Wisconsin Voters' Top Concerns Heading into 2026 Midterms

Objective and context

This qualitative program explored Wisconsin voters’ top concerns heading into 2026 and what builds or erodes trust. Across questions, respondents converged on a pragmatic, survival‑driven calculus: reward “boring competence” that keeps basic systems working; punish performative politics and theatrics. The evidence spans three pillars-competent governance and rule of law, everyday economic security, and dependable health and care systems-with local, concrete failures as the lens through which national politics are judged.

Cross‑question learnings (with evidence)

1) Competent governance, not theater: Multiple respondents reject brinkmanship and spectacle. As Erica Bustamante put it, “If the guardrails go, everything else is noise… If a candidate is casual about rules… or toys with shutdowns, they lose me.” Immigration is frequently framed as “political theater” that corrodes trust rather than a substantive fix.

2) Cost of living and winter reliability: Heating bills, surprise rate hikes, potholes, plowing, bus shelters, and transit cuts are decisive (Trenell Orta: “It’s −18 C and the bus shelter… is a wind tunnel; potholes wrecking my Civic…”). Housing affordability and property‑tax pressure on essential workers recur across answers.

3) Healthcare access and workforce capacity: Voters emphasize staffed beds, behavioral health, dental, and protection of Medicaid/Medicare. Leon Irby: “Closed beds because we cannot staff them is the quiet scandal… Training slots, loan relief, fair reimbursement, streamlined visas… show me a plan, with numbers.”

4) Demand for specifics: Respondents want “dollars and timelines,” quarterly verification, and visible follow‑through-“show receipts.”

5) Service access and dignity: Bilingual, human‑facing help at trusted local sites (clinics, church basements, libraries, markets) is decisive for caregivers and immigrant‑language communities; Hmong and Spanish access gaps were flagged.

Persona correlations and nuances

• Older, university‑adjacent professionals/homeowners: Reward institutional stability, rule‑of‑law, and traceable local service delivery (Bustamante, Kossen).
• Lower‑income caregivers and immigrant‑language communities (Milwaukee): Prioritize BadgerCare stability, dental access, simple month‑to‑month cost relief, and sustained bilingual, in‑person help (Ramirez, Orta).
• Young working‑class urban residents: Sensitive to immediate wins in transit reliability, housing, and tuition; want visible local “receipts” (Orta).
• Healthcare leaders/managers: Vote drivers are staffing pipelines, behavioral health capacity, loan relief, visas, and measurable outcomes (Irby).
• Rural, trades/engineering‑oriented homeowners: Focus on culverts, plows, broadband, water quality, and right‑to‑repair; prefer respectful, non‑polarizing discourse (Kossen).
• Mid‑income small business/real‑estate stakeholders: Demand clear local fiscal math on property taxes, utilities, and timing (Scott Reyes).

Actionable recommendations (nonpartisan, evidence‑based)

• Publish quarterly, bilingual neighborhood “receipts” one‑pagers: Mail and post 1‑page summaries of five verified fixes within 5 miles (roads/plowing, shelters, lead lines, clinic slots, utility relief), with budgets, timelines, and QR to detail. Responds to demands for “dollars and timelines.”
• Stand up year‑round community helpdesks (Spanish/Hmong): Staff tables at clinics, churches, libraries, and markets to complete BadgerCare renewals, dental sign‑ups, energy aid, property‑tax relief, and translation on the spot. Track cases to resolution within 14 days.
• Winter Reliability Compact: Broker MOUs with utilities, DPW, and transit: no‑shutdown pledge, budget billing outreach, bus‑shelter windbreak/lighting, plow route transparency, SMS snow alerts. Publish service metrics.
• Healthcare Workforce and Behavioral Health Scoreboard: Convene systems and schools to add CNA/LPN/RN seats, loan‑repayment slots, streamlined clinician visas, fair reimbursement pilots, and staffed BH beds; publish county‑level hires and throughput.
• Trades, apprenticeships, and right‑to‑repair agenda: Fund vo‑tech scholarships, paid apprenticeships, shop‑class grants, and right‑to‑repair for farm/industrial equipment, with placement and wage reporting.
• Public safety transparency: Where communities request it, set balanced dashboards (response times, car‑theft prosecutions, prevention investments) with targets and dates (noted by Reyes).

Risks and guardrails

• Overpromising on third‑party delivery: Frame as partnership compacts; publish pledged vs. delivered; only commit to what you control.
• Compliance at service sites: Separate service branding; 501(c)/electioneering guidance; trained scripts and incident logs.
• Privacy at helpdesks: Minimal data, consent, encrypted intake, 14‑day purge, quarterly security reviews.
• Backlash on safety posture: Co‑design with residents and chiefs; report enforcement and prevention; pilot then adjust.
• Language capacity gaps: Hire stipended interpreters; partner with clinics/CBOs; scheduling and QA checks.

Next steps and measurement

1. Design (30–90 days): Build receipts template and tracker; select pilot precincts; secure helpdesk venues; draft Winter and Health compacts.
2. Pilot (Q2–Q3 2025): Launch 6 helpdesks; issue first receipts; begin shelter/plow micro‑fixes; host health workforce roundtables.
3. Scale (Q4 2025–Q2 2026): Expand to 24–48 helpdesks; sign compacts; publish dashboards; roll out trades/right‑to‑repair grants.
4. Conversion (Q3 2026–Election Day): Weekly receipts updates; targeted service pop‑ups; track trust alongside service uptake.

• KPIs: Receipts coverage rate (80% by Q2 2026); helpdesk case resolution (≥1,000/month; ≥70% closed ≤14 days); utility relief uptake (+30% YOY; ≥$25/month reduction); healthcare workforce commitments (500 seats, 150 hires, 50 BH beds by Q2 2026); winter service performance (≥95% on‑time buses; plow‑to‑curb ≤12 hours in pilot zones).