Third-party candidate DeNure knows he has to make up ground against Shilling, Kapanke

Three debate tonight at UW-La Crosse

They’ll debate tonight at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

At 7 p.m., incumbent Jennifer Shilling, former state Senator Dan Kapanke, and local political activist Chip DeNure will square off a League of Women Voters event at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Stzrelczyk Great Hall.

With a week from the election, DeNure, a third-party candidate, understands he has to make up some ground in between now and Nov. 8. 

Sticking to the issue of opposition to a north-south highway through La Crosse as his calling card. At least, DeNure tells us, he’s made an impact in the race on that topic.

“You have a massive budget deficit with the (Wisconsin) Dept. of Transportation, and they’re still moving ahead with a $140 million highway that most people in La Crosse don’t want,” DeNure, who’s running as an Integrity Party candidate, said.  “To me that is insane.

“All I know is that I live in La Crosse, I love this city and I don’t want to see a highway go through a marsh or La Crosse neighborhoods.”

He’s also not alone in the idea.

“The best thing that’s happened is that Dan Kapanke has come out against the north-south corridor,” DeNure said. “It’s great that Dan came out against it. I’m hoping that Jennifer Shilling will, as well.”

DeNure probably isn’t picking up the labor union vote between now and next Tuesday, however. He is far from being endorsed by any business groups, either. 

Such is the life of a third-party candidate, who has made his campaign mostly about opposition to a proposed north south highway through La Crosse 

DeNure says he’s happy that he’s influenced the race enough so that the road through La Crosse has become a topic in the campaign. 

He also believes in an election cycle in which anything might happen. He might actually have a chance to win out.