Democrat Jim Doyle and Republican Scott Walker team up for PSA to encourage COVID-19 vaccines

MADISON - Former Wisconsin governors Jim Doyle, a Democrat, and Scott Walker, a Republican, set aside the state's bitter political divides and teamed up this week to urge Wisconsinites to get vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Doyle and Walker appeared in a statewide public service announcement for UW Health System that was released Thursday. In the ad, Walker suggests to Doyle that the two of them surprise the state by doing what Democrats and Republicans rarely do in Wisconsin: agree. 

"Let’s do a commercial together — reminding people in Wisconsin how important it is to be vaccinated," Walker says to Doyle.

"That may be the best idea you’ve ever had," Doyle responds.

The ad comes at a time when less than half of the state's population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 six months after vaccines became available.

Track COVID and the vaccine in Wisconsin: See the latest data on cases, deaths and administered doses

At 43%, the state is likely not going to reach the crucial herd immunity threshold when enough people are vaccinated to provide protection for those in a community who are not vaccinated. 

Walker is the highest-profile Republican in Wisconsin — and one of very few — to publicly urge residents to get COVID-19 vaccinations, joining U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher of Green Bay who in recent weeks proposed a program that provides free beer to those who get vaccinated. 

The former two-term governors' appearance comes as Republican men are more likely to choose to not get a COVID-19 vaccine and as the Republican-controlled state Legislature plans to pass a number of bills that would bar Wisconsin business owners and government officials from requiring such vaccinations. 

“We are excited this PSA came together. It’s a good reminder that COVID-19 is not a political issue, and we really do have broad agreement,” UW Health chief quality officer Jeff Pothof said in a statement. 

Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.