Ron Johnson (Republican) defeated Russ Feingold (Democrat) in 2010 senate election in Wisconsin. Russ Feingold was the incumbent US Senator of Wisconsin and Ron Johnson a businessman.
Comparison chart
 | Ron Johnson | Russ Feingold |
|---|---|---|
| Position on Energy | Opposes cap and trade. | Works towards reducing prices at pumps and home, generating electricity from renewable sources and energy efficiency. |
| Political Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Website | http://ronjohnsonforsenate.com/ | http://www.russfeingold.org/ |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Johnson | Sue Feingold (divorced) Mary Feingold (divorced) |
| Residence | Oskosh, Wisconsin | Middleton, Wisconsin |
| Occupation | Businessman | Attorney |
| Current Position | Businessman | United States Senator from Wisconsin |
| Position on health care | Opposes the healthcare bill. Favors less government regulation in healthcare, malpractice reform and allowing health insurance to be purchased across state lines. | Supports the healthcare bill passed in March 2010. Advocates universal health care for the nation and encourages single payer model. |
| Position on economy | Reduce taxes, curtail government spending and cut regulation. | Focuses on investing in the country’s workforce, buying American goods, fixing flawed trade contracts and protecting the tax payers. He has established the E-4 initiative. |
| Age | 55 | 57 |
| Date of birth | April 8, 1955 | March 2, 1953 |
Economic Policy
Feingold has proposed a bill to create a jobs tax credit over 2010-2011 for businesses that hire new employees, expand work hours for their current workforce, or raise worker pay. Russ is the author of the Buy American Improvement Act. His legislation would make it significantly harder for government agencies to buy goods that are manufactured overseas. Senator Feingold claims credit for authoring and supporting the 2008 Farm Bill and the Federal Milk Marketing Reform Act – bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the federal government from using transportation costs as the basis for pricing milk.
Ron Johnson's economic policy calls for reducing taxes, regulation and government spending in the belief that this will encourage job creation by the private sector. His plans for Wisconsin's agriculture lobby include:
- allowing free trade
- permanently eliminate the estate tax
- oppose animal rights activists ("extremists who want to harm the agriculture industry")
Healthcare Policy
Senator Feingold supported the healthcare bill. He has also voted in favor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act to make federal funding more readily available for stem cell research.
Johnson is opposed to the healthcare bill that was passed in March 2010. He has said he will vote to repeal the bill and replace and offer "market-based solutions that will include: portability, malpractice reform, mandate reduction, insurance purchase across state lines, lower costs, and a safety net for those with pre-existing conditions."
Energy Policy
Feingold's energy policy touts his record in the Senate. He supports funding the Low Income Housing and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the Oil and Gas Traders Oversight Act which requires various reporting and recordkeeping for different energy transactions to prevent market manipulation, and the ‘Use it or Lose it” bill that pushes the oil companies to look for and drill for oil on federal lands where they already hold permits.
Johnson has stated that he wants to "fully utilize our free market system" but is opposed to the 'cap and trade' bill.
Position on Social Issues
Gun control
Ron Johnson does not support licensing or registration of firearms. He believes strongly in the right to bear arms and has said that this will be a deciding factor in his vote on Supreme Court nominees.
Feingold is also a supporter of the 2nd amendment but is in favor of certain limitations such as The Brady Bill (requiring background checks of gun purchasers), child safety locks and other measures to make firearms less dangerous to gun owners and their families, and requiring the gun industry, like other industries, to maintain its duty of "reasonable care" to its customers.
Same sex marriage
Feingold believes in marriage equality and opposes any legislation that would restrict the rights of gay and lesbian people to marry. Johnson believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. He is opposed to same sex marriages.
Abortion
Johnson is a staunch conservative and bills himself 'pro-life' (against abortions). Feingold is a supporter of Roe v. Wade and considers himself to be 'pro-choice'. He has said he believes "abortions should be rare, legal, and safe."
Immigration
Johnson wants the federal government to do more to "secure the border". He opposes blanket amnesty for illegal aliens and supports REAL ID, requiring employers to verify the Social Security numbers of potential employees. He believes that employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants should be penalized.
Feingold's campaign website does not mention his views on immigration but his voting record indicates that he:
- Voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government.
- Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform.
- Voted YES on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guestworker program.
- Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border.
Early Life and Political Career
Feingold was born in Janesville, Wisconsin to a Jewish family that had settled in the area in 1917. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (honors) from University of Wisconsin in 1975. With another Bachelors degree from Magdalen College, he attended Harvard Law School and received his JD in 1979. He is a career politician. In 1982, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate and remained in that position for ten years before the election to the United States Senate.
Johnson was born in 1955. At the age of 15, he began working at Walgreen’s Grill as a dishwasher, and then as night manager. Johnson and his wife of 32 years, Jane Johnson, met during his senior year of high school. In 1979, he moved to Wisconsin, where he started a business called PACUR with his brother-in-law. PACUR is now "the largest producer in the world of a specialty plastic used in medical device packaging and high tech printing applications".
First Debate Videos
Here are some video highlights from the first debate between Johnson and Feingold, which was held on Oct 8:
Feingold vs. Johnson in opinion polls
| Poll Source | Date(s) administered | Russ Feingold (D) | Ron Johnson (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasmussen Reports | October 11, 2010 | 45% | 52% |
| We the People/Wisconsin State Journal | September 29-Oct. 4, 2010 | 41% | 49% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 29, 2010 | 42% | 54% |
| McClatchy/Marist | September 26-28, 2010 | 45% | 52% |
| CNN/Time | September 17-21, 2010 | 45% | 51% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 18-19, 2010 | 41% | 52% |
| Rasmussen Reports | September 15, 2010 | 44% | 51% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 24, 2010 | 46% | 47% |
| Rasmussen Reports | August 11, 2010 | 46% | 47% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 27, 2010 | 46% | 48% |
| Magellan Strategies | July 20, 2010 | 45% | 43% |
| USWC | July 15, 2010 | 33% | 28% |
| Rasmussen Reports | July 13, 2010 | 46% | 47% |
| Public Policy Polling | June 26-27, 2010 | 45% | 43% |
| Rasmussen Reports | June 21, 2010 | 46% | 45% |
| Rasmussen Reports | May 25, 2010 | 46% | 44% |
References
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Wisconsin,_2010
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Feingold
- http://www.russfeingold.org/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Johnson_(Wisconsin)
- http://ronjohnsonforsenate.com/
- http://www.ontheissues.org/international/Russell_Feingold_Immigration.htm
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