This week the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition presented its entire agenda to the Budget Committee, more than a half dozen Fox News Radio stations and finally a conservative gathering in Eau Claire, which we hope to make our second site to serve the western part of the state. 

To listen to the speech click https://youtu.be/aD4xhSbTKSE or on the photo above.

The key finding from the election was that the model testing if rural canvassing was worth it worked. At the outset of our canvassing we sent our best team to Ashland County to have them target 2,300 doors and drop lit at area churches just to see if it was worth hitting doors that were a bit more spread out but where they make more impact. We picked this as a county that had not been hit by any other organizations and did not have a County GOP that met regularly. 

The results of this pilot project was amazing – as conservative votes increased 60% from the 2023 to 2025 – and the conservative candidate’s margin was cut from more than a more than 26-point loss to less than 16-point loss – indicating that if this could have been done everywhere it would have erased the 10-point liberal win margin. Rural conservative leaders who ask for more attention now have proof it works.

We stressed the need to quickly summarize lessons learned in the recently completed campaign, but then pivot straight into policy for the coming year. We reminded attendees that the left transitions the day after elections and never skips a day, as shown by this quote:

“We need people to understand that it’s more than just a vote. The day after election – that’s when the real work starts.” – Reverend Greg Lewis, Souls to the Polls

Finally, in laying out our 8-issue agenda, we focused on one area of criticism. Some conservatives have been costing conservative candidates elections by claiming to advance the conservative cause by attacking those who tried to let Wisconsinites vote on protecting babies from the 14th to 22nd week of a pregnancy under the current law that is more liberal than 45 of 47 European Countries. These groups went so far as to awared a pro-life “score” a vote from legislators who oppose ANY limits on abortion to stop Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition, US Senator Ron Johnson and others from letting Wisconsinites choose to stop these pro-life abortions.

Yes, you have that right, these groups gave a 17% pro-life rating to legislators who have not supported stopping ANY limits on abortion and then joined them in leaving 14- to 22-week old unborn babies unprojected. The 17% pro-life score and attacks on us for trying to protect them is the height of hypocrisy because most of  those legislators believe is supporting 0% of the unborn up to the moment of birth.

This and seven other issues were covered in our speech.

Transcript of Speech

The following is a lightly edited transcript of John Pudner’s speech in Eau Claire this weekend, which capped a week that included more than a half dozen appearances on Fox News Radio and a presentation to the Wisconsin Finance Committee in support of school choice. Attendees continued to fill out the questionnaire survey which is also posted on our website.  Please give us your thoughts!

This is actually my fourth speech in Eau Claire over the last four years. Scott invited me four years ago, and that was the highest number of speeches I’ve given in any county in the state. I’ve been to 49 counties, but it’s always good to be here. I want to start with a quote for you today because I really want to speak right after this last election. That is: the most important day is the day after the election. And those of you who are here today understand that these are marathons. That quote is from someone on the other side, one of the best liberal turnout people in the state who runs souls to the polls in Milwaukee. The left doesn’t take a break after elections. The reason they come back stronger in April is that they start campaigning for April the day after the presidential election—win or lose. And the fact that you’re here today is a credit to you.

Too often conservatives get caught up either in being depressed by a loss or overjoyed by a win, which is what we were fighting against this year at the polls. We were trying to convince people that there was another election coming up in just three weeks. I had conservatives asking me two weeks before the last election, “Have you been bored to death since the presidential election? Is there nothing going on?” They had no clue that there was a Supreme Court race just two weeks away. That’s what we fought against at the doors, and that’s the battle we face. So I’m going to pivot here. I’ve been here a few times, so I promise—no political war stories this time. I want to focus on the policies we’re dealing with, because it’s all about the policy battle now, and that goes into who’s elected.

I passed out some flyers, so you don’t have to take notes if you don’t want to. I’m a note-taker, so that’s fine, but just so you have easy reference for the issues I want to cover. But the one thing I do want to say about elections is that I think Scott covered it very well. His analysis was spot-on, and I wouldn’t disagree with anything there. But I did want to focus on one thing he noted. He mentioned that the WOW counties and one other in Ashland were the top counties for turnout. We went door-to-door in Ashland; we did that as an experiment. We didn’t have the manpower to hit every rural county, but to Scott’s point, we got a call saying, “Hey, it doesn’t look like any conservative groups are hitting the 7th district. Can you get people there?” So we hit every door we could in Ashland, even if some of them were too rural to reach.

Even though it was short drives between stops, we made it work. And look, it turned out to be one of the best counties for turnout. That was like a pilot project. Not to say we won an extra thousand votes, but the county flipped Republican, so we know the model works. I wish we had enough money to hire 200 canvassers, but we know the model works. So, again, Scott was right on with that analysis, and that’s the wrap-up on the election.

Now, I’m going to go through eight issues here, and I’m happy to take questions on any of them. These are the eight issues Wisconsin Faith and Freedom is focused on. We think these are top priorities, but we want input from you. We’ve gotten feedback from talking around the state. If you think any of these should be an absolute priority, feel free to circle them and send them back. They’re also on the website. If there’s something you think is not as important, feel free to mark it “not important.” We want to keep evolving and refining these issues, but here’s the list:

1. Stopping ActBlue’s Illicit Practices:
   This has been a 10-year fight, and we’re finally on the verge of potentially winning. ActBlue is a major player in moving billions of dollars to liberal causes and candidates, and they do this through illicit practices. They avoid credit card verification and address matching, which allows them to funnel contributions without proper checks. This was exposed years ago, and we now have a champion in Congress—Representative Bryan Style from Southeastern Wisconsin—who has launched an investigation. He’s working on legislation to outlaw this practice, and we’re seeing progress. Seven senior members of ActBlue have resigned since the investigation began. It’s not over yet, but this is a big issue that we need to tackle.
2. Restricting Late-Term Abortions:
   This is one of the toughest issues politically, and it’s where we’ve lost ground in the last three years. A few years ago, half of the people in Wisconsin and America thought most abortions should be restricted, but today, the numbers are different. The middle third now wants some form of legal abortion, while a third wants most abortions stopped. We have to focus on winning hearts and minds here. We proposed a constitutional amendment last year to lower the abortion limit from 22 weeks to 14 weeks, which would make Wisconsin more aligned with European countries. It passed the house but got stalled in the senate. We need to keep pushing on this issue.
3. Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports:
   This is an issue that’s gaining traction, and there are bills in the works to prevent men from competing in women’s sports. This issue can help us reach moderate voters. For example, in California, a man in prison for life can declare that he identifies as a woman and be placed in a women’s prison. This is an example that can help win over left-of-center people. We need to keep pushing this issue forward.
4. Reinforcing Immigration Laws:
   The border crisis is a major concern, especially with the fentanyl epidemic. The open border policies we’ve seen in recent years are unacceptable. This is an issue we can win on, especially if we focus on the dangers posed by illegal immigration, like the spread of fentanyl.
5. Voter ID:
   Voter ID is a key issue. A recent Supreme Court justice was elected, and I was almost screaming at the TV because Laura Ingraham mentioned that their candidate voted to get rid of voter ID. This is a battle that we can’t let go. Getting voter ID passed twice will make it Supreme Court-proof, so we need to keep pushing for it. I’ll give you an anecdote from my own experience: I once changed my voter registration to vote in Milwaukee, and I was able to vote for Ronald Reagan just by walking in and saying where I lived—it was absurd. I was probably the only person in that voting location voting for Reagan, but it shows how broken the system is. We need to make sure that every vote counts, and that starts with voter ID.

1. Stopping Public Unions from Lobbying for More Taxpayer Money:
   This is going to be a tough fight, but we need to keep pushing back against public unions that use taxpayer money to lobby for more taxpayer money. This is an issue that’s going to require long-term effort. Number six is going to be a tough one: stopping public unions from using taxpayer money to lobby for more taxpayer money. This is a tough issue, but it’s important to emphasize that we’re talking about public unions and lobbyists. These are the people who are using your tax dollars to walk the halls of the capital, asking for more money for their public unions. While there may be disagreements about private unions, this issue of public unions taking taxpayer dollars is something that resonates even with moderates.

1. Taxpayer Protection Act. This was introduced by my friend Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform. This Act is crucial because it ensures politicians pledge not to raise taxes. The key here is that a tax increase is acceptable only if it’s offset by a decrease in other taxes. It’s a common-sense strategy. If we can prove that the overall tax burden for the average person is lower, that’s a win.

1. School Choice. I had the privilege of testifying in front of the finance committee about the importance of school choice. This is the one budget item where we ask for money, and there’s a reason for that: school choice saves money. If a child is going to a private school that costs half as much as the public school, you come out ahead. It’s simple math, yet some people still don’t get it. In New Jersey, the cost per child was around $30,000, while private schools charged about $9,000. That’s a saving of $21,000 in tax dollars per student! It’s not hard to understand.

But beyond just the financial side, school choice is about opportunity. I was blessed to attend Catholic schools, which provided a great education for my siblings and me, even though we were below the poverty line. I’m grateful to those schools forever. I also support public schools, and we’ve had great experiences with them, especially in places where there’s competition from good private schools. That competition pushes public schools to improve.

Remember, we need to focus on improving public schools, too. It’s not just about private options—it’s about providing opportunities for all children to succeed. If you want to say public schools need $20,000 per child, fine! But now you’ve got fewer kids in those schools because of school choice, so the remaining students get more funding per capita. This is simple, effective policy.

Closing Thoughts:

In closing, these are the eight key issues we’re focusing on. If any of you want to get involved or have ideas for other issues we should tackle, feel free to share. We’re always looking for feedback. This list was shaped by conversations with people from all around the state—49 counties, to be exact—and we want to keep that dialogue going. If new issues arise, we’ll be ready to adapt.

I used to run another organization, but these issues have become too important to ignore. This is my full-time focus now, and I’m committed to these eight issues. We need more staff to help us make a real impact, especially in critical regions like Eau Claire. This area has such a central role in shaping statewide politics, and we need all the support we can get.

We also have C3-compliant materials for churches, which means we can be in churches and share our side-by-side comparisons of candidates, giving voters clear choices without telling them who to vote for. It’s about providing information and letting people decide for themselves.

So, I’m happy to take any questions. Thank you for your time.