Another Progressive Win This Week: Jacob Malinowski (D-WI)

Wisconsin's 82nd Assembly District is in southwestern Milwaukee County, right where Milwaukee County, Waukesha County and Racine County meet. It's one of the reddest parts of Milwaukee County. Hillary lost it with 43% but two years later both Tammy Baldwin and Jill Karofsky were just a fraction n of a point away from 50%. The current Assemblyman, Ken Skowronski is a knee-jerk Republican careerist. He's being challenged by independent-minded Greendale School Board member Jacob Malinowski, a 22 year old progressive Democrat endorsed by Blue America.

This past Tuesday both Jacob and Skowronski won their primaries. For the first time ever, considerably more Democrats voted-- 5,854-- than Republicans-- 4,055. That bodes well for November. Jacob got 3,809 votes and Skowronski just 3,417 votes... also a good sign that even in a red district like this, voters are rethinking what the Republican Party is, now that it has been so unquestioningly supportive of an anti-patriot like Donald Trump. Another good sign for Malinowski is that a far right candidate, Marc Ciske, is running as an independent and is sure to draw away some Q-Anon types from Skowronski. His response to a question about COVID-19 from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel demonstrates his appeal: "The first amendment states our right to assemble and freedom of religion, which were forfeited during the Safer at Home order. I would continue to support that Wisconsin remain open during COVID-19 to ensure needs are met. The people in our community are entitled to their income, job security, housing, place of worship and social networks. The economy should continue to function 100%. I think we need to trust that people will make the right decision by providing guidelines rather than forcing laws and policies." Meanwhile, Wisconsin saw another 943 confoirmedcases yesterday, bringing the state total to 63,206, nearly 11,000 cases per Cheesehead-- and 1,018 deaths.

I asked Jacob to write a guest post about what motivated him to run for the Assembly seat. He wrote a bit about it and sent me the video below. Please take a look-- and please consider supporting his effort to replace a gerrymandering Republican in one of the few seats seriously flippable in November. You can contribute to his campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 state legislative thermometer below.


Public Health Is Everyone's Problem Now
-by Jacob Malinowski

Wisconsin held its state primary this week, and I’m excited to say that our people-first, issue-focused campaign came out on top. For the first time in seven years, the folks in my community will have a real choice in November. While my opponent acts as a rubber stamp for Speaker Robin Vos in Madison, we decided to run a grassroots campaign and actually talk about the issues and ideas that matter to working and middle class people. The road ahead will be long and difficult-- but I’m up for it.

I got into this race because of suicide prevention and mental health. In the fall of 2019, there were three cases of youth suicide in this district-- including one in my hometown. That was the younger brother of a very good friend of mine, and that very same day my state representative missed six bipartisan votes on suicide prevention. When asked why, he said, “It wasn’t necessary that I was there. Things happen in the world and you can’t be there for everything.”

It is crucial that we address mental health challenges faced by all people-- especially our students. Mental health has one of the highest morbidity rates across the country, yet unmotivated politicians refuse to tackle it head-on. I’m proposing a mental health counselor in every school district and expanding healthcare access for everyone: if you need to see a doctor, you should be able to regardless of your ability to pay. It’s important that we keep our communities both physically and mentally healthy.

Speaking of public health, the Wisconsin State Assembly hasn’t shown up for work in over 100 days in the middle of a global pandemic. Even though unemployment insurance is going unfulfilled, schools are scrambling to come up with a plan to re-open, and folks are getting unnecessarily sick, our do-nothing politicians won’t show up for the job we pay them to do. My proposal is simple: get to work, follow the data, and keep people safe. It’s not an easy job, but it’s a simple mindset. We just need someone who is up for the challenge.

I don’t have the typical background of a politician, but I think that’s a huge asset in this race. We’re pounding the pavement, working long days and even longer nights, and actually trying to have conversations in this district. My community is fed up with people who just do what they're told and bring no real ideas to the table. Our coalition is big and diverse: we’ve got working folks in dozens of unions, middle class families, young folks who finally see someone fighting for them, and older folks who are ready to pass the torch to the next generation. 2020 has been difficult for everyone, and we have no idea what lies ahead. My state representative simply isn’t up for the job, and his record demonstrates that.

This is hard work, and I’ve got just under three months to get it done. Districts like mine don’t focus on one party vs. another: voters look for good candidates with a strong work ethic. I hope to bring everyone on board, and when I get to Madison, we’re going to restore Wisconsin’s strong, people-first legacy and push towards a more fair, equitable, and hard-working future-- no matter what challenge lies ahead.