Platteville alumni Kyle Corrigan has announced his run against Tammy Baldwin for Senate in the 2024 election. Corrigan has been a private investigator in Wisconsin for over 15 years and is a navy veteran. He acquired a Masters from UW-Platteville in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Psychology from UW-Parkside. The Exponent had the opportunity to interview Corrigan during his run for senator.
Please describe your journey to get to where you are now. What were your majors in both undergrad and masters school?
My journey has been long and full of struggles, triumphs and hard work. I have met some of the most interesting people, seen things and been in situations I’ll write books about someday! I would not change anything about my decision to become a private investigator. I have loved every moment, since my very first case!
During my training at NTC Great Lakes, I sustained a spine injury and was medically discharged, which was a tough struggle not knowing what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I decided to get my education and enrolled at UW-Parkside in 2003. I completed a double major in Psychology & Criminal Justice and accepted a job as a surveillance investigator in May 2008 with a private detective agency in Chicago, IL.
Feeling called to do something more with my skill set, I started my own private detective agency, Bright Line Investigations, in 2014.
For the last decade, I have run my own detective agency and performed investigations on cases ranging from stalking, homicide and sexual assault to surveillances going sideways and catching some truths stranger than fiction.
I have sat on surveillance logged into Canvas getting my MS in Criminal Justice at UW-Platteville. But it was those long hours of reading and writing, where I felt at home: thinking up and planning training events for my colleagues. Coming to the end at UW-Platteville, I was elected to serve as the Vice President of the Professional Association of Wisconsin Licensed Investigators (PAWLI) in 2020 and have been tasked with providing continuing education and training opportunities to over 100 professional private investigators in Wisconsin every year.
Why run for the senate?
Whenever I commit to something, I dive in headfirst. The Senate is one of the most valuable legislative branches to our Republic! They serve as a check and balance to any cabinet confirmations from the executive branch and ensure bipartisan legislation through the 60-vote filibuster rule.
Wisconsin is lacking a new junior senator who can lead our country out of the trouble caused by bad decisions and poor leadership in our current administration and under Senator Baldwin’s watch.
I have also observed many senate confirmation hearings during several administrations, and the lack of skill many senators have in interviewing cabinet candidates is deeply concerning. Cabinet positions are some of the most important positions for an administration; therefore, without proper vetting, candidates are pushed through because of ignorance, rather than merit.
According to a press statement announcing your candidacy, you are looking to confront problems in the country such as inflation and elections. How do you plan on addressing these problems at a senate level?
The senate oversight committees have great power to hold corrupt officials accountable. Inflation and election integrity are issues of poor oversight and corruption. Our Federal Reserve Chairmans and Treasury Secretary have been utilizing poor financial policy borrowing money we do not have to trade for goods and services in other countries who don’t support our interests.
Election integrity can be fixed the same way banks fixed identity theft issues, with security features. We treat a most sacred right like voting as if we would an overdue oil change email notification: we will get around to it sometime.
As mentioned from ABC 9 News, you do not describe yourself as a “far-right” republican. Why do you describe yourself as that?
Many candidates on either side in the last several elections cycles have campaign points that are extreme in either direction to appeal to the most overzealous party followers for garnering likes and clicks.
I grew up in a blue county (Portage) surrounded by red counties, where my mom voted Republican, and my dad voted Democrat. I understand compromise and most Wisconsinites do too!
That is why we have been a purple state since I moved here in 1988. Most of us are middle of the road folks who want to be left in peace to raise our families how we see fit. But with the rise of more radical candidates on either side of the aisle, we have come to polarizing paradigms by both parties attempting to corral people to choose identity politics rather than what is right and wrong on individual issues.
What is the best advice you can give someone trying to follow in your footsteps to run for candidacy?
Blaze your own trail as a Pioneer! There’s no roadmap or manual for careers, life, or even political candidacy. This is America: work hard and accomplish greatness. It’s up to you.
When it comes down to it, I trust God’s plan for my life, and I offer everything I’ve accomplished as a testament to His power and glory.
What have you learned at Platteville that contributes to wanting to run for the senate?
Being a Pioneer is about standing up for what’s right and being a leader: when no one is watching and when everyone is watching. Being a Pioneer Alumni means taking a leadership role in your family, workplace and the community you live in. For those called to be leaders, Pioneers understand that leading by example and through commitment to something greater than themselves is the best way to inspire greatness in those around you!
