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The candidates, top row: Elsa Duranceau, Kyle Kilbourn, John Adams; 2nd row, Angela Stroud, Jeanne Bruce, Scott Harbridge; bottom, Chance Green.

The Wisconsin partisan primary is coming up on Tuesday, August 13. This article highlights the backgrounds of the candidates for the Wisconsin Assembly 73rd and 74th districts and the 7th Congressional District. These are the races of interest for voters in far northwestern Wisconsin. 

Voters should be aware that the 73rd and 74th  Assembly districts boundaries have changed due to last year’s redistricting settlement. The 7th  Congressional District was not changed by redistricting and remains significantly gerrymandered.

Beginning with the 7th Congressional District there are two Democratic contenders. Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany is running again and is unopposed. 

 Elsa Duranceau was born in Merrill, Wisconsin, and is a graduate of UW Madison. She served in the Air National Guard from 2011 to 2018. On her website she says her work experience includes being an “economic development professional, strategist, grant writer, entrepreneur, event coordinator, creative systems thinker and community servant.” She describes her work experiences as “collaborating with area leaders to address community issues” including child care, elder care, broadband expansion, justice involving youth and adults, workforce shortages, green energy and sustainability and rural small business development. 

On why she is running Elsa says, “On my 40th birthday, I made a decision to dedicate myself to a higher purpose. I decided to run for Congress...”

Elsa’s issues of concern are: the right to privacy, women’s right to control their bodies, child care funding, separation of church and state, passing the Equal Rights Amendment, antitrust enforcement, climate change and environmental protection, justice and prison reform and family centered Immigration reform. 

Her campaign web site is elsa4congress.org and her Facebook is facebook.com/ElsaforCongress. 

Kyle Kilbourn grew up in a small town in North Dakota (population 212) but “dreamed of exploring the world.” He was the first in his immediate family to earn a university degree (University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2000). His dream to see the world came true when he moved to Denmark and earned a graduate degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern Denmark.

Kyle has worked as an IT professional, web designer, product design consultant, researcher and university instructor. He has worked for a nonprofit hospital, medical devise manufacturer, a university and a national retail chain. Kyle has experience volunteering for a number of community organizations.

Kyle is concerned that “Today, extremist politicians are trying to take us backward in time with their attempts to strip away civil freedoms, voting rights, social security and our futures.” 

Kyle believes we need to focus on three broad areas of change. We must “prioritize working families, fight for a livable future, and secure our American freedoms.“ On his website he thoughtfully discusses how to accomplish these broad goals. His proposals mirror many progressive issues like health care for everyone, family supporting jobs, controlling inflation, preserving our water and environment, protecting Social Security and Medicare and “advocating for policies that transcend partisanship, emphasizing good governance and civic engagement for a more equitable society.“

Learn more about Kyle at kylekilbourn.com.  

Both of these candidates for Congress have good positions on the issues. Either one would be a breath of fresh air in comparison to Rep. Tom Tiffany. Tiffany has proven himself to be a compliant vote for the destructive Republican agenda that is taking our country back to the 1870s.    

There are two good Democratic candidates for the 73rd Assembly district. Both have very similar position on the issues. Either one has a good chance of winning in November. 

John Adams grew up in Duluth. He has a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota and has worked for newspapers in Montana and Minnesota. He worked on a law degree before  moving to Bayfield to become an organic farmer. He now grows vegetables and works at a farm cooperative distributing local food in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. John describes this experience as reflecting “our region’s survival – a creative economic solution through organizing.” John has served on the Washburn Town Board. 

John will advocate for living wages, support for unions, affordable housing, opposing corporate price gouging, affordable health care, common sense gun safety and protecting the environment.

John’s practical approach is seen in his support for better funding for rural emergency services.  He advocates providing state funding so local governments can improve emergency services. 

Get to know John at vote4john.com.

Angela Stroud moved to Ashland in 2012. She “fell in love with the lake and north woods and the Chequamegon Bay community...”  Angela grew up in Texas. She has a doctorate degree in sociology from the University of Texas at Austin and has been an educator for 14 years. She is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Social Justice at Northland College in Ashland. 

Angela is a strong and articulate advocate for progressive policies including protecting the Lake Superior watershed, supporting teachers and strengthening schools, fighting for reproductive justice and health care and advocating affordable housing

Learn more about Angela at stroudforwisconsin.com. 

Jeanne Bruce lives in Spooner and is a lifelong Democrat and running for Assembly in the 74th district. She is retired from a 30-year career in “program and fund development in business, government and the nonprofit sector.” She has extensive experience serving on many county boards and public and nonprofit community boards and committees. She served on U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s staff.

Jeanne believes “government provides vital services which positively affect our daily lives” and are essential to the economic development, safety and well being of our northern communities.  She will prioritize protecting women’s access to reproductive health care, reinvigorate rural health care and preserving our fragile northern natural resources. 

Scott Harbridge is one of two Republican primary contenders. He is an Army veteran and worked for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for 26 years as a correction officer. 

Scott supports the typical conservative Republican and religious right positions. He says, “I stand for the Bible, our constitution and Bill of Rights. We need God back in all aspects of our country.” This includes prioritizing law enforcement, smaller government, school choice, “medical freedom” (except for abortion), the 2nd amendment, and “America 1st” patriotism.  Scott advocates going back to “same day” paper ballots that are “hand counted” for elections. 

Read about Scott’s views at harbridgeforassembly.com. 

Chance Green is the incumbent representative and is running for re-election. He has a background working for the City of Ashland utilities department and running bar and rental businesses. He has served one term in the Assembly. 

Chance has the usual Republican small town conservative pro-business views. He supports hunting and 2nd amendment rights. He prioritizes economic development and infrastructure spending. 

Chance’s campaign website is harbridgeforassembly.com.