BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Up and down ballots on Tuesday, you’ll find local nonpartisan races, but more than ever, those candidates are being endorsed and supported by partisan groups.
At the Republican Party of Brown County office, you’ll find piles of Trump yard signs, but you’ll also find plenty for Green Bay city council candidates.
“We’re getting questions all the time about who we prefer,” said Doug Reich, the chair of the Republican Party of Brown County. “It is a nonpartisan race, but we do our own research on as many candidates as we can to see who we think aligns best with our values.”
Reich says Brown County Republicans put out their most comprehensive voter guide ever for the spring election. It shows who the party recommends in county, municipal, and school board races.
The Democratic Party of Brown County has its own guide too.
Randy Scannell, a member of the Democratic Party of Brown County, isn’t running for re-election after serving 10 years on Green Bay’s city council. He says as long as partisanship isn’t part of conducting city business, he has no problem with political party endorsements.
“A lot of times with local races, it’s kind of tough to find out about a candidate and where they stand and what they mean and what their values are. If they’re politically aligned, that tells you something about the candidate.”
Local Democrats and Republicans also both agree local issues are becoming more partisan, but they differ on who is to blame.
“I think when this mayor came into office, he seemed to prioritize national talking points or national narratives rather than focusing on city business,” said Reich.
“There were alders who championed the election deniers,” said Scannell. “They made that part of city business. There were alders who championed the legislative attack on this city with the surveillance. That is all partisan stuff that had nothing to do with City Hall.”
The surveillance issue is from last year when the city council found out Mayor Eric Genrich authorized the installation of microphones in City Hall hallways. Genrich said it was for security and safety, but the council voted to have them removed amid privacy concerns.
“Fortunately because there were more conservative members on the city council, they were able to take the power away from the mayor to conduct the surveillance operation that he was conducting,” said Reich.
While Reich says that is an example where it helped getting Republican-supported candidates elected, Scannell says it’s an example of partisanship hurting local government as it caused a lawsuit that is ongoing.
“That has devalued our tax dollars and wasted city time and caused a lot of problems,” said Scannell.
While both sides see positives and negatives, they agree increased partisanship at the local level has increased interest and participation.
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