As your list of options grows for the 2022 U.S. Senate race for the seat currently held by Senator Ron Johnson, the newest candidate in the race, showed up at Sunset Park in Sturgeon Bay on Tuesday to talk with potential voters. Steven Olikara, a Democratic candidate, and Brookfield, Wis. native spoke about his vision for the future of U.S. politics.

Olikara made clear how important he finds the 2022 Senate election to be, saying that our democracy is at its biggest inflection point in our lifetime. Olikara also believes that the political landscape is at a tipping point of either growing further divided or being more inclusive. Having founded the Millennial Action Project in 2013, a nonprofit geared towards fostering bipartisan discourse and solutions, Olikara says he won’t let party lines get in the way of being an independent thinker. 

Olikara also spoke about the current state of COVID19 and the vaccination process. He says that the current political system has allowed it to be a polarizing issue, and that everyone who can, should get vaccinated. Olikara says it’s unhelpful to have misinformation sowing distrust in the vaccine and wants to act as a convener between those with opposing views. 

Other key talking points for Olikara on Tuesday included tackling climate change, human rights, protecting family farms and replacing money in politics with integrity. He added that if elected, his first piece of legislation introduced would be on bipartisan campaign financing reform. 

The event was put on by 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Barbara Lawton, who has endorsed Olikara. Olikara joins other Democratic nominees, Lt.Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski, Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson, Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Wausau physician Gillian Battino, former state Senate candidate Adam Murphy, Milwaukee alderperson Chantia Lewis, and state emergency management director Darrell Williams in the 2022 primary race.