By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
There’s an interesting dynamic in the 21st State Senate District race this year.
In addition to the impact of redistricting on the district – Incumbent Democrat John Lehman will not run for re-election and is a candidate for lieutenant governor – there is also a Republican primary.
Jonathan Steitz will face off with former State Sen. Van Wanggaard in a Republican primary on Aug. 12.
State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, widely regarded as one of the leaders of the Republican Party in the state, said on Monday that the party will remain neutral in the race, but he personally has endorsed Wanggaard.
“I’ve endorsed Van,” said Vos, who added that he believes the Republican Assembly Campaign Committee had put its support behind Wanggaard as well. “I have nothing negative to say about Jonathon, but I’m pro Van.
“Most elected Republicans have endorsed Van.”
Vos said he personally believes that Wanggaard was unfairly recalled in the fallout of Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial Act 10 two years ago. Lehman won the seat in a recall election, but Vos said Wanggaard has shown his support for the Republican agenda.
“Everything a Republican can ask for, Van Wanggaard has voted for,” Vos said. “We are winning the argument, we are winning the policy discussion.”
Vos said the fallout of the debate unfairly targeted Wanggaard.
“For people to now come out and say, I wish he would’ve done more … that’s just being an armchair quarterback,” Vos added. “Van should get credit for voting for it and making it happen.”
Steitz, however, said he believes the Senate doesn’t have the conservative mindset it needs.
“There’s a number of senators, in my opinion, that haven’t proven to be reliably conservative,” Steitz said. “I don’t think he’s been a real champion of the conservative cause.”
Steitz said Wanggaard had his “arm twisted” behind the scenes on Act 10, and also wasn’t a strong proponent for school choice. With the district being as new as it is, he feels it’s a good place for him to be running – and that Wanggaard isn’t the incumbent, especially because of the redistricting.
He also said his law and MBA degrees from Northwestern would give him the financial background for the position.
When asked, though, how he wasn’t conservative enough, Wanggaard rhetorically asked, “That’s a very good question, isn’t it?
“I supported the governor from the get-go with all of his reforms,” Wanggaard said. “I would make the same votes today if I had to make them over again, because it was the right thing to do.”
He admitted he had some concerns about Act 10 – grievance processes and safe workplaces – and he said the governor listened. In fact, he said that the governor’s office made the changes.
“It didn’t weaken Act 10, it didn’t water it down,” said Wanggaard, who added that he has political record in office, and Steitz does not.
Other races in the area include:
• Primaries for both the Republican and Democratic tickets for the U.S. House of Representatives position in District 1. Paul Ryan, the incumbent, will run against Jeremy Ryan in the Republican primary, while Amar Kaleka and Rob Zerban will face off in the Democratic primary.
• The Racine County Sheriff’s race and Clerk of Courts race are uncontested. Roseanne Lee is running for Clerk of Court, and Sheriff Christopher Schmaling is also seeking re-election.
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