Why I’m Running for Wisconsin State Assembly | What’s the Next Move?
I never planned to run for office.
Honestly, government wasn’t something I imagined becoming a significant part of my life. I was raising four boys, running businesses with my husband, working as a photographer and drone pilot, and doing all of the normal things that come with raising kids and trying to build a life.
Then I took my boys to a park. There wasn’t a bathroom, and I started asking why.
That sounds like such a small thing, but one question led to another. I started learning how decisions were made, who was responsible for what, and how an ordinary resident could actually get involved. Eventually, instead of simply asking questions about our parks, I joined the City of Menasha Park & Recreation Board.
And apparently, that was only the beginning.
I Never Set Out to Become a Politician
A few years later, I found myself trying to contact my County Board representative. I couldn't reach them. There wasn't an email address available, the phone wasn't being answered, and the voicemail box was full.
I remember thinking that representing people shouldn't work that way.
So in 2020, I decided to run for the Winnebago County Board. I made residents a pretty simple promise:
You can call me.
Since then, I've been elected to the County Board three times. And somewhere along the way, I realized that the way I approach government is pretty much the same way I've approached everything else in my life.
I see a problem. I ask questions. I find the experts and do the research. I listen.
And then I ask:
What's the next move?
Sometimes the Next Move Is Asking More Questions
Not every problem has an immediate solution. I've learned that one of the most important things an elected representative can do is be willing to say, “I don't know. Let me find out.”
Sometimes the next move means digging through a government budget. Sometimes it means calling an expert. Sometimes it means sitting across the table from someone who completely disagrees with me and trying to understand why.
And sometimes it means discovering that the answer you expected isn't actually the right answer. I don't believe elected officials are supposed to know everything. I believe we're supposed to be willing to do the work necessary to find answers.
Sometimes the Next Move Is Speaking Up
I've had opportunities on the County Board to put that philosophy into practice.
When a county sales tax was proposed, I spent hours reviewing the proposal and trying to understand what it would actually mean for residents. Then I started explaining what I was learning publicly and encouraging other people to pay attention and participate.
I've also pushed for greater government transparency, including supporting efforts to make County Board meetings available by video so residents can see what their representatives are doing without having to physically sit in the room.
And lately, “What's the next move?” has taken me into conversations about housing, infrastructure, utility costs, responsible development, data centers, and how we use the limited land available in our communities.
The issues change.
The process really doesn't.
Ask questions. Find people who know more than I do. Do the research. Listen to the people affected. And figure out what comes next.
So Why Madison?
Why am I running for Wisconsin State Assembly District 53? Because I've also learned there are limits to what we can solve locally. Residents can bring a problem to their city, village, or county government only to discover that the decision ultimately rests with the State of Wisconsin.
Funding formulas, utility regulation, state mandates, transportation, housing policy, taxes, education, and countless other decisions eventually lead back to Madison.
I want District 53 to have someone there who approaches those problems the same way I've approached them here at home. Not by deciding what the answer is before asking the question. Not by checking which political party introduced the idea. And being able to come with the understanding that disagreements doesn't make someone is the enemy.
Good Ideas Don't Belong to One Political Party
That's also why I'm running as an Independent. Being Independent doesn't mean I automatically agree or disagree with Republicans or Democrats. It means I have the autonomy to work with or disagree with either side when the betterment of our community is on the line.
There will be times when Republicans have a good idea. There will be times when Democrats have a good idea. There will probably be plenty of times when I think both sides need to go back to the drawing board.
That's okay. I don't believe my job would be to represent a political party in District 53.
My job would be to represent District 53 in Madison.
What's the Next Move?
After years of running businesses, raising four boys, serving on the County Board, volunteering in my community, and having thousands of conversations with the people who live here, I've learned that solving problems usually doesn't begin with having the perfect answer.
But after years of running businesses, raising four boys, serving on the County Board, volunteering in my community, and having thousands of conversations with the people who live here, I've learned that solving problems usually doesn't begin with having the perfect answer.
It begins with being willing to ask the question. I listen. I learn. I do the work.
And then I ask:
What's the next move?
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