Mark Christopher Scheffler
Retired
Democrat
Appleton
Elected Experience
None
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters send you to congress?
People ask me why I’m running for Congress. The answer is actually pretty simple: I believe in sustainability. Not just environmental sustainability, but preserving and strengthening the things we care about like our economy and our democracy while fixing and rebuilding the things that just aren’t working anymore. My old home is a good example. You don’t tear down something meaningful just because it needs work. You restore it. You strengthen the foundation. You modernize what needs modernizing. And you preserve what makes it worth loving in the first place. I believe America deserves that same kind of care.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
A sustainable society depends on trust. Trust in our institutions. Trust in each other. Trust that government exists to serve people — not special interests. Congress just isn’t working for the US anymore. Americans are exhausted by division, outrage, and corruption. I hear it across the spectrum. Our politics must change. We deserve better than politicians spending all day trying to get reelected or making soundbites instead of solving problems. That’s why I’m running as a Democrat but I’ll serve as an independent voice in Washington. Voters want representatives who are less partisan and not poisonous; they want folks who build bridges, not burn them down. I want to show America we can do better, we must do better, and that starts right here, right now.
What expertise would you bring into congress? How would it help your district?
I believe we need real leadership to create what I call a prosperity economy — one that rewards productivity, innovation, and hard work, while making life more affordable again for everyday Americans. I'm ready to lead, and I believe sustainability starts with a solid economic foundation. I just think the economy should work for the people who actually keep this country running: Workers, families, farmers, small and mid-sized businesses. But our economy - the real economy is at the breaking point. Right now, too many Americans feel like they’re working harder every year just to fall further and further behind. The cost of living crisis is real, and our national debt is out of control. That isn’t sustainable.
Should Congress exert more oversight over the president? Why or why not?
I believe the House of Representatives is the FIRST branch of government, and that the President's role, while representing a co-equal branch, should be limited to administering the laws that Congress passes and nothing more. That means ending the power to pardon political allies, the power to rewrite spending bills or impound appropriations and the power to unilaterally wage war. And I’m not running for Congress to become part of the political machine. I’m running because I believe we can build something better. More sustainable. More honest. More connected to one another. A Congress that works again — not just for some of us, but for all of us.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
In 1991, Wisconsin experienced one of its strangest disasters when a fire broke out in a massive cold-storage warehouse in Madison containing millions of pounds of government-owned butter, cheese, and other food products. The blaze burned for days, melting huge quantities of butter and cheese into literal rivers that flowed from the building. Because butter is fat and highly combustible, it actually fueled the fire, making it even harder to control. Firefighters found themselves battling flames while wading through melted dairy products, and environmental crews had to contain the runoff to prevent damage to nearby waterways. The incident became known as the Great Wisconsin Butter Fire and remains one of the most unusual and memorable industrial fires in state history.