Elected Experience: None

Why should voters elect you?

It is time to get money out of politics. The only way to do that is by electing regular, everyday people who live like us. That’s me. I may not have a fancy law degree or a lifelong career in politics — but I am a hard-working dad personally living the life working families like mine face every day. I have no choice but to fix the issues facing us. If you are tired of broken promises, if you are sick of politicians who aren’t affected by their own decisions, it’s time to elect one of us instead. We must show our children that everyday people can step up and run for office, if we are willing to work hard and do the right thing.

What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?

Affordability is the number one issue. We are all struggling to survive. We must fund education at the state level — with fair taxation to lower sky-high property taxes from continuous referendums and end private school vouchers. The wealthiest among us will have to pay their fair share. We must have universal childcare for working families. We must create a single-payer healthcare system or public option. We must increase all wages by permanently raising the minimum wage — tying it to inflation, cost of living, and increases in worker productivity. We must save our family farms by feeding our school children with farm-to-school programs. We cannot continue with our economy only working for the elite or we will lose our democracy altogether.

How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?

We need to aggressively get back to this state’s progressive roots. Things have not always been this bad. The problems we are facing right now are the direct result of failed Republican economic policy and attacks on education designed to benefit only their wealthiest donors at the expense of the rest of us. It is time to invest in Wisconsinites.

What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?

Wisconsin is the only state to have had a governor from the Progressive Party, Gov. Philip La Follette, from 1935 to 1939. The party was founded by the sons of “Fighting Bob” La Follette as a coalition of progressives, farmers, and labor groups during the Great Depression. It was focused on economic relief and labor rights. The Progressive Party created reform legislation that would later be implemented on a national level. This included things like workers’ comp., unemployment insurance, progressive income tax, the “Wisconsin Idea,” consumer protection, and open primaries. We have been here before and fixed it. We can do it again. FORWARD!