“Steve Kagen Can Credit His Congressional Seat to a Republican”
October 19, 2009
Editorial Comment by Roger Utnehmer
President and CEO
DoorCountyDailyNews.com
Congressman Steve Kagen can credit his seat on Congress to a Republican. In 2006, Kagen defeated former Assembly Speaker John Gard after Gard beat Terry McCormick in the Republican primary.
That primary endorsement created an issue for Republicans.
Vice-president Dick Chaney campaigned for Gard. Party money went to Gard, the party’s hand-picked candidate. McCormick was not treated with fairness one would expect in a primary and many of her supporters sat on their hands in the general election. Kagen defeated Gard by a small margin and owes his first victory to Republicans who alienated enough of their own to keep McCormick’s Republican supporters from voting in the general election.
The last time the Republican Party endorsed in a primary was l978 and it backfired then as well. Lee Dreyfus lost the party endorsement to Bob Kasten and then went on to clean up in a state-wide primary, winning big in November.
McCormick earned respect in the state assembly as an advocate for reform. She was an often independent voice for clean government and bucked the good-old-boy network that ran the legislature.
She was a refreshing candidate but the corrupting influence of special interest money proved again in her loss to Gard that money talks in Wisconsin politics. Republicans would be wise to welcome candidates like her back into politics if they ever want to win races again.
It looks like the Republican Party may make the same mistake next year they made by endorsing Gard in the 2006 primary. Endorsing in primaries is a proven losing proposition for Wisconsin Republicans. Steve Kagen got into office because of the back-room deal-making of his opposition. If Republicans do it again, Kagen will become a fixture in the House and attractive candidates like Terri McCormick will run from the GOP faster than John Gard should have run from a Dick Cheney primary endorsement.
That’s my opinion. I’d like to hear yours. I’m Roger Utnehmer.
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