Dear John, 

We were excited to be in Stevens Point last week at District 1 Brewing Company, a community focused taproom, to talk with voters and share our vision for a new, more inclusive form of politics. While we were there, we also collected signatures for our nomination papers. We need to collect 2,000 signatures by June 1st to get our name on the primary ballot — please reply “YES” to this email if you can help gather signatures from your friends and family.

While we were at District 1, I was delighted to have the opportunity to play with Nemesis, a local band. We covered Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath and connected on the need to get big money out of our politics and make government work for all of us. The conversations with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents at the bar reminded me of why I got into politics in the first place. 

Steven with Jake Ramsey from Nemesis.

Before I ever thought about getting involved in public service, music was my first passion. Growing up in Brookfield, I played in every kind of band you can imagine. I picked up the guitar in third grade, the drums in fourth grade and started my first rock band when I was in fifth grade. 

It’s no secret that Milwaukee is the most racially and politically segregated metro area in the U.S. Playing in diverse bands gave me opportunities to learn about and connect with people from all different backgrounds. Making music has made my life richer and helped me bridge racial, cultural and political divides. 

What I learned through these experiences became my fundamental DNA in politics: when you create open spaces rooted in dignity, respect, and empathy, what you create in that space is more dynamic, more creative - it’s better. Jazz is a call-and-response art form that relies on listening and builds on ideas from other people, just like democracy can be at its best. This is the vision of our campaign: to create a new, more inclusive form of politics based on listening to one another. Please help us share our vision and introduce our campaign to more Wisconsin voters by contributing now.

I believe this will be a movement that transforms American politics and passes on a stronger democracy to our children and grandchildren. And, any time people tell you, ‘This is impossible. It’s too hard to do, ‘just remind them what Nelson Mandela said: ‘It always seems impossible until it’s done.’

With Hope,

Steven

We need your help to gather the signatures necessary to get on the ballot for the August 9th primary. Please reply “YES” to this email if you can help gather signatures from your friends and family and please consider making a contribution to our campaign to ensure dignity for all.

Paid for by Olikara for Senate.

Olikara for Senate
P.O. Box 510216
Milwaukee, WI 53203
United States 

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