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The incumbent Congressional representative for Wisconsin’s 6th District will see a younger, more moderate challenger in the August Republican primary.
Douglas Mullenix, 32, of Menasha, faces an uphill battle if he plans to unseat incumbent Rep. Glenn Grothman, 67, of Glenbeulah, to win the party nomination ahead of the midterms in the solidly Republican district, which encompasses Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Fond du Lac and Wisconsin Dells.
So far, Mullenix said, he hasn’t been warmly received by the state’s GOP, citing his more moderate stance on abortion as a main factor that made him an outlier among the Wisconsin Republican establishment.
“It’s not that I’m a proponent of abortion I just feel like it’s better left to the individual to make the decision that’s best for them,” he said.
He also attributed the party’s hesitancy to wrap their arms around him as a candidate because he’s a newcomer seeking to challenge an incumbent that has held the district for nearly a decade.
“He’s a great foot soldier for the GOP,” he said. “You get someone like me, I am the unknown. I respect that a lot of it is hesitance toward the unknown.”
Mullenix said he was motivated to challenge Grothman in the primary after he brought a number of policy ideas to the Congressman but was repeatedly ignored.
Both candidates are running on a platform in support of access to veterans benefits, with Mullinex's focus primarily on access to health care and mental health support services for veterans as well as expansion of the Affordable Care Act.
Grothman, who was in the state Legislature for roughly two decades, was elected to represent the Sixth Congressional District in 2014.
“The issues that I saw as most important are shared with the people of the 6th Congressional District and hopefully they’ll reward me for that,” he said. “I can be conservative but not be overly combative.”
He cited a number of bipartisan legislation he is currently working on with House Democrats, including a bill to provide benefits to veterans of Air America — a CIA airline that flew over Laos during the Vietnam War — as well as a bill to cap interest that payday lenders are able to charge, and a bill to get more medical personnel in rural areas among others.
Grothman has also recently introduced partisan bills, including a bill that prohibits states from providing absentee ballots to vote in federal elections to constituents unless they meet specific requirements and are unable to vote in person.
He said he’s a proponent of Wisconsin’s 173-year-old near-total abortion ban that has taken effect since the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade in June, and said he anticipates state lawmakers will update the law soon.
“When I was in the state Legislature, I was the author of the 24-hour waiting period bill,” he said, and called for the churches to get more involved to further decrease access to abortions nationwide.
“There are other issues that are ruining this country too,” he said, and referenced the “welfare state,” the state of the U.S. border and heightened racial tension in the country, which he attributed to Democrats.
There is no Democrat on the ballot so the winner of the Aug. 9 primary will likely win the seat on Nov. 8. The term is for two years.
Address: N5154 County Road U, Glenbeulah
Job: Member of Congress (Prior to elected office served as an attorney for estate planning, probate and tax preparation)
Prior elected office: Wisconsin State Assembly, 1993-2004; Wisconsin State Senate, 2005-15
Other public service: Member, Wisconsin State Bar Association; member, Fond du Lac Rotary
Education: Bachelor's degree in business, UW-Madison; law degree, UW-Madison
Email or Website: glenngrothman.com; genn@glenngrothman.com
Other public service: United Way, Emerging Leaders, since 2020; Alzheimer's Association since 2022
Education: Bachelor's degree in finance, international business and marketing, Emory University; master's degree in finance and entrepreneurship, Washington University
Email or Website: issues@douglasmullenix.com; www.douglasmullenix.com
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Grothman: I have a history of advocating for welfare reform since my years in the Wisconsin Legislature, and I'm outspoken in Washington. I also question government spending, especially when it has caused this inflation. I'm not afraid to defend America against the specious charges of racism. I also have a proven record of standing up to the establishment in both parties.
Mullenix: I am the best candidate due to the background I bring to the role. I come from the private sector, first working in finance then health care consulting. You need a forward-thinking, problem-solving mindset to succeed in that world. It takes compromise, and the ability to prioritize key aspects. D.C. needs this moderate style of approach. We’ve seen the results of what happens when ultra-partisan, career politicians like Glenn Grothman come to power, nothing gets done.
What unique expertise would you bring to the office?
Grothman: As a young lawyer, I helped clients deal with the IRS, DNR and other agencies. Here I saw the callousness of government. I was involved with Tommy Thompson's welfare reform in the Wisconsin Legislature. I've been at the border repeatedly to talk to Border Patrol and local elected officials rather than relying on higher-ups to get the facts.
Mullenix: My international experience. I grew up all over the world, living in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and France. I’ve seen the dangers living under Dictator Hugo Chavez. I’ve seen the dysfunctional operations in socialist France. Having the ability to understand America’s footprint in the world firsthand is critical to the country’s prosperity.
Do you think the 2020 election was fair? If not, what do you think should be changed? Do you support calls to terminate the Wisconsin Elections Commission?
Grothman: I voted to uphold the Electoral College. However, no election should rely on a high number of absentee ballots since we don't really know who cast them and if people were coached (especially in the nursing homes). I'm in favor of all paper ballots, no more same-day registration, and absentee ballots should be restricted to only those who need them.
Mullenix: Joe Biden won the 2020 election. I believe it was fair. I see no reason to dismantle the bipartisan WEC and return power to the Secretary of State, a single party person/office.
Should there be any exceptions in abortion bans for rape, incest, the mother’s health or the mother’s life? Which?
Grothman: I've been repeatedly endorsed by Wisconsin's premier pro-life organizations. We know that under current Republican leadership, if we are in the majority, the bill being put on the floor would have all of the above exceptions assuming such a bill would be constitutional. In particular, I think Republican leadership would bring forth the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.
Mullenix: I am pro-choice. The Supreme Court has held time and time again that abortion is a fundamental right, and there is 50 years of precedent behind that. Of course there should be exceptions for all the examples you listed. I am not "pro-abortion," but regardless of a person's personal moral view on abortion, no one has the authority to determine the health care decisions of another.
A pod of American white pelicans gather on rocks in the Wisconsin River below the Alliant Energy dam in Prairie du Sac, Wis. Monday, June 6, 2022. The species, largely unseen in the state during much of the 20th century, are more common to the region now and are one of North America's largest flying birds, featuring a wingspan up to nine feet and weighing up to 30 pounds. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
A duck lifts off the water as boaters paddle to Tenney Park Beach during Paddle and Portage in Madison, Wis., Saturday, June 18, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
(From left lower) Roomates Isabella Bortolotti and Rachel Bearder host friends for a pool party in their front yard, including Maddie Gehring, right, Lola Wojcik, top left, and Grover Bortolotti, all college students, on the Near West Side during a heat wave in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Syanne Morales and her son, Syncere Bowie, enjoy the cool relief offered by a water feature during a visit to the Cypress Splash Park in Madison Wis. Tuesday, June 14, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
(From left) Tabitha Goldberger, 10, Camila Fernandez Adamae, 11, and Vee Schwartz, 13, react as they perform a rocket propulsion experiment using Alka-Seltzer and water in a film canister during summer camp at Stellar Tech Girls in Middleton, Wis., Wednesday, June 15, 2022.
Ashley Peotter, front, carries a canoe with her teammate Marie Barry through Tenney Park during Paddle and Portage in Madison, Wis., Saturday, June 18, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Kelly Parks Snider’s “Between Spaces” exhibit at the Arts + Literature Laboratoryin Madison, Wis. Friday, June 3, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Josh Hull, right, and Trevor Stahl, both of Roanoke, Virginia, who are participating in the Great Race, a vintage car rally that started in Warwick, Rhode Island on June 18 and will end in Fargo, North Dakota on June 26, prepare to hit the road after making a stop at Angell Park on their 2,300-mile journey in Sun Prairie, Wis., Thursday, June 23, 2022.
The group Wild Violets, including Raquel Aleman, right, Sam Rae, front, and Becky Burbach perform outside the Barrymore Theatre during Make Music Madison in Madison, Wis., Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
Mariah Quinn Duffy, center, and her sons, from left, Kieran, 9, Ronan, 2, and Nolan, 6, add compost to a raised bed vegetable garden outside their home in Madison, Wis., Monday, June 13, 2022. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Kit Rittman and her husband Greg, front, cheer as boaters paddle down the Yahara River during Paddle and Portage in Madison, Wis., Saturday, June 18, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Gretchen Bushman, a recent UW-Madison grad and fan of music artist Harry Styles, relaxes outside her apartment on West Washington Avenue while escaping the heat of her non-air conditioned residence in Madison Wis. Tuesday, June 14, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Raghiatou Bah and her son, Mamadou, 8, explore their new living space - a condominium purchased with assistance from a grant through Own It: Building Black Wealth - in Madison, Wis. Friday, June 17, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
A Progress Pride Flag is raised above the east wing of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, Wis. in observance of the month of June being designated as Pride Month Wednesday, June 1, 2022. An iteration of the widely recognized Rainbow Pride Flag, the Progress Pride Flag was created to symbolize inclusion of marginalized communities within the LGBTQ community and includes additional stripes forming a chevron pattern that represent LGBTQ individuals of color and the transgender community, as well as those who are living with and who have been lost to HIV/AIDS. Assisting with the effort are Wisconsin Department of Administration workers Darrin Smith, left, and Steve Walker. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Demonstrators protest at the state Capitol after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, in Madison, Wis., Friday, June 24, 2022. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
People gather in support of Planned Parenthood and abortion rights at the Wisconsin State Capitol Rotunda in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 22, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Madison Edgewood's Caden Thomas competes in the Division 2 boys high jump during the final day of the WIAA state track and field meet at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse , Wis., Saturday, June 4, 2022. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
McFarland's Julia Ackley reacts after clearing 10 feet, 6 inches on her first attempt in the Division 2 girls pole vault during the final day of the WIAA state track and field meet at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse , Wis., Saturday, June 4, 2022. AMBER ARNOLD, STATE JOURNAL
Oregon girls soccer teammates (clockwise from bottom) Addison Werth, Zoey Pagels, Kately Studebaker and Lily Eisele celebrate their 1-0 WIAA Division 2 state championship victory over Whitefish Bay on June 18 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
Oregon’s Elise Boyd (22) and Whitefish Bay’a Emma Addeo (16) compete for the ball during the second half of Oregon’s 1-0 WIAA Division 2 state championship win at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee, Wis. Saturday, June 18, 2022. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
Wisconsin men’s soccer coach Neil Jones coaches athletes during a summer camp at University Bay Fields in Madison, Wis., Wednesday, June 22, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Milton catcher Grace Schnell, left, watches as teammate Lydia Miller catches a fly ball after it bounced off of Schnell's mitt during a Division 1 state softball quarterfinal game at Goodman Softball Complex in Madison, Wis., Thursday, June 9, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
Thongchai Jaidee celebrates his victory in the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge in Madison, Wis., Sunday, June 12, 2022. AP Photo/Kayla Wolf
Golfers, from left, Vijay Singh, Brandt Jobe and Bernhard Langer and their caddies read the green on the eighth hole during the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge in Madison, Wis., Friday, June 10, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL
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Elizabeth Beyer is a digital producer for the Wisconsin State Journal. She joined the team in 2019 and was formerly a data, video and audio reporter at the La Crosse Tribune.
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