A Brief Intro

Greetings,

I am a conservative Republican, born, raised and educated in the Midwest. I grew up in southeastern Wisconsin, attended college in both Wisconsin and Minnesota and have served as a county chairman in both states for the Republican Party. I was active in the campaigns of State Rep. Connie Ruth, Secretary of State Mary Kiffmeyer, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Congressman Gil Gutknecht, Senators Rod Grams and Norm Coleman in Minnesota. I got my start politically in Minnesota as a Vice-Chair of the Mankato State College Republicans and what is now the Minnesota State University of Mankato.

Since moving to back Wisconsin I was active as a Bush organizer in Portage County and served with their county party along with some very motivated and talented people. Portage County has been a liberal 'college-town' and labor union style democrat stronghold for many years but was a bastion of moderate Republicanism prior to that. The demographics are changing as Stevens Point has began to level off in growth while southward Plover grows with a lot of suburban and office-park growth and eventually the demographics will turn it Republican, it is only a matter of time.

I am currently the County Chair in Lincoln County, Wisconsin. It is represented by Don Friske [R-Merrill] in the 35th Assembly (House) seat and the Democrat who held our Senate seat was just vacated by Roger Breske (D-Eland who looked vulnerable) and now Tom Tiffany [R] is running against former Democrat Assemblyman Jim Holperin. Something about the way this guy emerged reminds me of how Walter Mondale was recruited at the last minute to run against the more youthful, appealing Norm Coleman when the late Senator Paul Wellstone's airplane crashed, leaving the Minnesota DFL without a candidate and so they dragged out an old war horse with high mileage but the voters were not buying it. Holperin is already digging for deep-pocketed liberal donors here in the north woods.

That's all for now,

Jim