Elections: 2006 Candidate Profiles

Wisconsin - House (8)

District Geography | Summary | History | Outlook | Polls

Steven L. Kagen (Democrat)

Website: www.stevekagen.org

John Gard (Republican)

Website: www.gardforcongress.com

District Geography:

Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District comprises the north-eastern counties of Brown, Door, Florence, Forest, Kewaunee, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Vilas, Waupaca, and parts of Langlade and Oneida counties.

Summary:

This is an open-seat race, vacated by four-term Republican Mark Green who opted to run for the state's governorship.

The central campaign issue for Steven Kagen, a physician and assistant clinical professor of Allergy-Immunology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, is health care: Kagen advocates a new health care initiative that he claims will reduce health insurance by up to 40 percent. Kagen is also campaigning for energy independence, reducing tax cuts to the wealthy, fully funding No Child Left Behind, protecting the environment, and fighting corruption in government.

The campaign of John Gard, the Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker, is focused on creating a stronger, safer America. Gard also advocates limited government, lower taxes, a culture of life, affordable health care, and a strong defense of the Second Amendment.

History:

Green was first elected as representative of Wisconsin's 8th District in 1998, beating one-term Democratic incumbent Jay W. Johnson by 9 points. Green was reelected in 2000 by a margin of 49 points, in 2002 by 49 points, and in 2004 by 40 points.

Outlook:

This US-House race will be the most closely watched in the state, and one of the most hotly contested in the nation. The race is viewed to be so close that virtually no Congressional expert has given an advantage to either candidate in this race. The district voted for President Bush 55-44 over John Kerry in 2004, but the political climate has changed in two years such that Bush's own approval rating is just 33 percent in this district (Constituent Dynamics, October 2006).

Polls:

1 "I would like you to think about the race for Congress. If the election were today, would you vote for Republican John Gard or Democrat Steve Kagen?"