NEWS
WHY THESE FIVE CANDIDATES
SHOULD BE IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY BY LOUIS FORTIS
I
n this election cycle, as in 2018, suburban women are again in the spotlight nationally, running for elected office in record numbers. This is also certainly the case in Milwaukee’s suburbs. There is a good reason for very talented women to set aside their careers to run for elected office: When they watch the legislative leadership continue to fight science and sue to eliminate a simple mask-wearing ordinance, putting families and the economy at risk, they feel it’s time to get involved. These women refuse to just sit back and watch as COVID-19 cases rise and the death count continue to grow in our state while the Republican legislative leadership plays power games. They want to get something done for all our citizens.
THEY WILL SET ASIDE POLITICS AND WORK HARD TO HEAL OUR DIVIDED STATE, FOCUS ON BUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY WITH FAMILY SUPPORTING JOBS, AND THEY WILL PROMOTE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL OF WISCONSIN’S CITIZENS.
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Shepherd Express
We are fortunate that this year, there are a number of highly qualified, principled and pragmatic, no-nonsense women running in suburban or partially suburban State Assembly districts surrounding Milwaukee. We need candidates like these women who will work across the aisle to develop fair and balanced legislation that improves the lives of regular working people. These races will be tough, but these women can win.
INTRODUCING THE CANDIDATES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER: Deb Andraca is running in Assembly District 23, which includes Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, as well as Eastern Mequon, Thiensville and Grafton. She is running against Jim Ott, who has been in the legislature for 14 years. Andraca has a diverse and very impressive career along with a list of volunteer civic positions. She’s a proud mother of two daughters. Career wise, Andraca was a vice president at FleishmanHillard, an international public relations firm. She worked in Washington, D.C., for the Solar Energy Industries Association. She was also the communications director and lobbyist at the Environmental Law and Policy Center. Andraca has a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University. After her daughters were in school, she went back to college for a teaching credential at Alverno and became a teacher.
In her teaching position, she experienced a lockdown drill where students learned safety procedures in case of a mass shooter. That lead her again onto a political path pushing for some basic common-sense gun laws, support for public education and high-quality health care. When her efforts failed to get any serious responses from her state legislator regarding these issues fell through, she decided that, “if I can’t change our Representative’s mind, I would have to change his job.” For more information on Andraca, go to debforwi.com.
