Bernie Sanders Electrifies Early Vote Rally at UWM

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders took the stage before an enthusiastic crowd of college students and other supporters at a boisterous early vote rally at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, telling the audience, “It doesn’t mean anything if you don’t go out and vote.”

Sanders and Wisconsin’s top Democrats encouraged the cheering crowd to re-elect Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and help state Schools Superintendent Tony Evers oust Republican Gov. Scott Walker. The Wisconsin Room in the UW-Milwaukee Student Union was packed with everyone from journalists to students to concerned citizens and parents. There were loud boos at the mention of Walker and Republican Leah Vukmir (Baldwin’s challenger). Massive cheers erupted for Sanders, who was the top draw at the Democratic early vote rally.

“Today we are here for some very serious business,” said Sanders. “And that business is to re-elect Tammy Baldwin. It is to tell Walker it is time to park it and to elect Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes.”

Sanders, perhaps gearing up for a 2020 presidential rerun, directed some of his sharpest rhetoric at President Donald Trump. During his speech, a woman yelled at him amidst the applause. It was difficult to understand what she was saying, but she was removed by security shortly after she started.

Most cheered, though, and Sanders was greeted with shouts of “We love Bernie Sanders” from UWM students. 

“Let’s tell Trump, Walker and these guys: We want a government and an economy based on justice,” Sanders said. “The young generation in America today is the most progressive generation in the history of America. They are the least sexist, the least racist, the least homophobic, and the least bigoted generation in history.”

The feeling was electric inside the packed room. The Democratic candidates for Wisconsin’s midterm elections brought with them a crowd of supporters from all different age groups and ethnicities. After speeches from Randy Bryce, Barnes, Evers, Baldwin and others, the excitement could be felt throughout the ballroom. Many supporters said they were eager to vote, and that seemed to be the overarching goal of the Democratic politicians present: To funnel students and other voters to the early voting ballot box. Most of the speakers urged supporters to vote early, and Baldwin even mentioned that supporters could vote right across the street at UW-Milwaukee’s Helene Zelazo Center.

Though the rally was at the UW-Milwaukee campus, the audience didn’t consist of just college students. The eclectic crowd ranged from Millennial college students to Baby Boomers with long white ponytails and tie-dyed pot shirts.  Affordable healthcare and “Fight for 15”, the movement of setting the minimum wage at $15 an hour, were the topics that drew the most excitement from the audience. Chants of “Medicare for all” rang in the Wisconsin Room. Education also elicited a huge response from the crowd. Some issues mentioned: Allocating more money for higher education and public schools and being able to refinance student loans.

When Tammy Baldwin came on stage, she was met by loud chants of “Tammy! Tammy! Tammy,” by a mixed crowd of young and old.

 “When Washington isn’t working, it means it isn’t working for Wisconsin,” said Baldwin. “I was not sent to Washington to take people’s healthcare.”

Evers makes his case

Evers, speaking before Sanders, made his case for a $15-an-hour minimum wage, criminal justice reform, and increased funding for education. “I will be the next governor of Wisconsin,” pledged Evers. “In the remaining days of this fight, you all have to be engaged. Whatever the cost, do right by Wisconsin.”

Each candidate spent about 10-15 minutes on stage. Evers jokingly called the potholes in Milwaukee “Scottholes.” Evers received a massive ovation from the crowd after promising to deliver funding for education in the state of Wisconsin. He said the campaign for governor “is all about Wisconsin values. But let’s just talk about education for a minute. Scott Walker took $800 Million out of our education system, $250 million out of our higher education, making it 15 percent fewer faculty for UWM.”

Congresswoman Gwen Moore was even blunter. “I’ve got the Scott Walker blues,” she said. “Milwaukee, all that we love is on the line; use the power that we have to lift.” Indeed, Walker seemed to be a popular topic as each candidate made sure to mention his name several times and propose their solutions to the problems they say he has created.

Congressional candidate Randy Bryce opened up the rally with a raucous greeting of applause. With quotes like “it is time to restore the state’s education to a world-renowned status,” and “I don’t think it’s radical that everyone has access to healthcare,” Bryce commanded the attention of many of the students in the crowd.

After a Fight for 15 representative’s speech on worker and union rights, the crowd slowly started the well-known “I believe that we will win” chant and continued to a louder and louder pitch. Eventually, everyone’s fists were pumping back and forth while chanting and cheering along with the representative.

Bryce, a cancer survivor, spoke about the importance of healthcare for all and healthcare for pre-existing conditions. “He (Paul Ryan) wanted to repeal and replace healthcare for all, so we said let’s replace him!”  he said.

The candidates repeatedly focused on education.

“It will be a wonderful day when we can return the government back to working people where it belongs,” said Mandela Barnes, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

He added: “We spend a billion and a half dollars to lock people up in the state of Wisconsin, and that is more then we spend on the entire UW system. This is a priorities mismatch, and we have to make Wisconsin a state that prioritizes education not incarceration.”

Hundreds of crowd members chanted “We vote, we win!”

“If all of the people under 30 turned out next to vote, they could total more than all the other generations together,” insisted Sanders. “You could transform your nation.”

Here are some of the voices from the rally:

Early Morning Text Leads to Rally Participation

Patrick Schwoeggler, a sophomore at UWM, says that an early morning text led to him skipping class and heading to the Milwaukee Early Vote Rally with Bernie Sanders.

“I was like holy (expletive), Bernie is going to be here,” said Schwoeggler. “I skipped class to be here.”

At the age of 19, Schwoeggler is excited to be able to vote for the first time this year. “Oh yeah, I have already voted,” said Schwoeggler. “I voted straight Democrat.”

“I am really excited how the Democratic party plans on funding public education and the healthcare system,” said Schwoeggler. Another idea that excited the UWM sophomore was that the Wisconsin Democratic candidates planned on ending the privatization of prisons in the state.

-Matt Cade

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UWM sophomore Sophie Gay has already registered as a Democrat but was excited to be at a rally so large.

“It’s important to get out and socialize with people who have similar views in politics,” said Gay. “I’m excited about how the Democratic party plans to fund public education and discuss it with my peers.”

Gay also said that she looks forward to heading out to the polls on Nov. 6 to cast her vote for Tony Evers for governor and Tammy Baldwin for U.S. senator.

-Matt Cade

Thinks Evers Cares ‘About the Right Things’

As the midterm elections inch closer, UW-Milwaukee student Anika Van Rossum is ready to participate. The media studies sophomore feels strongly about the Democratic party and wanted to see what each candidate had to say.

“I’m here because I support the Democrat candidates on the ballot,” said Van Rossum. “I had time in between some classes, so I figured why not come out.”

As a 19-year-old, this will be the first election Anika is able to participate in. When asked about who she’ll be voting for in the Wisconsin governor’s race, she responded with Democrat, Tony Evers.

“I think his policies and what he wants to do for the state Wisconsin is going to be beneficial,” said Van Rossum. “He cares about the right things, and the things that I care about.”

Van Rossum also mentioned that she’ll be voting for Democratic senator Tammy Baldwin as well. She believes in change for the well-being of the people and views Baldwin and Evers as the candidates that best represent that.

-Tyler Merritt

The Optimistic Democrat

Sally Rohrer, a 21-year-old senior at UW-Madison, came to the rally only to see Bernie Sanders, but she got more out of the event than just that.

“I think the crowd was really fired up,” Rohrer said. “There was great energy and lots of optimism.”

Rohrer has voted early for the Democrats via an absentee ballot.

-Zoe Smith Munson

The Concerned Educator

Doug Perry, a 61-year-old retired teacher and current member of a school board in South Milwaukee, came to the rally to hear what the candidates had to say about education.

Perry said his experience at the rally was “outstanding” and he’s voting for Democrats this election.

Perry said he appreciates politicians who “check on the one-sided government power.”

-Zoe Smith Munson

An Early Bernie Supporter

Geography major Nathan Freeman is a junior at UW-Milwaukee. The 21-year-old has been a Democrat since he’s been able to vote.

“My views haven’t really changed,” said Freeman.

Freeman was pulling for Bernie Sanders while he was still on the 2016 presidential ballot but ended up voting for Hillary Clinton when Sanders was eliminated.

“This time around, I really haven’t been paying much attention, but the people around me have been,” Freeman said. “As long as my peers go along, I feel like I can trust my peers.”

Although Freeman hasn’t been following this year’s midterms as close as the 2016 presidential race, he still believes in Democratic candidates Tammy Baldwin and Tony Evers.

-Tyler Merritt

An International Student Stresses Education

Myram Simo, 20, is a Saudi Arabian exchange student studying Biomedical Engineering at UW-Milwaukee. Attending the rally was crucially important for her because it allows her to identify issues that candidates focus on that are relevant to her daily life and future.

“It’s important for these politicians to feel the importance of education, that’s why I’m here” she said. Simo went on to explain that she feels pressured at times to run with the status quo, meaning the political climate of her friends and family. “Doing these things lets me formulate an opinion of my own,” she said. Simo would not answer my question when asking which political party she supports.

-Sal Sendik

Concern for Immigrant Rights

Guadalupe Sanchez, 19, is a Milwaukee native who has always been concerned with the rights of immigrants.

“My father always stands up for them and I know that Bernie does that too,” she said. Sanchez is attending the rally because her friends, Kayla and Autumn, encouraged her to attend the rally to find out more about Tony Evers. With political attack ads in full swing, these friends seem to be taking it all in.

“I learn a lot about politicians from what I see on TV,” she said. The mid-terms are important to this friend group because they feel that the result could have an immediate impact on their future.

-Sal Sendik

First Year Student Hoping to Make a Difference

Tien Kolodziej, an 18-year-old freshman psychology major, attended the Democratic rally at UWM on Monday morning.

“It’s awesome that it’s on campus,” said Kolodziej.

He indicated that he had already voted early in the election and said he was influenced to vote Democrat across the board because he has a teacher as a parent. He was unable to vote in 2016 due to age but said he would have voted for Bernie Sanders first and then Hillary Clinton in the election against President Donald Trump.

-Derek Grant

Voting is Important

Hannah Skroch, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in educational policy, has a message for people.

“I wish more people would vote,” Skroch said.

Skroch stated that of eight students in a class she is taking, only three indicated they were registered voters. This unsettles her because she knows her generation can make a change if they go out and vote.

-Derek Grant

Cares About Human Rights

Carmen Lynch, a freshman at UW-Milwaukee, was eager about being able to vote in her first election.

“I was too young for the presidential election, so it’s exciting to be able to vote now,” said Lynch. “I was really bummed about Bernie not getting the nomination.”

Despite the midterms being her first chance at voting, Lynch said she has been a lifelong Democrat. She agrees with the stances of Tammy Baldwin and Tony Evers. In fact, she has already filled out her absentee ballot.

“I really care about human rights,” said Lynch. “Women’s issues and trans issues are important too.”

-Michelle Harkey

Wants to be an Informed Voter

Lindsey Keith is no stranger to voting in elections. The UW-Milwaukee senior takes great pride in the fact that she’s an active participant with a stellar voting record.

“It’s my civic duty to be informed, said Keith. “I had received something in mail yesterday about voting and felt so proud. It had a chart of the average voter and then me way up there!” Keith shot her hand up to show the drastic difference between how many times she has voted compared to the average voter.

Keith is a double major at UWM, majoring in Social Work and Jewish Studies. The important issues for Keith are social issues and human rights.  

“I identify as a Democrat, but I want to stay informed,” said Keith. “I always feel good about myself when I’m able to look at an issue and may lean a little right. I don’t want to just vote party lines, I want to be an informed voter.”

-Michelle Harkey

Leaning Libertarian

Daniel Dyer, a freshman majoring in IT, said he was at the rally because it’s a hard opportunity to pass up coming to something like this, especially when it’s right on campus.

He said he was not old enough to vote in the 2016 presidential election and that he casts his vote depending on the position. He said he’s started to lean a little more right-wing in the past few years.

-Jackson Day

The New Voter

Ramiro Lopez, a freshman, came to the rally just to see what’s going on. He said that he is a Democrat who will be voting for all Democrats in the midterms. He also said that he was excited for the midterms, as this will be his first time voting.

Lopez said he couldn’t vote in the 2016 presidential election because he was too young. He said that immigration issues are key in this midterm.

-Jackson Day

Voting for Change

Hadiya Johnson, a UW-Milwaukee freshman majoring in Biology, said she was voting for Baldwin for change.

“She is the voice of the youth,” said Johnson.

-Salam Fatayer

The Alum & Public School Worker

Abby DeCook said she’s a public-school worker who came to see Tammy Baldwin and Tony Evers especially. She was there because she feels that public schools are losing their resources to private schools.

Bryce Coppersmith is an UWM alum who wanted to hear what the candidates had to say. “We need a shift,” he said, adding that his priority issue is education.  “The fact that Bernie is coming out for these candidates really speaks for them,” he said.

-Royce Podeszwa

First-Time Rally Participant

Krystal Magnusson is a marketing and art studies major at UWM. She is more Democratic than her family and wanted to get more information from the candidates. Primarily, she came to the rally to see Tammy Baldwin and Bernie Sanders.

It was her first time at a rally. “There’s a lot of yelling,” Magnusson said. “I’m not used to that.” She said there needs to be a switch up in politics.

-Royce Podeszwa