Mary Burke talks to reporters in Madison. (File Photo: Andrew Beckett)
If Democratic candidate for governor Mary Burke wins next week, she still faces the strong possibility of dealing with a Republican-controlled Legislature in the next session.
The state Assembly is expected to keep its Republican majority, while a few hotly contested races in the Senate mean control of that chamber remains uncertain. A Democratic governor and Republican Legislature could result in political grid-lock at the Capitol, although Burke says she’s ready for that possibility.
In an interview with WRN, Burke says she would approach that situation in the same way she has dealt with challenges in her whole career, by “making sure that we put common sense and good solutions, best practices ahead of the politics.”
Burke maintains that lawmakers and the governor are all on the same team when it comes to doing what’s best for Wisconsin, in terms of finding common ground. “I just don’t see things through this highly partisan political lens,” Burke says, noting that “we can work together” even if people are on different sides of the aisle. She also criticizes her opponent for a setting a tone that shows a “divide and conquer” approach to state government.
AUDIO:Mary Burke talks about dealing with Republican lawmakers (:44)
Burke faces incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker in the November 4 election, in a race that polls have consistently shown is a dead heat. As the campaign enters its final full week, she says the focus is on getting out and talking to voters about her vision for the state. Both she and Walker have a number of stops around Wisconsin planned in the run up to Election Day.