On November 3, Tip McGuire will defend his seat against Ed Hibusch of Kenosha. We asked the same questions of both candidates. Looking to learn more about Hibusch, click here.

Here are McGuire’s answers:

Where do you live?

Kenosha

How long have you lived in the community?

I was born in Kenosha, raised in Somers, and have lived most of my life here.

What is your educational background?

I have a law degree from the University of Wisconsin.

What civic organizations do you belong to?

I am a past president of the Kenosha Library Foundation Board of Directors, as well as a former board member of the National Alliance for Mental Illness – Kenosha County.

What position are you running for?

I am running to continue serving as the State Representative from the 64th Assembly District, representing parts of the City of Kenosha, the Village of Somers, the Village of Mount Pleasant, the Village of Elmwood Park, and the City of Racine.

Have you ever held elected office before?

Yes.

If so, what positions were you elected to?

State Representative from the 64th Assembly District

In thinking about your election bid, what top three issues need to be addressed? *

Pandemic Response
Economic Recovery
Restoring the middle class

How would you plan to address those issues?

1. Pandemic Response: There are several critical things we need to do to address the pandemic on the state level. This session, I co-sponsored the Healthcare Heroes Act, which would provide support to our health care workers as they support us all. In addition to providing this support for these brave workers ⏤ including hazard pay and health insurance for those who don’t have any ⏤ we will need to continue to provide financial support to our hospitals as they deal with this.

2. Economic Recovery: The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically impacted our economy, throwing workers into unemployment and threatening so many of our small businesses. I was proud to draft legislation that would cut red tape to reduce delays in our unemployment process. In addition, I have worked closely with local businesses, including bars and restaurants that are particularly hard hit, to inform them of the grants and loans available through the state. But as we move forward, it’s clear that state government needs to make significant investments in supporting our small businesses as they have been challenged by both a pandemic and civil unrest this year. One bill I authored this year, the Buy American Act, would help to support our American businesses and American workers by ensuring that state government was purchasing needed products from American companies, not foreign companies. I am hopeful that next session we can move that bill forward to support our companies here.

3. Restoring the Middle Class: Since being elected to the Assembly, restoring the middle class has been my top priority. Ensuring economic security for the middle class, and those still working their way into the middle class, means investing in the services that help build a path to economic security. To that end, I supported accepting federal health care dollars to ensure that health care is accessible and affordable for working families. I supported an increase in support for our public schools to ensure that they were equipped to provide our children with a safe and healthy education. And I supported expanding the Homestead Tax Credit to help senior citizens stay in their homes.

This session, I co-sponsored legislation that would help first-time homebuyers save a certain quantity tax free if it goes towards homeownership. Traditionally, homeownership has been the number one path to economic security for the middle class, yet today, it is out of reach for so many hardworking families. For families that already own a home, I co-sponsored legislation to close the Dark Store loophole. By closing that corporate tax loophole, the cost of property taxes for small businesses, seniors, and working families could be reduced. And for families that are suffering from shoreline erosion along Lake Michigan, I drafted legislation to assist them with deferring the costs of preserving their shoreline.

Lastly, a good paying job for hard working people can help lift a family to more economic security. That’s why I drafted Buy American legislation ⏤ to invest in our businesses and our workers here. On top of that, I proudly support workers rights and the rights to organize for better wages and benefits for working families. Working together, we can restore Wisconsin’s middle class.

In reference to those issues you have identified, what would success look like to you?

In regard to our pandemic response, success looks like eradicating the virus to the best of our ability, potentially through a vaccine or other treatment. I would like to see the men and women who have sacrificed so much ⏤ first responders and health care workers ⏤ be properly protected, funded, and acknowledged for their efforts to keep our community safe. And I would like further protections and measures for our most vulnerable citizens to be developed to ensure their safety well into the future.

As to our economy, I will always measure our economic recovery based on how Main Street is doing, not on how Wall Street is doing. I believe that a successful recovery will not only return the economy to significant and healthy growth, move people from unemployment to employment, but also provide the kind of family supporting jobs that help move families into a more secure place economically. I will consider the middle class restored in Wisconsin when there is once again a reliable pathway for working men and women to be able to provide a stable and secure future for their families.

We will have succeeded when homeownership is an available and affordable option for those who seek it, child care is affordable for working families, our children have high quality schools, and quality healthcare doesn’t break the bank.

Why are those issues important to you?

I was born and raised here, and the people of our community are my friends, family, and neighbors. It’s important to me that each of them has the opportunity for success ⏤ the ability to determine their own economic future, and to live safely and healthily ⏤ and I will continue to focus every day on trying to make their lives better.

At the end of your term, what would you like to have accomplished?

It is my hope and belief that in this coming term we can complete the task of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, that we can invest in our small businesses and grow our economy again, and that we can take the initial steps ⏤ making homeownership more affordable, helping families with shoreline, and creating family-supporting jobs ⏤ to rebuilding and restoring the great American middle class.

Why should people vote for you?

My top priority in the state legislature has been to restore the path to economic stability for working families. To that end, this past session, I worked for policies that help working families have access to affordable healthcare, make homeownership more affordable, and to support our small businesses and workers. I will continue to do that if re-elected, and I will wake up each morning with the desire to help with the concerns of my friends, family, and neighbors here in our community.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know?

It has been a difficult and challenging year for Kenosha and Wisconsin, but I believe that together we can move forward and build an economy and a society that works for everyone.

Tip McGuire: Wisconsin State Assembly District 64

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