Profiling the candidates: Brad Schimel

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WISCONSIN (CBS 58) – The race for Wisconsin Attorney General is tight ahead of Tuesday's election.

In the latest Marquette University Law School Poll just released Wednesday, Republican incumbent Brad Schimel has a narrow 2% lead over Democrat Josh Kaul. However, a large portion of that poll found voters don't know much about the candidates.

Brad Schimel says his body of work speaks for itself.

"We've been able to accomplish great things in our first term," Schimel said.

His opponent, Josh Kaul, calls it a negative, pointing out Schimel took three years to test the state's backlog of thousands of rape kits.

Schimel says it took time because the state had neglected the problem since the 1980's.

"I am the first Attorney General to test any of these accumulated kits. No one before me touched this problem," Schimel said.

Schimel also points out his office giving $200 million to schools for safety. But Kaul has focused on Schimel's stance on guns in the classroom.

Schimel says he wants arming teachers to be decided at the local level.

"If schools decide to permit teachers to be armed and there are teachers that wish to take advantage of that opportunity and be part of that solution, I will train them," Schimel said.


Kaul also says the state needs a better strategy to fight opioid abuse. Wisconsin's overdose rate is higher than the national average.

Schimel says he's stopping the problem at the source – taking back 400,000 pounds of unused pills back since 2010.

"We lead the nation far and away on a per capita basis for how much we've brought in. And that is directly our work at the Wisconsin Department of Justice since I took office," Schimel said.

Schimel says his opponent Josh Kaul is inexperienced and soft on crime. He points out that a majority of local law enforcement have endorsed him.

"I am law enforcement's clear choice. Go out and ask your local sheriff, your local police chief. You ask them who to vote for Attorney General and I'm confident if you do what they say, then I'll win easily," Schimel said.

Schimel says if he is re-elected he will continue to be tough on drugs and crime.

"The problems Wisconsin faces aren't done and we need the right person at the helm to continue moving Wisconsin forward, to make us safer and stronger," Schimel said.

On Friday, CBS 58 will profile Schimel's challenger, Democrat Josh Kaul. CBS 58 also profiled the Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, incumbent Scott Walker and his challenger, Tony Evers.

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