‘Let the People Decide!’ Every Seat is the People’s Seat

By Terri McCormick
March 9, 2010

Many stories are circulating about the huge upset from Massachusetts — where the seat held by the late Senator Ted Kennedy for all those years was supposed to be passed on to another Democrat.  The election that shocked the country caused a cataclysmic earthquake that has taken the political establishment and Washington pundits by storm.

Even they don’t know what to expect after Republican Scott Brown won in Massachusetts.  Brown said, “It’s the people’s seat!” and he was right.  The common sense voters of Massachusetts — just like the people of New York 23 — made a conscious decision rarely seen in American politics: They voted to take back their government!

During this election year of unpredictable and pendulum-swinging races, it’s interesting to gauge the expectations of both political party elites.  Take New York 23 — a special election that was supposed to be an easy victory for the Republican nominee.  A group of twelve political elites chose a candidate they thought would fit the more liberal New York State Congressional District and showered the appropriate big cash on the communications, staffing, and polling for the candidate.

The National Barometer according to recent McClatchy Polling Congress has a negative 74% approval rating with all sitting incumbents. The Massachusetts election was not ‘just about healthcare’ rather it was about the lack of overall trust on the issues – all of them.

The problem? The voting public appeared more conservative than the Republican Party in New York.  The Republican nominee eventually dropped out of the race and endorsed … the Democrat.  There was a conservative in the race who narrowly was defeated, but Tea Party activists and voters gave their concerns a real voice.

The bright Massachusetts and New York patriots decided that the political class who had been deciding their elections were not conservative enough — not constitutional enough — and certainly not in support of limited government … enough!

Enough was ENOUGH!  The proverbial Harry Truman quote “I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore!” came to life and millions of disenfranchised voters suddenly regained their voice.

What drove the American people first in the Empire State, and then in the state where the Boston Tea Party took place — was desperation. The people knew they needed “game changers” and not “game players” any longer.

These game changers — folks with courage and principles — are needed more than ever in the Congress to represent the will of the people and bring our government closer to home.

It has happened before – ‘The Reagan Revolution,’ that is conveniently forgotten by some – moved more independents and democrats into voting for a republican than ever before in our nation’s history.

According to Rasmussen Polling just released 67% of male voters are so angry with the lack of leadership in congress that they will throw ‘all incumbents out!’ A non-traditional third party — the “sleeping majority” — is now completely and utterly awake!

Some of the leaders of this wide-awake majority – call themselves the Tea Party – with the goal of delivering ALL of the Congressional seats back to We the People.

It’s our turn in Wisconsin.  For those that believe in smaller government, telling the truth, and listening to the will of the people in their Congressional Districts, the Elections of 2010 are an exciting time. For those that have been promising ideas for ten years and more have hit the panic button.

September 14, Wisconsin Primary Day will mark the impact of this epic ‘we the people’ election cycle. At least it will in one turbulent congressional seat that has shifted from safe republican to democrat for the past two cycles.

It is this author’s opinion that every Congressional seat — most especially our home seat in Wisconsin 8 — is the People’s Seat.  In the election of 2010 – ‘Let the People Decide!’

Terri McCormick is an author, business owner, teacher, Conservative Leader, and Candidate for US Congress in Wisconsin’s Eighth District.

A Message from Liberty Slate:

LibertySlate.com was founded to direct constitutionalists and small government advocates to liberty-loving candidates for Congress in 2010.  In our state of Wisconsin, we’re lucky to have a candidate in the Eighth Congressional district who is fully committed to our agenda of constitutionally limited government and personal freedoms.  Terri McCormick is a former State Representative who needs our help to fend off seven primary opponents.  She has name recognition throughout the district and a record to back up her platform.

She is the only candidate in our state who has been endorsed by LibertySlate.com.  She also has been endorsed by the Republican Liberty Caucus and expects to soon receive support from the RightMarch PAC — which supports conservative candidates in targeted Congressional primaries.

Terri McCormick needs your help to beat the establishment Republicans running against her in the primary.  On Wednesday, February 17 there will be an online MoneyBomb to support Terri and other pro-limited government candidates.

We hope you’ll take the time to sign up to receive Terri’s newsletter at http://www.TerriMcCormick.com/ and donate to her campaign on February 17.  Please RSVP on Facebook to donate at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=279237769835.  You will be reminded on February 17 to give your most generous contribution to Terri’s campaign.

Also, please join Terri’s group on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129431708408 .

Let’s add a principled, integrity-driven leader to the Wisconsin Congressional delegation!

Terri McCormick Online MoneyBomb to Occur on Wednesday, February 17

Terri McCormick has been selected as an endorsed candidate at LibertySlate.com.  Terri needs your help to beat the establishment Republicans running against her in the primary.  On Wednesday, February 17 there will be an online MoneyBomb to support Terri and other Constitutional Republican candidates across the country.

According to the LibertySlate 2010 project, “LibertySlate.com was founded to direct constitutionalists and small government advocates to liberty-loving candidates for Congress in 2010.  Wisconsinites are lucky to have a candidate in the Eighth Congressional district who is fully committed to our agenda of constitutionally limited government and personal freedoms.  Terri McCormick is a former State Representative who needs our help to fend off seven primary opponents.  She has name recognition throughout the district and a record to back up her platform.”

Please give $25, $50, $100, or your most generous donation on February 17.  Please RSVP on Facebook to donate here.  You will be reminded on February 17 to give your most generous contribution to Terri’s campaign.  Also, please join Terri’s Facebook group on Facebook here.

According to LibertySlate 2010, “It’s time to add a principled, integrity-driven leader to the Wisconsin Congressional delegation!”

Post Important Voices: JohnsonForAmerica.com interviews Terri McCormick, candidate for US Congress, Wisconsin-8

Our guest for today’s Important Voices interview is Terri McCormick.  She’s a Republican candidate for US Congress in Wisconsin’s 8th district.  Terri is a public policy and leadership innovator. She is the President of the McCormick Dawson CPG, Ltd., a marketing and public relations firm. She served as State Representative in the Wisconsin State Legislature from 2001 to 2007.  Prior to being elected to the Wisconsin Legislature, Terri founded Wisconsin’s charter school laws. Her public policy work has won numerous state and national awards, as well as numerous other recognitions for her pioneering work in the state’s first competitive prescription drug purchasing pool.  The prescription drug purchasing pool expanded opportunities for individuals with senior care and saved taxpayers millions of dollars annually.  Terri was the U.S. Delegate to the International Peace Institute at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree, magna cum Laude, Political Science and European Studies, from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, as well as a Master’s Degree in Administrative Leadership, highest honors, from Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Additional Terri McCormick holds an Education Certificate from Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, as well as credentials in graduate work in political theory at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario.  Terri currently resides in Appleton.

Josiah Schmidt: What compelled you to enter elective politics?

Terri McCormick: I am running for the Eighth Congressional District in Wisconsin because our country needs a solution-focused leader with principles and integrity.  My passion in life is to make a difference for the people around me – my neighbors and community. My track record as a legislator, small business owner, and teacher empowers me the know how to get the job done.   There are a lot of individuals who say things and promise things come election time.  It is quite different to actually have a track record of success that points to integrity leadership and putting people first.  At this time in our history it is critical that we elect individuals who will do as they promise and have the experience and know how to slice through the bureaucracy, red tape, and corruption that has caused the crisis we face in our economy, jobs, and banking system.

Josiah Schmidt: What are some of the most important issues to Wisconsinites right now?

Terri McCormick: There are two overriding issues that must be addressed from an economic security standpoint; First is the condition of our economy. It is heartbreaking to see the loss of jobs and healthcare and the effect this has had at the expense of families across our state. The reports of bankruptcy, foreclosure and families living on food stamps alone paint a picture of despair. Secondly, the monetary policies that have led to an unfair tax system as well as financial instability in the investment market must be addressed as well. An overgrown bureaucracy, overspending and lack of accountable fiscal policy leadership has stifled entrepreneurship and with it, job growth.  I will fight to get the government off the backs of the people of Wisconsin, so that we can get our state and nation working again.

Josiah Schmidt: How did you come to hold such a liberty-oriented philosophy?

Terri McCormick: I have been taught as a child the sanctity of the words: “We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights of; life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” As children we were asked to recite the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  We were instructed that the Constitution was our contract with the government as a free people.

Later I studied James Madison and the philosophies and works that he used to author the United States Constitution. Madison has been the most influential founding father in my life as his mentor in envisioning the checks and balances within the United States Constitution, Aristotle. As a Scotch-Irish American, we were raised to respect the ‘right of freedom.’ And as a daughter, grand daughter, and great grand daughter of veterans … I know the price of freedom all too well.

Josiah Schmidt: What do you offer that your opponents do not?

Terri McCormick: Too often political promises become the byproduct of wanting to be in office, rather than represent the people who elect us. I believe in citizen leaders who bring to office a life time of experience and expertise in the private sector. My background also includes a record of reform that has impacted the jobs expansion in the state of Wisconsin.  Bills authored and passed, like: the Small Business Regulation Reform, The Competitive Prescription Drug Purchasing Pool, and the first Charter School Law – written when I was in the private sector as the First Wisconsin Charter School President for the State of Wisconsin.

Josiah Schmidt: What’s the first thing you’ll do when you get into Congress?

Terri McCormick: Study, listen and work hard!  I will work each and everyday to serve the people of the Eighth Congressional District in Congress.   I will begin by building coalitions to enact an agenda that will do three basic things:

1. Enact a commission similar to the Grace Commission under President Ronald Reagan that would address waste, corruption, and inefficiency in government.

2. Take a look at congressional benefits and make sure they are more closely aligned with the private sector; the Congress needs to learn to model the actions of which it speaks.

3. We need to put the people of the U.S. first and foremost before a ‘political class’ of government employees by enacting term limits on the Congress.

Josiah Schmidt: What will you do as a US Congresswoman to help create more jobs in Wisconsin?

Terri McCormick: Fostering a climate where jobs can be created is my number one priority, because my neighbors here in Wisconsin are suffering high unemployment and one of the most unfriendly business climates in the country.  When government is limited, the free market has an opportunity to reward innovation and ingenuity. I will keep my no tax increases pledge by looking for waste, fraud and ineffective practices in government. Government can be run like a business – we just need to replace ‘business as usual’ politics. When government isn’t taking money from the people in our country, small businesses and entrepreneurs will have the capital to reinvest into the economy to create jobs. (85-90% of all new jobs are created by small businesses.)

Josiah Schmidt: As a US Congresswoman, what will you do to help relieve the burden on small business owners in Wisconsin?

Terri McCormick: As a member of the National Federation of Independent Business, I plan to use my office as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives to cut through the bureaucracy and red tape that over-bearing government regulation causes. For example, the Small Business Regulation Reform Act that I authored in the Wisconsin State Legislature requires that all bills proposed must be accompanied by an “economic impact statement” on businesses that are affected by the proposed bill. Imagine how many needless laws and regulations would be placed on the business community that ‘grows jobs’ if lawmakers were required to first judge the impact their laws had on businesses and jobs!  I will work to expand the Small Business Regulation Reform Act to the federal level to increase accountability and help small businesses grow in Wisconsin and elsewhere across the nation.

Josiah Schmidt: What do you know about Gary Johnson?

Terri McCormick: Gary Johnson was a great Governor in New Mexico, who vetoed many spending bills that would have increased government scope. Gary Johnson stands up for individual liberty and limited government.  Governor Johnson has put forth a vision through his Our America Initiative that places individual responsibility and limited government ahead of government control and bureaucracy.

Josiah Schmidt: Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

Terri McCormick: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions.  Ron Paul and Gary Johnson supporters should look into this campaign in the Wisconsin Eighth district.  It’s a conservative, independent-minded place where people have common sense and strong views.  Your support will be needed to win my eight-way primary and general elections.

Josiah Schmidt: Where can people go to find out more about you and contribute to your campaign?

Terri McCormick: Please visit http://www.terrimccormickforcongress.com to learn more about the campaign, hear my introduction, and connect to me on Facebook and Twitter.

News release originally published on Johnson For America Blog.

The McCormick Message: Terri McCormick for Congress Newsletter (January Edition)

Welcome to the January Edition of the McCormick Message

To all of our new subscribers: Thank you for subscribing to this newsletter, which will keep you updated on my campaign to bring common sense constitutional government back to the voters of the Eighth Congressional District.

To our continued subscribers: Keep spreading the message of limited government and individual liberty throughout the Eighth District!  

The McCormick for Congress campaign is on the move!  If you haven’t yet visited the McCormick for Congress website, please do so today.  It features a message from me about this campaign to return government to We the People of the Eighth Congressional district.

This campaign is ramping up.  We have assembled a team of experts that have run winning Congressional campaigns as recently as 2008.  We also have new support on the ground to help maximize our effectiveness at reaching voters in the Eighth District.  In the coming weeks, look forward to some big announcements about how you can become directly involved in the campaign in your own community.   

In the meantime, please join the Terri McCormick for Congress group on Facebook and invite your friends to visit my website and Facebook group.

Thank you for your support.  Please view the below content of this newsletter for additional information about what’s happening.

Sincerely,
Terri

Recent Events

Terri helped celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by attending a memorial service at Divine Temple Church of God In Christ in downtown Green Bay on Monday, January 18th. Terri addressed the gathering by reflecting on her admiration for what Dr. King said when he stated people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Terri also talked about her work in making sure every child is given the opportunity get a quality education by creating the Wisconsin’s Charter School Laws. This event was covered in the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Terri attended the Pro Life Appleton rally on Sunday, January 17th at the St. Joseph middle school in Appleton. Over 250 people came to the event to hear from abortion survivor Melissa Ohden. She had an amazing story to tell about her life and now tours the country and speaks about her story. Terri was the only candidate to attend this important event in support of the Fox Valley Pro Life Group.

McCormick’s Article on U.S. Senate Health Care Bribes Published

Terri penned an article that was circulated throughout the media in late December to over 200 news media outlets.  The article focused on the health care bribe that mandated every other state (and, ultimately, all taxpayers) to pay for the federal health care scheme for Nebraska residents for an indefinite period.  U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, of course, voted for the government-run health care plan.

Says McCormick, “Think about the permissive parents you see that give in to their spoiled children. Compare them to the incumbent politicians in your district and state [and] vote out every one of them that can’t say no to more spending. In these economic hard times, that is the only way for our family budgets — and our nation — to survive.”  Read the full article at the McCormick for Congress blog.

Terri’s article was published in the Door County Daily News, OnDoorCounty, Examiner.com, News-Medical.net, and Breitbart.com.

McCormick Addresses Marinette Tea Party, Receives Loud Applause

The Peshtigo Times covered Terri’s appearance at the Tea Party in Marinette in December.  From the article, “‘Government cannot create money,” she said firmly, and this drew applause from the audience, which frequently voiced approval throughout the event with applause and vocal affirmations. ‘Bailouts for failures!’ she said in mockery, and this brought more applause. ‘You can’t throw money into a sink hole and expect to grow jobs for the nation!’

The article continues by quoting Terri, “‘Free markets! People to stand up for principles. The Tenth Amendment guarantee of individual liberty and freedom! The federal government should be servants of the people, not the other way around!’ she declared, and every ringing comment brought more applause. She called further for smaller limited Constitutional government, and empowerment of the states for education and health care.”

Donate to a Candidate Who Will Defend the Constitution

Terri needs your support to win the primary and general election campaigns. Please donate today.

Your donation will go to support a candidate who will never vote for a federal bailout of private industry or a nationalized health care scheme.

What Terri Says: On the U.S. Constitution

“Former State Representative Terri McCormick … denounced career politicians and declared, America was built on Freedom, Constitutional principles and the rule of law. A war is raging against Constitutional government!” – Peshtigo Times, 12/10/2009

Please view Terri’s stances on the other important issues we face.  If you like what you see, please donate.

Stay tuned for future campaign updates!

Terri McCormick asks… U.S. Senate: ‘Naughty or Nice’ This Season?

In the rush to pass the so-called “healthcare reform bill,” U.S. Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) stomped his feet and held his breath until he extracted his presents from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One such “gift” exempts the state of Nebraska from paying the $45 million increase in Medicaid imbursement costs. Nelson was the 60th Democrat to get his stocking stuffed.

Smart parents know not to give in to spoiled children who try these shenanigans. If we gave kids everything they demand, our family budget would be as busted as last year’s toys under the couch. You know, the ones with batteries that are only made in China.

Each of us will soon pay for the Senate’s extravagant spending. In Senator Nelson’s case, his Nebraska voters will be exempted from the substantial cost increases generated by new Medicare patients mandated by this plan. And, Wisconsin taxpayers will foot the bill – not only for the additional costs for Wisconsinites, but for Nebraskans, too.

Senator Reid is like one of those parents that gives their screaming kids whatever they ask for. Here is what the Wall Street Journal reports:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Mr. Nelson didn’t get special treatment. “I worked with every Democratic senator” to make changes to the bill,” Mr. Reid said. “Ben Nelson was just like the rest of them.”

The majority leader added, “If you read the bill … you’ll find a number of states are treated differently from other states. That’s what legislation’s all about: compromise.”

So, giving a present to every one of the 60 Senate Democrats is how healthcare funding decisions are being handled in Washington. This is not the way that we did true healthcare reform in Wisconsin; at least not when I was in charge.

In 2002, I led the Speaker’s Taskforce for Local Government Healthcare Partnerships. We used a business model to address runaway healthcare costs that threatened state and local government. We held a dozen hearings around the State, listening to the people as they identified the reasons for cost spikes. With the help of private-sector talent, we crafted and passed the Competitive Prescription Drug Purchasing Pool, which saved $25 million for non-represented state employees alone, in the first year. We recommended the use of Internet transparency for healthcare cost bidding, as well as a quality control system of standards where communities can view provider ratings online.

This approach put free market mechanisms in place to ensure a level playing field for health care competition. Contrast this pork-free plan with the U.S. Senate Christmas-tree bill, and you can see that government can, and must, do better.

I have a simple solution for all sensible voters this Holiday season. Think about the permissive parents you see that give in to their spoiled children. Compare them to the incumbent politicians in your district and state. Vote out every one of them that can’t say no to more spending. In these economic hard times, that is the only way for our family budgets – and our nation – to survive.

We need to stop giving a “Tickle Me Nelson” to every U.S. Senator.

Terri McCormick is the author of the book “What Sex is a Republican?” She was a Wisconsin State Representative from 2001-2007, and Chaired the House Economic Development Committee and Chaired the House subcommittee on Healthcare Cost Reform from 2002-2007. She is a Republican candidate in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District with campaign information online at: www.TheMcCormickStandard.com.

Article published on DoorCountyStyle.com

A Season to Be Thankful and a Time for Courage

By Terri McCormick

Looking back on the many happy Thanksgivings and Christmas celebrations with my family in northern Minnesota, the best times were when my grandfather hitched the horses up to his newly renovated Christmas sleigh. Riding through the pristine, snow-covered night on Christmas Eve beside my lovely grizzled grandfather, I felt that the hope and wonder of the miracles of Christmas made all things possible in a new world.

Let us remember the pioneering spirit of our families as we are called once again to carve out new opportunities and solutions. The new world we face is a world of uncertainty:  Mounting unemployment hampering small businesses, manufacturing sectors struggling to survive, and fundamental flaws in the systems we once relied on to build our lives and our children’s futures.

Challenges indeed; and we must not lose hope. To win the war waged against limited government and free market principles, Americans will need courage. Let’s look at two of the specific legislative challenges we face.

“Wars are not won by Evacuation,” Winston Churchill.

Terri McCormick – the freedom movement’s answer to Sarah Palin?

With Sarah Palin in the news and in the forum, its interesting that I ran across this just today. Terri McCormick is a former state legislator and is active in the Republican Liberty Caucus. Her issues page shows she’s right on foreign policy and she makes a point to highlight her support for Dr. Paul’s Audit the Fed effort. All that and she’s cute to.

We may have another strong freedom candidate. And she’s in a Republican district too, the incumbent Democrat got lucky to win by a small margin on O-bomb’em’s coattails. If she can fend off the national GOP’s recruited candidate (who came from out of the district), she’ll have a good shot to actually get in.

Article originally posted on DailyPaul.com

Wisconsin’s Palin? No, McCormick’s better than that

Democrats across Wisconsin are sad indeed that former Assembly Speaker John Gard does not plan to mount a third run for the District 8 congressional seat.

Why are Democrats sad that Gard, a stalwart Republican, is not trying once more to challenge Congressman Steve Kagen, D-Appleton?

Because Gard was so beatable.

A career politician with a charisma deficit and a mean streak — he once got in a political fight with the mother of a diabetic kid — Gard was a dream foe.

The only political players who ever thought Gard was a viable candidate were party strategists who looked only at his ability to leverage his speakership and his political contacts to raise money.

Because of that, GOP insiders never quite noticed that they had a candidate in 2006 who might well have been able to hold a generally Republican seat. Former state Rep. Terri McCormick entered the primary, but was dismissed by party bosses. Gard won and McCormick went off to lecture, write books and engage in freelance activism.

Now McCormick is back in the running, having just entered the crowded GOP primary to challenge Kagen.

McCormick’s a conservative to be sure; she’s even shown some sympathy with the tea party crowd. But the former legislator has always been a maverick. Some have even referred to her as Wisconsin’s Sarah Palin.

In the best of senses, that may be true.

Like Palin in her early days, McCormick has been something of a reformer. But McCormick goes a good deal further than the Palin of today.

The Wisconsinite’s been willing to criticize GOP compromises; she’s been outspoken in her discomfort with the whole of the political process; and she’s willing to hold herself to account — promising to live by self-imposed term limits if elected.

McCormick is not a candidate who can be “managed” or “controlled.” In that sense, she’s like Kagen, an appealingly independent congressman who has held the 8th for the Democrats at least in part because of his determination to put district concerns first — even if that sometimes requires him to break with party leaders.

Kagen’s challenges to sending more troops to Afghanistan, his opposition to bad trade deals, his noisy criticisms of bank bailouts and the Chrysler bailout — which paid the auto company to shut plants and lay off U.S. workers — all mark him as a Democrat who is willing to say “no” to the White House and congressional leaders when they are wrong.

So the 8th might experience something rare in American politics: a contest between two genuine mavericks who disagree on a bunch of fundamental issues.

A Kagen/McCormick race would be exciting, maybe a bit edgy.

And that’s what Wisconsin needs.

Contests between careerists depress turnout because voters recognize that the choice is of little consequence. A contest between two engaging mavericks would be great theater, and great politics.

News release originally published on Madison, Wisconsin’s The Cap Times.

Former state Rep. Terri McCormick says she’ll stand out in 8th Congressional District race against U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton

Former state Rep. Terri McCormick expressed confidence Tuesday that she would stand out in the crowded field of candidates seeking the Republican nomination for the 8th Congressional District race.

McCormick, who formally announced her candidacy during appearances in Howard and Appleton, is among six Republicans seeking to run next year against two-term U.S. Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, in the northeastern Wisconsin district that includes all or part of 14 counties.

McCormick, of Grand Chute, served three terms in the state Assembly and ran unsuccessfully against former state Rep. John Gard in the 2006 GOP primary for the 8th District seat, but says she is a more patient, thoughtful candidate this time.

Her priorities in Congress would be job growth, regulation reform, national debt reduction, health care reform and term limits on federal officeholders, she said.

Referring to the government use of bailouts for economic recovery as “perpetual meddling in the free market,” McCormick said limiting government spending and encouraging private sector growth are vital.

She criticized health care proposals in Congress, including the 10-year, $1.2 trillion measure passed by the House of Representatives and proposals in the Senate, saying they did not adequately address the cost of health care.

If she wins the House seat, McCormick said she would limit herself to four terms. Since leaving the Assembly in 2007, she has been a consultant and worked on a recently released book.

Until McCormick’s announcement, Roger and June Gerhardt of Grand Chute were nervous about how the GOP primary would shake out. Now, they say, they are ready to volunteer in her campaign.

“We need a candidate with name recognition, which she has. Someone with experience, which she has,” Roger Gerhardt said.

Other Republicans in the race are Howard physician Marc Trager, Kaukauna roofing contractor Reid Ribble, Door County Board member Marc Savard, Brown County Board member Andy Williams and Kerry Thomas of Sayner in Vilas County.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette contributed to this report.

News release originally posted on the Post Crescent