By Grace Carlson

The two Democratic candidates in the race for the 21st Assembly District, Oak Creek Mayor Dan Bukiewicz and David Liners, are hoping they can flip the district.

The district, made up of southern Milwaukee and Oak Creek, is currently represented by Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, R-Oak Creek, who decided not to run for re-election. The winner of the Democratic primary will face Dylan Pfaffenbach, the only Republican candidate, in November.

Both candidates have the backing of prominent Wisconsin elected officials. Bukiewicz has been endorsed by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Madison and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Milwaukee. Bukiewicz, an electrician, has also been endorsed by his own union, IBEW Local 494.

Liners, of Milwaukee, is a former executive director of WISDOM Wisconsin, a faith-based social justice advocacy organization. He has been endorsed by Dem gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Francesca Hong, Rep. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee, Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Electoral Socialists. 

Both candidates support increased school funding and the need to renew the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, with Bukiewicz calling the fund one of Wisconsin’s “shining moments” and Liners calling for “aggressive” action to renew the fund.

The two also agree on examining the school voucher system and that federal immigration enforcement efforts should be solely the job of federal authorities. Where the two differ slightly on policy matters is the regulation of data centers and how to make utilities more affordable.

Liners is advocating for a cap on utility bills where individuals pay no more than 2% of their income and said WE Energies’ planned 14% increase over the next two years is “absurd.” 

“I think the utilities have not been good actors. I think they’re a monopoly that’s acting in their self-interest, not in the public interest, and there’s nobody regulating that,” Liners said

He also said he’d like to see the Public Service Commission have a “stronger” hand in holding utilities accountable for their impact on the environment and low-income rate payers and supports a one-year moratorium on data center developments.

While Bukiewicz wants guardrails to protect ratepayers, water usage and electricity consumption, he’s not calling for a moratorium at this time.

He said he’d be in favor of legislation that allows local communities to determine whether to have data center developments.

“Where you have to have consensus as to where we want to be for the future. It’s easy to react right now, but you really have to think long-term as to how Wisconsin is going to compete,” Bukiewicz said.

Bukiewicz, who’s been mayor for nearly 10 years, is prioritizing efforts to make childcare more affordable and reexamining the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. 

He also is calling to raise the minimum wage to over $20.

Bukiewicz hopes to bring his experience governing at the municipal level to the Legislature.

“After our last municipal budget, it was really apparent that we needed a different voice, somebody that’s actually done municipal budgets and made the sausage, so to speak. Up at the state, they employ the rules and how you get your money, but yet they never have to make the budget meet.” Bukiewicz said.

Liners is looking to be part of a Legislature not only with a Democratic majority but a majority willing to take “bold action” on school funding and criminal justice reform.

He is also calling to revisit corporate tax breaks, including the agricultural and manufacturing credit, raise rates on the top tax bracket and have a special tax for people making over $1 million. 

“I feel like we really need to talk about revenue, because if not, I feel like we’re making a lot of empty promises. … We actually need long-term to have the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share, and we need to be explicit about that,” Liners said.