Senate District 23 Candidate

When: Tuesday, November 8th, 2022; polls open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Find your voting location at myvote.wi. All absentee ballots must be requested by November 3rd and turned in no later than 8:00 p.m. on November 8th either by mail or dropped off in-person. In-Person absentee voting will start Tuesday, October 25th and end Friday, November 4th, please check with your local municipality for location and hours. If you plan to vote by mail, voters are strongly encouraged to mail their ballots as soon as possible to ensure their ballot is received by the deadline.

What it’s about: The Wisconsin State Senate is made up of 33 senators, 1/2 of which are up for election every two years and are elected for four year terms. This year, the odd numbered Senate districts are up. A Republican primary was needed to narrow down the candidates. Jesse James secured the nomination and will be unopposed on the ballot in November due to no Democratic candidate. Incumbent Kathy Bernier will be retiring and not seeking re-election. The candidate for District 23 Senate is:

• Jesse James (R-Altoona) Website
• Dan Hardy (D-Eau Claire) Website (Write-in Candidate)
Hardy will not appear on the ballot. He also was a write-in candidate for the Democratic Primary, but
did not receive enough votes to qualify for the General Election ballot.

Who can vote: The election is open to residents of the 23rd Senate District. Click on the image to pull up a more detailed and interactive map.

Where you vote and who is on your ballot: • Go to myvote.wi.gov
• Enter your voting address to learn which races are on your ballot and where you vote.

Learn More About the Candidates The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce has put together both video interviews as well as candidate questionnaires. The Good Government Council (GGC) is a committee of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce dedicated to encouraging voter participation and providing members of the business community with non-biased information about candidates’ positions on important issues. Although the Chamber is active in policy issues, it is non-partisan and does not endorse political candidates.

Chamber Video Interviews

Click to watch

Chamber Candidate Questionnaire

1.) Why are you running for this office, and what are the top three priorities you will emphasize if elected to the next session of the legislature?

Jesse James: I believe in opportunity, and it exists in front of me right now. I will never get this chance again as once an incumbent gets into the seat they will be difficult to beat. I take advantage of these opportunities, just as anyone else would. This is a chance to get to the upper house of the legislature, where our voice will be stronger, our vote a little more powerful, and relationships formed in the Assembly will go a lot further. My priorities will include looking at mental health as I said in 2019 it will be on the rise and it sure has. We need to address the chapter 51 process, which will hopefully bring savings to our law enforcement and county governments. I will continue to bring solutions to address the ongoing meth, opioid, and alcohol issues in our state. I was a proud bipartisan partner to our bill which decriminalized fentanyl testing strips. We also need to continue to look at the foster care and adoption processes.

2.) What role should state government take in supporting a vibrant business economy in Wisconsin? What specific actions or policies would you propose to accomplish it?

Jesse James: Business is one of the backbones to Wisconsin’s success. The role of state government should be to get rid of things like the personal property tax. Something I signed onto and supported and will continue to support. I found it weird on how I purchase equipment for my business, pay taxes on the item when purchased and pay annual taxes on the same item I already paid taxes on. This simply does not make sense to me. We should look at other opportunities such as the possibility of a flat tax in our state. I know some discussions have taken place regarding this and I find it interesting and need to learn more of the big picture impact a flat tax would have on our state. I am still learning from my colleagues about this. We need to support those who may need a little help in starting their own business. I think the economic development grants available are an awesome way to give people the opportunity to live the American Dream. I applaud those who aren’t afraid of chasing their dreams.

3.) Businesses today face several significant workforce challenges, with more jobs open than individuals available to fill them. Among these issues are demographics related to the size of the workforce; state support to recruit and retain employees to the area; housing supply and affordability; and a crisis in childcare availability for working parents. What is the legislature’s role in addressing these issues?

Jesse James: I think the working family with children and the price of childcare is an issue we need to address. Lets give incentives to those working in childcare to have deeply discounted, or up to free childcare if they have children at the facility. This cost savings to the families would be a huge benefit and would help address the childcare worker issue. We have to address the childcare deserts across our state to include the Chippewa Valley. I think if we start helping families with children, there will be a ripple effect to help address the other issues. It all starts with our children and families. The workforce housing bill package led by Rep. Summerfield helped address and bring solution to the housing supply and affordability issues. Some of these bills made it through, some did not. I would support these bills when introduced again next session.

4.) The 2019-21 State Budget included funding for the first phase of the new Science and Health Sciences Building at UW-Eau Claire to replace aging and obsolete Phillips Hall. The University is now awaiting the second phase funding so that it can begin construction. What level of priority will you put on ensuring that funding is included in the state’s 2023-25 budget, and what steps will you take to make that happen?

Jesse James: This is something I would continue to support in our legislature. This was a priority the first go around, and I know how politics comes into play here. I think having discussions with the decision makers in the UW system is the route to go as they prioritize and list the projects they feel should be first and last. Messaging within our caucuses needs to be one unified message from us up here in the Northwoods. Being able to take advantage of private-public partnerships is part of this messaging, especially when dollars are on the table. The messaging needs to show how much this would benefit Wisconsin and our young adults who choose to attend college in our state, which benefits our future due to the education they are receiving. This may become a priority once things start to move, we have to fulfill the commitment of finishing a project once shovels hit the ground. This may help once the project is underway. Kind of pushes the issue to the top of the list, right where we want to be.

5.) Why should a business person in the Chippewa Valley vote for you to represent them in the state legislature?

Jesse James: I shared with everyone on how I would work bipartisan when I ran in 2018, and 2020. My first session I was able to get through our first bill, which benefited veterans, which was a bipartisan bill. This session I was able to author, co-author 15 bills, three which were vetoed, but 12 which were signed by our governor. How did this happen in divided government? By developing relationships with my democrat colleagues, so they would advocate to the governor saying this is a good bill. We need to get this through for our Wisconsin people. My legislative work history, the relationships formed, common-sense, and logic is something I will continue to bring forth as your next Senator to the 23rd Senate District. I know how to get things done and will continue to represent the Chippewa Valley in a positive, enlightening, and hopeful way. We can get things done as long as we are talking, negotiating, compromising, with an open-mindset, and heart.

More Information
Election 2022: Guide to the Fall General Election (Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce) Posted by Emily Johnston, Governmental Affairs Intern johnston@eauclairechamber.org