For Immediate Release, August 13, 2026 | Contact: info@stars-wi.org | (262) 394-6659
Small Town and Rural Seniors (STARS) statement on Wisconsin Primary
Small Town and Rural Seniors across Wisconsin have been watching the governor's race carefully. We want to know two things: Which candidates understand the contributions and needs of seniors, and what will the candidates do for us, the fastest-growing age group in the state?
Today, there are already more than one million Wisconsinites who are 65 and older. By 2030, there will be 1.3 million seniors in Wisconsin – and seniors already vote at the highest percentage of any age group.
To put it plainly, there is not a path to statewide office that doesn’t require the support of seniors, and we will be reviewing the primary results to understand the role older adult voters played in determining the outcome of the primaries.
Despite the number and power of senior voters, no candidate running for governor has yet articulated a comprehensive plan for investing in seniors and our families.
Two weeks ago in Baraboo, STARS hosted a candidate town hall. At the town hall, we pressed the candidates on issues such as the growing caregiver shortage, the sale of publicly owned nursing homes, senior housing, transportation, affordability and fraud. We have been organizing both in our hometowns and across the state and have a firm sense of proactive, sound policy that could enhance the quality of life for seniors and help move Wisconsin forward.
No matter who will be Wisconsin’s next governor or which party will control the statehouse, our work to organize seniors to improve our lives and our communities continues beyond any election cycle.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 26, 2026 | Contact: info@stars-wi.org, (262) 394-6659
Wisconsin Seniors Press Gubernatorial Candidates on Issue re: Aging, Affordability
Baraboo, WI: Seniors from small towns and rural communities across Wisconsin held a Governor Candidates Town Hall in Baraboo this past Saturday where they shared experiences with aging and asked pointed questions of participating candidates. The seniors pressed the candidates from across the political spectrum on issues related to healthcare profiteering, senior housing and transportation, nursing home closures and privatizations, protecting seniors from fraud and scams, growing and strengthening the care workforce, and expanding intergenerational care across the state.
In a conversation-style setting at the Ho Chunk Casino and Conference Center, nearly 100 senior citizens from rural counties across the state sat with participating candidates to ask how they would represent the rapidly growing senior population in the state. Four candidates attended the event: Francesca Hong, Joel Brennan, Andrew Manske, and Kelda Roys. All candidates were invited.
“In the near future, seniors will make up 30-40% of the population in some of our more rural counties. This is a major change for our state, and we’re going to talk about it, we need to about it,” said Eileen Guthrie of Lincoln County in her opening remarks for the event. “What we have come to realize is that the solutions we formulate for seniors are not just for seniors; they are for all of us. If we are lucky, we will all become seniors, at least that is the goal.”
Seniors are the fastest growing age group in Wisconsin; more than one million Wisconsinites are 65 and older. By 2030 there will be 1.3 million seniors in the state. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, people 65 and older voted at the highest percentage of any age group in Wisconsin during the last three mid-term elections. Despite this rapid growth, no gubernatorial candidate has provided a plan for investing in seniors and their families.
The questions asked at the STARS town hall were carefully researched and seniors shared their personal experiences with the candidates. Questions ranged from whether or not candidates would support a moratorium on public nursing home sales to how the candidates would support transportation for senior citizens living in rural communities.
Susanna Juon-Gilk, a retired LPN, shared about her experience of receiving sometimes dozens of scam calls all in one day. “Many of us in this room today have worked our whole lives and are trying to survive on our savings while prices soar all around us,” she told the candidates. “And every day we are hounded by predatory, AI-assisted fraud syndicates. Senior fraud is a major criminal enterprise. They are organized, highly sophisticated, and well-financed. The FBI estimates that seniors are scammed out of $7 billion each year.” She asked the candidates what they each would “do to stop financial exploitation targeting seniors before it happens?”
Skip Mosshamer, a senior from Williams Bay, and Maddie Sweetman, a mother of young children from Elkhorn, told candidates about the value of connecting generations. Emphasizing “intergenerational care is senior care,” they asked candidates whether they would direct the Department of Health Services to help local municipalities build such programs.
A full recording of the event and the candidate responses can be found at the CIVIC MEDIA livestream here.
Shareable clips and photographs from the event can be found on the STARS Facebook page. Please attribute to STARS when using.
Seniors who participated in the event are available for interviews reflecting on what they heard from the candidates, their takeaways, and what more is needed to support seniors across Wisconsin.
###
Small Town and Rural Seniors is an electoral organizing project designed by and led by Wisconsin seniors who are organizing to make Wisconsin a better place to age. Find out more on our website or Facebook page.
Small Town and Rural Seniors (STARS) Governor Candidates Town Hall
Saturday, July 25, 2026, 1-3 pm | Ho-Chunk Convention Center, Baraboo, WI
Seniors from small towns and rural communities across Wisconsin are coming together on
Saturday July 25, to share their experiences with aging in Wisconsin and question candidates
about how they would address challenges and seize opportunities as Wisconsin’s next governor.
Today, there are already more than one million Wisconsinites who are 65 and older. Seniors are
the fastest growing age group in the state, and by 2030 there will be 1.3 million seniors in
Wisconsin.
Despite this rapid growth, no candidate running for governor has articulated a comprehensive plan
for investing in seniors and their families.
The Small Town and Rural Seniors (STARS) Governor Candidates Town Hall is an opportunity
for Wisconsin seniors to tell the candidates what they expect from the next governor of the state
and for candidates to answer questions about how they plan to improve the lives of seniors and
the communities they live in.
Candidates will answer questions from seniors about such issues as profiteering in healthcare,
improving housing and transportation, growing and strengthening the care workforce, and
expanding intergenerational care across the state.
Candidates who have committed to the town hall:
● Francesca Hong
● Joel Brennan
● Kelda Roys
● Andrew Manske
● Sara Rodriguez
All candidates from all parties who have qualified for the August 11 primary have
been invited to participate.
Free buses to the event are available from Tomahawk, Merrill, Wausau/Rothschild, Stevens
Point, and Elkhorn, with other stops being added as need demands. Attendees can save a seat
upon registration.
Website & Registration: https://www.stars-wi.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiSTARS
Several STARS leaders are available for comment. Reach out to Gwen or Tom at the email below.