Republican Rep. Tony Wied blames Biden-era spending for high prices. Democrat Rick Crosson blames tariffs and the Iran war. Four weeks out, the incumbent has a 20-to-1 cash edge in a seat Democrats haven't held since 2010.
Voters in Northeast Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District have four weeks to choose between a first-term Republican who says tax cuts are the answer to high prices and a Democratic retired Army officer who says the administration's tariffs and the Iran war caused them. Rep. Tony Wied and challenger Rick Crosson laid out those positions in separate interviews with FOX 11 that aired Sunday, covering affordability, license plate readers and data centers.1
The district covers Green Bay, the Fox Cities and much of the northeast corner of the state, and it leans Republican. Donald Trump carried it 57% to 41% in 2024, and the Cook Political Report rates it Solid Republican with a partisan lean of R+8.2,3 Democrats haven't held the seat since 2010.1
Tony Wied, a De Pere Republican, acquired Dino Stop convenience store chain in 1998 and sold it in 2022.4,5 He had never held elected office when he won the seat in November 2024, replacing Mike Gallagher, who resigned that spring.5 He took 57.3% of the vote in the full-term race1 and ran unopposed in this August's primary.6
Rick Crosson spent 20 years in the Army as a combat aviator, retired as a lieutenant colonel and then worked in transportation and logistics.7 The Green Bay school board appointed him to a vacant seat in April 2024 on a 4-2 vote, a term that ran until April 2025.8 He won a close three-way Democratic primary on Aug. 11 with about 35% of the vote, ahead of Mark Scheffler at 33% and Katrina deVille at about 32%.6
Asked what he'd do about the cost of living, Wied pointed to tax relief and "putting more money back into people's pockets," and he blamed high prices on inflation he tied to spending under the Biden administration.1 He voted for the 2025 Republican budget and tax law, which passed the House 218-214, and called it "a historic win for hardworking Americans."10 In April 2025 he backed the president's reciprocal tariffs, saying the U.S. would "no longer allow other countries to take advantage of us."11
Crosson put the blame on the administration's tariffs and the fighting in Iran. He told FOX 11 that gas prices are "through the roof" and that some families' health insurance premiums are about to double.1 Gasoline prices rose more than 27% from August 2025 to August 2026, according to federal Consumer Price Index data cited by FOX 11.1 Crosson has described health care as a right and named Medicaid and Medicare among the district's top issues.7
Health care costs have also split Wisconsin's House delegation. When the House voted 230-196 in January to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies for three years, Rep. Derrick Van Orden was the only Wisconsin Republican to vote yes.12
The candidates split on automated license plate readers, an issue that's played out locally since Menasha's mayor ordered the city's Flock cameras covered and Neenah weighed following.
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Wied said the cameras are good at catching criminals, especially in drug cases, and that communities should decide for themselves whether to use them. He added that he doesn't support federal money for them.1 Crosson said he opposes the cameras until federal privacy rules are in place, and he objected to police "taking our data" without guidelines.1
On data centers, which several Northeast Wisconsin communities have pushed back on this year, including Wrightstown voters, they sounded closer. Wied said neither the federal government nor the state should be able to "force data centers on the community." Crosson listed questions he'd want answered first, including the effect on the power grid and whether developers would pay for their own electricity.1
Ethan Rouse
Wied raised about $1.09 million from January 2025 through July 22 of this year and had about $516,000 in the bank, according to the Federal Election Commission.13 Crosson raised about $67,000 over the same period and had about $24,000 left.14 Updated reports covering July through September are due Oct. 15. No general-election debate between the two had been announced as of Monday.
Online and mail voter registration closes Oct. 14. After that, residents can register at their municipal clerk's office through Oct. 30 or at the polls on Election Day. In-person absentee voting starts as early as Oct. 20, depending on the municipality, and requests for a mailed absentee ballot are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 29. Ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on Nov. 3.15
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