7th District candidate Hermening concerned for Social Security, U.S. can’t pick next Iran leader

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - Kevin Hermening says as a Marine, he was trained to be ready on day one.

That’s his mindset if he’s voted into Congress. He ran twice before in 1986 and 1988 but lost to Dave Obey.

The 7th Congressional Republican candidate has worked almost 40 years as a financial advisor. As the population gets older, people are concerned about health care as well as social security.

Hermening, the former Marathon County GOP Chair, says it’s not being handled well in D.C.

“Congress uses it for everything other than only Social Security,” Hermening said, during a sit down interview. “And as we continue to have an aging population, and yes, we have some younger generations growing in size as well, that’s good, but we have to wait until they really are paying in enough that we can continue to pay the seniors, who it’ll take a while before today’s 60-year-olds pass away. That’s not the goal, to worry about running out of money. It’s how can we keep it solvent?”

His history being held hostage for 444 days by Iran in 1979-1980 is well-documented. We discussed if the U.S. should have gotten involved in a conflict with Iran.

“I support the President in his effort to deny the Iranian regime, the Mullahs, the Ayatollah, in their pursuit of nuclear weapons,” he said. Adding, “My hope and prayer is that the troops come home soon and that we have some serious thought leaders in Washington, D.C. I think we have some, but not everybody, but some serious thought leaders who are understanding that we can’t install the next leader of Iran. That we have to make available every opportunity to the Iranians to choose their own leader.”

You can hear the entire conversation with Hermening in the playlist below, as well as the other candidates I’ve spoken with so far in the congressional primary.

The primary is set for August 11. Current representative Tom Tiffany is running for Wisconsin governor.

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