Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: The debate, the polls, the home stretch
The Wisconsin Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. Find the previous episode of the Group. . .
The Wisconsin Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. Find the previous episode of the Group Chat here. It’s been another busy week in Wisconsin politics, with the one and only debate happening Tuesday at Marquette University, two new polls showing Francesca Hong opening up a sizable lead over the rest of the field, and a news cycle unfolding at breakneck pace as we get closer and closer to the Aug. 11 partisan primary. Your friends here at the Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast are here to break it all down. This episode aired live on theMotherhood for Good YouTube Channel, available here:For a beat-by-beat breakdown, check out our topics and timestamps below:00:00— Intro: recapping a big week in Wisconsin politics00:42— Debate recap: format and moderators03:30— Pat’s debate takeaways05:04— The state of the field and Francesca Hong’s lead06:10— Why the other candidates didn’t attack the frontrunner11:12— What’s next for Barnes, Crowley, Brennan, and Roys16:26— The missing healthcare questions20:14— Working with the legislature21:29— Down-ballot primaries and previewing your ballot22:26— Inside the spin room with Dan28:05— Comparing the Marquette and State Navigate polls31:25— Undecided voters and leaners33:44— The candidates as Breakfast Club characters35:42— Listener question: how to decide your vote39:18— Hong’s campaign style and ground game44:08— Looking ahead to the general election47:43— The generation gap in the polls50:51— Predictions for the final stretch52:03— The 3rd Congressional District and 17th Senate District primaries58:21— Closing thoughts on unity after the primary59:54— Plugs, voting reminders, and wrap-upWatch the video on YouTube here:You can find this as an audio podcast on Spotify (embedded below) and on Apple Podcasts (here). In case you’ve missed a previous episode, you can find them all here. Dan Shafer is a journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. He worked with Civic Media from 2024 to 2026. He’s written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 24 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at@DanRShafer. Subscribe to The Recombobulation newsletterhereand follow us onFacebookandInstagramat @ therecombobulationarea. Already subscribe? Get a gift subscription for a friend. Give a gift subscriptionPart of a group who might want to subscribe together? Get a group subscription for 30% off!Get 30% off a group subscriptionFollow Dan Shafer on Twitter at@DanRShafer, at BlueSky at@danshafer. bsky. social, and on Threads at@danshafer.