Crosson, a former Green Bay school board member and U.S. Army veteran, cast himself as a problem-solver focused on affordability and accountability. He accused Wied of failing to challenge Trump and said the congressman had not held in-person town halls during his time in office. Wied, a former Green Bay-area gas station owner, cited constituent services and meetings with local groups as evidence he is engaged with the district.

On the economy, Wied acknowledged that gas and diesel prices had risen following Trump’s decision to begin the war in Iran. He defended the president’s action as a necessary response to an immediate threat, and said fuel prices could fall after the conflict ends. Wied said he would not support a congressional vote to end the war, calling such a measure symbolic.

Crosson argued that the administration’s actions had created the instability behind higher prices and called for the war to end. He said Congress had failed in its responsibility to serve as a check on the president.

The candidates also sparred over how Wied communicates with constituents. Crosson said telephone town halls are no substitute for face-to-face exchanges and argued elected officials should be willing to answer questions in person. Wied said he has met with more than 300 groups in the district and travels among its 11 counties. He said in-person town halls can be disrupted by what he called a “left-wing mob,” and cited an incident last year in which an unpaid county Democratic Party volunteer was investigated over threatening phone calls to Wied’s Washington office.

On agriculture, Wied pointed to his work on restoring whole milk in schools and House passage of a 2026 farm bill. A comprehensive farm bill had not been enacted since the 2018 law expired in 2023. Crosson criticized the Trump administration’s tariffs, saying they had made it unaffordable for an area dairy farmer he spoke with to buy cattle from Canada. Neither candidate offered detailed proposals for addressing consolidation in the region’s farming industry.

Both candidates said communities should have a say in whether large data centers are built locally. Wied said the United States needs to compete in artificial intelligence and that data-center projects can bring benefits, including higher teacher pay, if communities approve them. He also blamed Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers for pressuring communities to build large solar farms. Crosson said state and federal rules should protect residents from technology companies that may not prioritize local interests.

Health care brought a sharper divide. Wied criticized the Affordable Care Act and defended work requirements for some Medicaid recipients included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which he said would encourage people to work. He also said Republicans had sought funding for rural hospitals. Crosson said the law would cause millions of Americans to lose health coverage and argued health care should be a fundamental right. The bill’s federal health-spending cuts are expected to outweigh the rural-hospital funding Wisconsin is slated to receive.

On election administration, Wied backed the proposed Save America Act, which would impose a national voter-identification requirement for federal elections. He raised concerns about election funding Green Bay received during the COVID-19 pandemic and claimed states such as Minnesota and Illinois do not require voters to show identification or prove citizenship. Noncitizens are barred from voting in federal elections, and there is no evidence they do so in significant numbers.

Crosson said elections should remain under state control and warned that claims about election integrity can discourage people from voting. He opposed federal intervention that could disenfranchise eligible voters.

The candidates questioned each other near the end of the debate. Crosson asked Wied about stock trades made while in Congress. Wied’s net worth has increased by more than $3 million since his election, and reporting cited in the debate found that he traded shares in companies with business before committees on which he serves. Wied said the investments were handled by an independent financial adviser and stemmed from savings after he and his wife sold their business in 2022.

Wied then questioned Crosson about appearing with state Rep. Francesca Hong, whom Wied called a communist, and asked whether Crosson supported abolishing the police. Crosson rejected the label as a substitute for discussion, cited his military service opposing communism, and said he supports law and order.

The 8th District has been represented by Republicans since 2011. Wied won the open seat in 2024 by 15 percentage points over Democrat Kristin Lyerly. Crosson’s challenge has received less attention and investment than contests in Wisconsin’s 1st and 3rd Congressional Districts, which are viewed as more competitive.