Another OBP Extended Edition! Guest host Natasha Alford speaks with former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes on the hotly contested election for State Supreme Court in Wisconsin.
Nina Spensley [00:00:00] I'm Nina Spensley, co-executive producer at Our Body Politic, and this is Our Body Politic: Extended Edition. Guest host Natasha Alford recently talked with Wisconsin's former lieutenant governor Mandela Barnes about his new PAC and his 2022 Senate race. You'll hear our full conversation on an upcoming episode. But in the meantime, we're sharing with you a short excerpt. Barnes tells us what he thinks about the upcoming election in Wisconsin, happening on April 4th. The ballot features a state Supreme Court contest between conservative Justice Stan Kelly and progressive judge Janet Protasiewicz. The election could tip the political balance in the state? Directly affecting decisions on access to abortion and redistricting in the Badger State. It's a major election and with deep ramifications in an off election year. And the country is watching. Let's get to it.
Natasha Alford [00:00:57] Hi, Mandela. Welcome back to the show.
Mandela Barnes [00:01:00] Hey, thank you so much. And thanks for having me. Really excited to be here.
Natasha Alford [00:01:03] Oh, it's great to have you. So let's talk about Wisconsin and this Supreme Court race. It's pretty hotly contested. I know that a lot of people, they can get caught up on the federal election cycle. You know, they think about the midterms and the presidential elections, but this particular election is really important. Why do you think it's so important for people who maybe haven't been paying attention or aren't as familiar?
Mandela Barnes [00:01:27] Well, let me tell you, and this comes off the topic about money in politics. This is already the most expensive judicial race in the history of the country. That's how important it is that people are willing to spend so much money on this race to deliver it back to the Supreme Court justice who advised efforts to overturn the 2020 election in the state of Wisconsin. It is about democracy. This is about our rights and our freedoms. We have a person in this race who's been endorsed by the state's three anti-abortion groups. This is also about making sure that working people have a voice and are able to show up and get the support and the benefits that they've earned through collective bargaining. All these things are on the line right now. And I can tell you that whoever is elected may have to see a challenge to the next presidential election. And if we have a person who's already shown what he'll do, what lengths he'll take it to, this person cannot be trusted on our court. If women's rights issues in the state of Wisconsin comes up in our next Supreme Court term. We have a person who has been very clear on where he stands, on limiting, on further limiting that right to choose. People know my politics where I stand. This is a chance to flip the balance of our Supreme Court. This is a Supreme Court that has acted as a partisan extension of the legislature, and it should never act that way. This is about balance. This is about fair maps in the state of Wisconsin so that the people's voices can truly, truly be heard because we have a half year mass in quite some time. It's been over ten years that we have dealt with these wildly gerrymandered maps that have given Republicans an unfair advantage and has led them to completely disregard the will of Wisconsinites.
Natasha Alford [00:03:24] As I hear you describing potential lack of trust when it comes to the state Supreme Court, just the ways in which so much could be on the line in Wisconsin. It makes me think about the rest of the country. Do we need to have more conversations about reforming state Supreme Courts? Should we be directing more attention and resources to getting people to understand that this is about more than the U.S. Supreme Court?
Mandela Barnes [00:03:50] I think there needs to be more education. Like too many people you're run into just won't really know what a Supreme Court justice does. And when that's the case, you see a lot of these people take advantage of people's lack of understanding. You'll see some of the ads people run. It's like, well, Supreme Court typically doesn't even take up those kind of cases. But if people don't know, then fear mongering ends up winning the day. So some level of reform, but I think it goes back to the civics education piece.
Natasha Alford [00:04:19] Yes, for sure. This has been a great conversation. I'm going to try to get one more question in, if you'll allow me.
Mandela Barnes [00:04:25] Let's go for it. Let's do one more question. We’ll do one more interview…we’ll do whatever…we’ll do a whole series.
Natasha Alford [00:04:30] Because there's some education happening here, as well as getting where you stand on things. And I think it's important, actually, I'm going to go for two questions. I'm going to sneak in another one. So I wonder, what do you think voters need to know about getting out to vote if they aren't already registered? So people who maybe they've felt disenfranchised, they feel disconnected. They're part of that group we talked about earlier who are even apathetic. What do you think we can do to educate them? What do they need to know?
Mandela Barnes [00:04:58] In Wisconsin, we are fortunate to have same day registration. You can also register at an early vote location. You just need your I.D. and proof of residence. And Election Day is April 4th. It'll be here before we know it.
Natasha Alford [00:05:12] That is amazing: the same day, voter registration. Just when you think about how many stories we've read about people not getting access to the vote, I mean, I think that's pretty remarkable.
Mandela Barnes [00:05:22] Don't say it too loud. They might try to take it away.
Natasha Alford [00:05:25] [laughs] All right. Final question for you. What sustains you, Mandela Barnes? How do you keep going with all the things that we talked about that are on your to-do list as well as all of these looming issues and existential crises that we're facing? How do you stay hopeful?
Mandela Barnes [00:05:41] Yeah, I stay hopeful, like I said I show up at a lot of schools, I still do a lot of school visits and it keeps me grounded. Kids will make fun of you so, it keeps me grounded, but it also keeps my eye on the prize and its a constant reminder what this is all actually about. You know, I still have my friend group that's not really involved in politics. I might be the extension of their involvement and that also keeps me grounded as well. And it's just always a reminder of what's actually going on. It gets me out of the bubble, it helps. And then lastly, I'm still running, still running, and that gives me a challenge. And having another challenge also helps. It takes away from the stress that’s concentrated in one place and it gives me an outlet.
Natasha Alford [00:06:26] That's why you're a marathon runner, Mandela Barnes, the long run. Thank you so much for joining us today. We appreciate it.
Mandela Barnes [00:06:33] Thank you so much for having me.
Natasha Alford [00:06:35] That was Mandela Barnes, former Wisconsin lieutenant governor and 2022 candidate for the United States Senate.
Nina Spensley [00:06:46] Thanks for listening to Our Body Politic. You can catch the full conversation on an upcoming episode in this feed and on your local public radio station. And if your local station doesn't carry us, make sure you reach out and tell them you want to hear us on the air.