ARENA — Ben Gruber announced his candidacy for Assembly District 51 on Monday, Jan. 26. The event took place at Arena Community Elementary School, the former elementary school that served the Arena area. Gruber, a lifelong Wisconsinite, has served the 51st Assembly District as a conservation warden, an EMT, police officer, a firefighter, and as a AFSCME Local 1215 Union President. Gruber released the following statement:
Gruber, a lifelong Wisconsinite, has served the 51st Assembly District as a conservation warden, an EMT, police officer, a firefighter, and as a AFSCME Local 1215 Union President.
“I am proud to announce my candidacy for the 51st Assembly District. For far too long, families in this community have been left behind,” Gruber said at the launch. “From rising costs, lack of funding for local services, and school closures, the 51st has been hit hard by legislative actions in Madison.”
Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville) has held the seat since 2014, when he won by just 65 votes over Dick Cates. Novak has won re-election every two years since by an average of more than 1,000 votes.
The 51st Assembly District was remapped at the conclusion of the redistricting legal fight, and this will be the first election with its new boundaries.
Gruber said that as a father and husband, he’s seen firsthand how policy decisions have affected people across the district.
“When our local elementary school in Arena closed, my daughter faced a bus ride of over 90 minutes to kindergarten and our community lost one of its anchors. Our dream of sending our kids to the elementary school I attended was crushed,” Gruber said. “We’ve also seen how state actions can cause harm with volunteer EMS staffing collapsing and the village police department closing due to lack of resources. Time and time again, our communities have been forced to do more with less, and it’s time to change that.
“I’m running for the Assembly to make sure working families in this district have someone who is truly looking out for us and who will truly listen to us. This district deserves better and I am looking forward to connecting with our communities in the months ahead about how true representation can help improve our everyday lives. Let’s get to work.”
