Another candidate has jumped into the race for governor. Matthew Flynn is a retired defense attorney and former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. He joins head of the Department of Public Instruction Tony Evers, Eau Claire state Representative Dana Wachs and a handful of others who hope to challenge Governor Scott Walker in 2018.
Flynn says he hopes his run for governor will restore Wisconsin to its progressive traditions. Flynn refers to Governor Walker as a “more cunning and disciplined Donald Trump,” and blames him for going against Wisconsin’s ideals. “For 100 years we’ve had a bipartisan commitment to clean government, to fairness, to strong wages… and [Walker] has disrupted all of that.”
If Flynn were to win, he has a number of goals he would like to accomplish in his first few months. They include repealing “right-to-work,” getting rid of Act 10 and strengthening the DNR.
Although many other candidates have pointed to a division in the democratic party between progressive Democrats and centrist democrats, Flynn does not identify such a split. “My job… is to unite our party, because until we unite our party, we can’t unite the state.”
Flynn says that Trump supporters who once voted for Obama did so because they are seeking change. “What they want and need… is economic activity, higher wages, and jobs throughout Wisconsin, not just in some zip codes.” He goes on to say, “I am very excited about stewing that economic activity… we can do it together through the Democratic Party.”
There are a number of answers, Flynn claims, to restoring economic activity to the state. He says that Walker’s refusal to accept turning down federal tax dollars was “unconscionable.” Flynn says he would work hard to get more federal return of our federal tax dollars. Again, he points to the repeal of Act 10 and right-to-work as an opportunity for improvement. Lastly, he says that he runs a state-wide philosophy, not a Milwaukee and Madison philosophy, which Flynn feels is crucial to spending and direction of priorities.
WORT producer Nina Kravinsky spoke with him over the phone.
