Democratic Congressional candidate Brad Pfaff met with The Spectator for an exclusive interview. Read the highlights below. 

Toby Mohr: What has motivated you to run for Congress?

Brad Pfaff: What motivates me to run for Congress is my deep roots in this district. My family’s been farming in this area since they came to this country in the 1700s. I have seven generations here in Western Wisconsin. This is where I raise my family and, quite frankly, we need to make sure that we have Western Wisconsin values in the US House of Representatives. 

So I am proud to be a candidate for Congress and I will take the values that I’ve learned here in Western Wisconsin to the halls of Congress.

TM: You won a competitive Democratic primary in August, what are you trying to do to win over the Democratic voters who did not vote for you in the primary?

BP: We had a great primary this past August and we had four very, very strong candidates. Dr. Mark Newman, Rebecca Cook and Deborah McGrath. Along with myself, all four of us worked very hard.

All of us recognize what’s at stake in this race. We recognize that the opponent that we’re running against is an interloper. Someone who is not from this district, someone who moved into this district in 2019 for the sole purpose of running for Congress. And since that time, he has been participating in activities that are unbecoming to the people here in Western and Central Wisconsin.

Here’s an individual that has done his level best in order to stand in the way of the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next with his behavior on January 6th.

Here’s an individual that has demonstrated that his respect for election integrity and his respect for voters’ rights is something that’s in question. 

And so again, I would say to all the Democratic voters out there, we recognize the fact that we’re a big tent and that we’ve got a variety of different thoughts and ideas, but we understand basic tenants and that is respect for one another and love for this district and wanting to make sure that we can continue to provide opportunities for the people of this district to succeed.

TM: You mentioned your opponent, Derrick Van Orden’s, alleged role in the January 6th attack on the capitol —

BP: Well, he was there. He was there. There was no “alleged”, I mean, there’s a picture that’s taken when he’s smiling and he’s on the capitol steps there. So he is on the grounds, and he’s got an earpiece in his ear, so I know he wants to dispute that, but again, a photo is a photo.

TM: — and if elected to Congress, how would you like to see accountability for those involved in the January 6th attack? 

BP: Well I think the voters are going to demonstrate accountability for what happened on January 6th. I think the voters here, I know the voters here in Western and Central Wisconsin do not care for that type of activity.

Derrick Van Orden does not have the temperament, the judgment or the character to serve in Congress. And the voters of this district recognize that.

TM: What can Congress do to protect abortion rights at the federal level?

BP: Well, first of all, we have to codify Roe v. Wade. We have to codify Roe v. Wade at the federal level.

And as a member of Congress I will be there. I will support and introduce legislation. I will be part of that process to make sure that we codify Roe v. Wade once and for all. As a state legislator, I have been a leader on this in order to make sure we codify Roe v. Wade into state statute. 

When the Alito memo first leaked in May, I was the first Wisconsin state senator to call upon Governor Evers to call us in the special session so we could codify Roe v Wade into state statute and, at the same time, increase funding for reproductive health services.

The thing is, I’m glad that the governor called us in for a special session and we were there on June 22nd and the Republican majority gave us 13 seconds. 13 seconds. They gaveled us in and they gaveled us out. 

50% of our state’s population have lost rights that they had and the Republican state legislature gave us 13 seconds.

For more of Pfaff’s comments on abortion rights, LGBTQ equality, and the November election watch the interview and read the transcript.

The Spectator has reached out to Derrick Van Orden’s campaign to set up a similar interview and has not received a response. That invitation stands.

Mohr can be reached at [email protected].