MILWAUKEE — Five small-business-friendly candidates will head to Madison in January after a grassroots effort to elect them.
The push came from business owners across the state, who now hope the results will help bring about change in a climate often dominated by partisan gridlock.
Main Street Action PAC (MSA) said Tuesday night’s election results prove that even in times of divisive politics, small business owners across the state can use their voices to be a powerful voting bloc.
“I think the best way for small businesses to get involved is to get involved, and you see the reasons why we do it, at the state level, if it directly affects the way we do business,” Dan Jacobs, a longtime leader with the Main Street Alliance, said. “We’re looking at things like health care, child care, access to capital.”
Jacobs, who is the chef and owner of Dan Dan and EsterEv in Milwaukee, said it’s about reminding politicians that they work for the people.
“Our voice is the voice of many people. It’s not just us. We’re fighting and looking for things that I think are pretty basic that will do a lot of good for the citizens of Wisconsin,” Jacobs explained. “These people work for us. They should do the things that we want. Not the things that corporations want. big, or big business, and those are the moments when it really means the most to stand up and organize.”
Since 2008, MSA has helped raise the voice of small business owners, including Jacobs, and this election was no exception. From phone calls and mailings to candidate tables and voter outreach, the group made a grassroots effort.
Chef Dan Jacobs does prep work at his restaurant, EsterEv, in Milwaukee. (Spectrum News 1/Anthony DaBruzzi)
“Unraveling the 10-year gerrymander means that for the first time in a long time, you’ve really felt the fullness of their political agency,” explained MSA Executive Director Richard Trent.
On Tuesday night, the nonpartisan MSA PAC helped five candidates from six races win a seat in the Legislature: Tara Johnson, Robyn Vining, Sarah Keyeski, Jamie Wall and Kristin Alfheim.
Trent said decisions about who to support and where depend on the membership.
“It just so happens that many of the small business and pro-main street policies that our membership supports tend to fall into a Democratic camp,” Trent said. “I think there are advantages for both political parties in thinking about the importance of small business. For the GOP, it’s a moment to connect with the competition and prove you’re pro-competition. For Democrats, it’s a way to actually reach some of those rural and red voters that Democrats have historically really struggled to reach.”
These pro-small business policies include expanding BadgerCare, implementing paid family and medical leave, and fully funding the Child Care Counts program.
“I think we can definitely, in January, get closer to these things,” Jacobs said. “The problem is that it’s still not completely equal and I’m cautiously optimistic that we can push an agenda that is more representative of what small businesses need and want, but it’s still going to be a challenge. It will still be a fight all the way.”