Seth Haskin is a 22-year-old Independent running for governor of Wisconsin as a write-in candidate this November and met with The Spectator for an exclusive interview.

Haskin said he faces different obstacles running as an Independent outside of the two-party system including limits on campaign spending and lack of media attention. Write-in candidates are limited to $2,000 of campaign spending before they are required to register additional costs.

“Running as an Independent, my experience is very different from the Democratic or Republican party,” Haskin said. “There’s a lot less coverage on Independents due to the two-party system in America.”

Despite the obstacles, he also said running as an Independent provides new opportunities both for him and for the voters. Haskin said Independents can work together with Democrats and Republicans to bridge the gap between the two parties.

“A lot of times the polarization creates a lot of ‘you’re either this or this’ and a lot of people don’t like that,” Haskin said. “An Independent connects more to the general population because a lot of people like to vote on issues, not on platforms of the parties.”

Haskin said his main motivation in running for governor was to provide a younger option for voters with Gov. Tony Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels both over the age of 60. Haskin said younger generations are not being properly represented in politics. 

“You have people in politics who are over a specific age making policies for future generations that they have barely any connection to because there’s a 30-year gap,” Haskin said.

Haskin said he thinks having younger voices in office will provide a bridge between that age gap.

Haskin also said running as an Independent can make it difficult for voters to know his stance on different issues without identifying himself as a Republican or a Democrat.

With a Wisconsin law passed in 1849 going back in to effect this summer it is now a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy in Wisconsin.

Haskin said he would support changes to the 1849 abortion ban and he would support a statewide referendum on abortion laws in Wisconsin. He said he would like to find a compromise that allows abortion access with some restrictions later in pregnancy.

“I think a lot of times most Wisconsinites believe that abortion is needed for specific cases, like rape and incest,” Haskin said. “A lot of the issues that we’re having is where to draw the line.”

Haskin said he would also like to see more education on reproductive and sexual health, as well as access to contraception.

He also said he would support budgetary changes to childcare and foster care systems in the state to provide better life after birth, as well as funding for nurses specially trained to treat cases of sexual assault in every state hospital.

Haskin said if elected he would work with the state and federal government to lower inflation.

“Inflation is very tricky because it’s a balancing act,” he said. “Sometimes you try to stop inflation but it gets worse.”

Haskin said one of the biggest things he would like to do is create a partnership between the government and the private sector. 

“The public sector can help reduce some of the red tape that the private sector would have and help communities,” Haskin said.

Haskin said he has been critical of some of Gov. Evers’s policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I was critical of some of the COVID-19 mandates because I feel that was taking autonomy away from specific individuals,” he said. “However, it was very difficult to talk about it, and it still is difficult to talk about it because of the pandemic.” 

But Haskin said he was still primarily motivated to run because of the age gap.

“I want voters to know that their voice matters, even if they aren’t voting for a main party like the Democratic or Republican Party,” Haskin said. “Their voice matters because that vote shows that you don’t want to vote for that party.”

Mohr can be reached at [email protected].