Congressional Candidates Debate Antisemitism and Abortion on Campus

Erik Olsen is hoping for an upset victory against incumbent Mark Pocan

On Wednesday, October 16, Representative Mark Pocan (D) and challenger Erik Olsen (R) met for a forum at UW-Madison. They discussed various issues, such as immigration, abortion, and healthcare.

Pocan’s opening statement focused on how his progressive values aligned with the district’s voters. Olsen focused on what he called the extremism of the Democratic Party, specifically accusing Pocan of coming close to antisemitism.

On immigration, Olsen believes the laws need to be reformed in a way that does not undercut US labor. He also focused on the harmful effects of human trafficking. Pocan blamed congressional Republicans for blocking a recent bipartisan immigration bill to politically favor former President Donald Trump.

One returning theme from Erik Olsen was that the Democrats were becoming the party of war. He blamed the Democrats for the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

However, the candidates did find some common ground on marijuana decriminalization, both wanting to reduce federal restrictions and regulations.

On abortion, Pocan focused on a woman’s right to “control her own body”. Olsen called abortion “killing”, but said that the US can figure out how to end abortion without taking away rights. He went on to ask Pocan whether a woman has a right to an abortion when the child is 8 ½ months old or one day before the woman is giving birth. Pocan chose not to respond.

On gun violence, Pocan claimed gun violence to be a uniquely American problem and stressed the need for background checks. He also claimed that no one needed a “military weapon”.

In Olsen’s closing statement, he claimed something was horribly wrong with the current government, claimed the Democrats had rigged primaries, but had hope that Democrats would eventually come back to their senses.

The overall theme of Olsen’s argument was that it was time to put an end to the Biden-Harris era and end Democratic extremism. He felt as if he was the new face that Congress needed and Pocan was just making excuses for why he couldn’t do anything productive in Congress.

In Pocan’s closing statement, he called Congress unproductive but said he appreciated Erik talking to him. At one point, he pulled out his phone and filmed a video attacking fellow Representative Derrick Van Orden (R) for choosing not to debate his opponent

Wisconsin’s Second Congressional District is considered a safe seat for Democrats. Pocan previously defeated Olsen by more than 40 points in 2022.

The debate was cohosted by the College Democrats of UW-Madison, College Republicans of UW-Madison, and multiple other campus organizations.

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