Every two years, after nomination papers are filed and the field of candidates is set, the WASB government relations team tries to identify and recognize all the current and former school board members who are running for the state Senate and state Assembly. These candidates bring with them a working knowledge of the issues and challenges facing school boards and can be valuable contacts for you and your boards.
This year, we have identified a bumper crop of nearly twenty current and former school board members seeking election to the Legislature and the Governor’s seat. If we may have missed any candidates with a background of school board service that you are aware of, please let us know so that we may properly recognize their candidacy.
This year’s group of candidates includes the following:
|
Assembly District |
Candidate Name |
School Board |
Party Affiliation |
|
1st |
Joel Kitchens (I) |
Sturgeon Bay (former) |
GOP |
|
10th |
Bryan Kennedy |
Glendale-River Hills (former) |
Dem |
|
20th |
Christine Sinicki (I) |
Milwaukee (MPS) (former) |
Dem |
|
28th |
Patty Schachtner |
Somerset (former) |
Dem |
|
29th |
Clint Moses (I) |
Menomonie Area (former) |
GOP |
|
31st |
Maryann Zimmerman |
Whitewater (current) |
GOP |
|
33rd |
Scott Johnson |
Fort Atkinson (former) |
GOP |
|
33rd |
Don Vruwink (I) |
Milton (former) |
Dem |
|
46th |
Andrew McKinney |
Monona Grove (current) |
GOP |
|
55th |
Stefanie Holt |
Neenah (former) |
Dem |
|
62nd |
Robert Wittke (I) |
Racine Unified (former) |
GOP |
|
68th |
Hillarie Roth |
Altoona (current) |
GOP |
|
73rd |
Laura Gapske |
Superior (current) |
Dem |
|
84th |
Lu Ann Bird |
Whitnall (former) |
Dem |
|
90th |
Kristina Shelton (I) |
Green Bay (former) |
Dem |
|
93rd |
Alison Page |
River Falls (former) |
Dem |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senate District |
Candidate Name |
School Board |
Party Affiliation |
|
27th |
Dianne Hesselbein |
Middleton-Cross Plains Area (former) |
Dem |
|
29th |
Cory Tomczyk |
Mosinee (former) |
GOP |
|
31st |
David Estenson |
Whitehall (current) |
GOP |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Governor |
Candidate Name |
School Board |
Party Affiliation |
|
|
Timothy Ramthun |
Kewaskum (current) |
GOP |
|
|
|
|
|
(I) denotes an incumbent for that office.
Notes:
–Tim Ramthun is currently an incumbent state representative representing the 59th Assembly District.
–Don Vruwink is currently an incumbent state representative representing the 43rd Assembly District but is running in the 33rd Assembly District under the newly redrawn legislative maps.
–Dianne Hesselbein is currently an incumbent state representative representing the 79th Assembly District.
–Patty Schactner is a former state senator, having once represented the 10th Senate District.
–Sen. Duey Stroebel, a former Germantown school board member, is currently an incumbent state senator representing the 20 Senate District; however, he holds an even-numbered seat and thus is not on the ballot (not up for re-election) this year.
