2000 U.S. Senate General Election – Kohl & Gillespie
Incumbent U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, a Democrat, held a 40-point lead in the polls when he debated Republican challenger John Gillespie for the first time on September 29, 2000. Gillespie, founder of the nonprofit Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London, had previously won a three-way Republican primary election. He accused Kohl of being out of touch with average Wisconsinites and of not doing enough to help dairy farmers. The two candidates also debated morality issues such as abortion and discussed their differences on Medicare funding and government spending.
