, I wanted to start small. This gives me the opportunity to perfect the process for future larger-scale projects.
Once I’m more confident in the process, I will replicate it and extend the questionnaire invitations to other states.
If you live outside of Wisconsin and would like to help with this project in your state, please contact me at fortheblue@substack.com. The groundwork has already been built. I essentially just need lists of candidates (and their email addresses) running for election in the midterms. I’ll take it from there.
Methodology
Using Ballotpedia, I identified 90 candidates who had placed bids to run for the following seats in the upcoming Wisconsin mid-term (and primary) elections.
Governor
Lt. Governor
Wisconsin State Senate
Wisconsin State Assembly
U.S. Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
The Invitation
Starting in early April, I began sending the following invitation (or a variation of it), via email to each candidate on the list:
Would (candidate’s name) be willing to complete a short survey on policing? As a citizen advocate for police officers, I'd like to measure the candidates' responses, which I plan to publish on my blog at For the Blue.
Please let me know if interested, and I'll send the questions.
Thanks for your time.
--Paula Fitzsimmons
For the Blue
Questions Asked
If a candidate or staff member agreed to answer the questionnaire or at least to review it, I sent the following:
If they didn’t respond to my initial query, or to the questionnaire after agreeing to review it, I sent a follow-up email.
The deadline for submitting questionnaires was the end of June, though I allowed additional time if requested.
The Responses
The following candidates responded to my query. (The title after the candidate’s name is the position they’re campaigning for.)
Charity Barry (R), U.S. House of Representatives
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Joan Ellis Beglinger (I), Wisconsin Governor
Candidate left a phone message saying she’d rather speak by phone. I left a voicemail message in return, but didn’t hear back after that.
Adam Benedetto (R), U.S. Senate
Suspended campaign, per Ballotpedia.
Jess Hisel (Free), Wisconsin Governor
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Andre Jacque (R), Wisconsin State Senate
Jesse James (R), Wisconsin State Senate
Rebecca Kleefisch (R), Wisconsin Governor
Brett Knudsen (D), U.S. House of Representatives
Suspended campaign, but offered commentary.
Will Martin (R), Wisconsin Lt. Governor
I wasn’t able to reach him until late June, but he has received the questionnaire. I will post his replies once I receive them.
Adam Murphy (D), U.S. Senate
Suspended campaign, per candidate.
Steven Olikara (D), U.S. Senate
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Peter Peckarsky (D), U.S. Senate
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Timothy Ramthun (R), Wisconsin Governor
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Hillarie Roth (R), Wisconsin State Assembly
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Jeff Rumbaugh (D), U.S. Senate
Suspended campaign, but offered commentary.
Mark Scheffler (D), Wisconsin State Senate
Peter Theron (R), U.S. House of Representatives
Suspended campaign, per candidate.
David Varnam (R), State of Wisconsin Lt. Governor
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Marisa Voelkel (R), Wisconsin State Assembly
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Cindy Werner (R), State of Wisconsin Lt. Governor
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Darrell Williams (D), U.S. Senate
Agreed to receive questionnaire but no response after that.
Kyle Yudes (R), State of Wisconsin Lt. Governor
For me, the coming elections transcend politics. We’re way past that point. They’re about our nation’s survival.
My Thoughts
I’m grateful to all the candidates who responded to my questionnaire on policing - especially those who took the time to offer thoughtful commentary.
My assumptions for why other candidates didn’t respond.
Didn’t receive my request. Maybe the email was caught in a slush pile, there was a technical glitch, or it was misdirected. It happens. I did try calling some of the candidates, but ran out of time.
Overwhelm or little time to reply. Running a campaign is exhausting, time-consuming work. People are coming at you from every direction with phone calls, appearance requests, and surveys like mine. It’s easy to feel overpowered, especially if you have a small staff, it’s your first time running for office, and you have a full-time job.
Doesn’t understand the topic well enough and doesn’t want to take time to research it.
Doesn’t want to commit to a stance or be held accountable for campaign promises once elected.
Doesn’t see an advantage to replying. For example, defending the police is not popular with the candidate’s base.
Even if your candidate isn’t listed here, I hope you find the replies (and snubs) to be as educational as they were for me.
Please contact me if you’d like to replicate this initiative in your state.
New replies will be added to this page as I receive them.
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.