Eau Claire, WI, resident Eric Wilson made an appearance in Platteville on Saturday, April 27. Eric is running as a Democrat, looking to take Republican Derrick Van Orden’s seat in Wisconsin’s third Congressional District, which includes Platteville. His political stances include advocacy for Medicare for all, responsible gun ownership, affordable housing and the defense of human rights, as well as calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Held in Driftless Market, the event was open to the public and involved a mix of community members and students. Opting to not use the microphone, Wilson instead sat at tables and engaged in discussion, saying, “Not having access to our elected officials is ridiculous.”
Wilson discussed his political views, allowing for the community to ask questions. His decision to run came after the Colorado Springs, CO, shooting, saying, “We (the LGBTQ+ community) will continue to get killed. Thoughts and prayers aren’t working, clearly. What can I do?”
His political perspective was learned from his experiences in his careers. Having graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in economics, Wilson had previously worked with both pharmaceutical companies and within the housing market and demonstrates the knowledge he has of “The Beast,” as Wilson puts it.
It is important to Wilson to be active with the communities he wants to represent. He states, “This is so much more meaningful by coming here in person.” Wilson invited community members to discuss local happenings, as well as showing interest in campus issues. “How we rebuild our community is showing up. True community building is in person,” Wilson remarked.
Wilson sees the election year as “Bottom up, not top down.” Stating that “We’ve known our two (presidential) choices for four years.” Wilson sees the polarization of politics, adding that “We have a great opportunity for state with assembly and election.”
Most of the conversations involved the explanation of his ideals, and the implications of how they would affect communities. Wilson supports family farms, especially regulations to prevent factory farm consolidation, and supports more crop subsidies, and not “just more corn.”
Wilson takes a human-first approach on immigration. “We do have a border crisis, and part of it is because we aren’t stopping the root problem. Why are they running? We don’t need to be caging people; we don’t need to be having these camps. These are people.” Wilson said. He additionally voiced his support in making the country easier to enter into.
Also, in support of free education and public healthcare, he states, “I want to see school free. When we have healthcare and education, we see cities grow.”
Wilson also reflected on his sexuality and how it shaped his ideas. “Growing up in rural Wisconsin as a gay man is not easy,” he said, and remarked how he wished he’d seen representation of people like him within politics. He also impressed the importance of voting and participating in elections.
The congressional election begins August 13.
