Respected Republican and Democrat Joining Forces to Increase Civic Engagement

Thursday, May 9th, 2024 -- 12:00 PM

(Corrinne Hess, Wisconsin Public Radio) Swing state. Purple state. 50-50 Battle ground state. It doesn’t matter how you describe it, over the next six months, Wisconsin is going to continue to be a key political player. 

And now, according to Corrinne Hess with Wisconsin Public Radio, a respected Republican and Democrat have joined forces to attempt to increase civic engagement while the politics continue to unfold.

Former Republican Gov. Scott McCallum and former journalist David Haynes launched the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust, or WisACT, on April 30 to “build bridges  across the political spectrum to prevent the erosion of public trust and the rise of political violence.”

During a press conference Tuesday, McCallum and Haynes said they have a mutual desire to build a healthier society, regardless of political beliefs. Public trust in U.S. elections is rapidly declining.

The growing distrust is fueled by voter disengagement, falsehoods, echo chambers, misrepresentations and disinformation, according to WisACT. Haynes said there has always been political polarization, but it has gotten more toxic and has become worse than anything he’s seen in his 46 years as a journalist.

“It’s not just us and them. It’s us or them,” Haynes said. “So we’ve made political enemies out of our political opponents, and I think that’s kind of a dangerous place to be.”  Haynes said as a result, good people are leaving public life.

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