Coronavirus colors race for State Assembly

Like it has with everything else in life, the coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the Aug. 11 primary election for the 60th Assembly seat, influencing everything from how the two Republican candidates campaign to the issues they are discussing.

The election pits two fixtures in politics — Rob Brooks of Saukville, who made his name in county government before being elected to the Assembly in 2014, and Chris Reimer of Cedarburg, who served on the Cedarburg Common Council for eight years before joining the School Board nine years ago

“It’s been a very different campaign,” Brooks said, with no parades or large events.

But he has been out knocking on doors, and said that despite Covid-19 many people are eager to talk.

One of the most recent issues before the candidates is masks, which Gov. Tony Evers mandated last week.

Both candidates said there is no need for a statewide mandate, although there may be portions of the state where mask requirements are needed.

“I don’t know that a one-size-fits-all approach for the State of Wisconsin is the answer,” Reimer said. “I don’t know if that makes sense. Different counties have different incident rates.

“What I would like to see is us look at different areas and consider the data for those areas.”

Reimer, 52, of N78 W7088 Oak St., said he would rely on the experts in deciding where masks may be needed, noting he is not a medical expert.

Almost immediately after Evers issued his mandate, Brooks issued a statement saying he was “completely outraged” by the decision, calling it a politically motivated decision prompted by the fact a conservative justice left the state Supreme Court a day earlier.

  The governor, he said, has “overreached” with the order, which he said “is more than just a mask order. It opens a Pandora’s box.”

Brooks, 55, of 204 E. Dekora St., said he believes there are places where mask requirements are suited to protect those who are vulnerable to the coronavirus, but it isn’t needed throughout the entire state.

It’s up to municipalities and counties, not state government, to make that determination, he added.

“I’m not anti-mask,” he said.

Brooks said he does not believe the state reopened too soon after Evers’ Safer at Home order expired, saying the numbers were declining at that time.

“When we reopened, we should have kept some facilities closed,” he said. “Hindsight’s 20-20.”

At that time, he said, there was a proposed reopening plan that “wasn’t perfect but it was based on science” and local control, he said, and that should have been adopted.

“To me, I think coming up with reasonable, local metrics would have made sense,” Brooks said. “I still think we should do it, but the politics of that are pretty difficult.”

The political rancor is difficult to navigate, and there’s little trust between the Legislature and governor’s office, he said.

“I’m still very hopeful we can get past a lot of this, but it’s going to take some time and a lot of healing,” he said.

While many people support term limits, Brooks said he believes longer terms would allow legislators to focus less on re-election and more on the issues at hand — a step that could reduce the emphasis on politics.

Reimer agreed that the state didn’t reopen too early, especially when considering the impact on businesses.

“I think you really need to look at our businesses. They’re really suffering,” he said. “If they can be open, they should be. We owe it to them.”

But as with masks, he said, reopening decisions should be done looking at the data and relying on the experts in order to keep people as safe as possible while aiding businesses.

The pandemic is having an impact on state revenue, and Reimer said hard decisions will have to be made.

“We need to get businesses back on their feet, and we need to decrease spending by the state as well,” he said, adding his experience in dealing with school budgets will help in that effort.

“I have experience doing that. I’m comfortable doing that,” Reimer said. 

More resources need to be put into unemployment, he said, adding that should have been done earlier in the pandemic. 

“We knew people were going to be unemployed,” he said. 

The government needs to reassign workers from other departments to handle the backlog, Reimer said, noting people need those funds to live.

“We need to put resources toward it and we need to make it not an issue anymore,” he said. “I’m sure there are some efficiencies to be had.”

Brooks said there will be some economic pain that comes with the pandemic, but it will likely be short-term pain that probably won’t last too long.

“People are going back to work,” he said. “The economy is going to come back.”

The downturn that accompanied the pandemic didn’t hit the state budget as hard as many feared, Brooks said, but there will be “tough choices” to be made moving ahead.

Reimer, who is self-employed, is a federal surveyor for V.A. Nursing Homes, ensuring they are in compliance with federal regulations. He said his experience on the Common Council, where he served as president for a year, and the School Board, where he’s been president for six years, has prepared him for the Legislature.

“We’ve been able to keep taxes flat while maintaining a very high level of service,” he said of his work on the School Board, noting the high school is a top-rated school with the lowest cost per pupil in the county.

Among his goals, Reimer said, are to help farmers and small businesses.

“If we lose our small businesses and lose our farms, we’re going to lose our way of life in Ozaukee County,” he said. “I often think they’re forgotten.”

He said he’s an advocate for limited government and would be someone who’s approachable.

“People are looking for someone who’s approachable, who returns their calls,” he said. “That’s what I’m all about.”

Brooks, who has owned a real estate business for 30 years and also owns several restaurants and taverns, said he has a proven track record and a reputation for working hard for his constituents.

“My staff and I have an outstanding record of constituent services,” he said. “I’m a proven conservative. I’ve been out there on the front lines for almost 20 years.”