Your Candidate: Regina Bataineh District 29

EAU CLAIRE — Candidate Regina Bataineh said as someone who has lived in the community for 25 years, she wants to help address its problems.

Bataineh is a candidate for the Eau Claire County District 29 supervisor seat. She is running against Bob Swanson.

District 29 is made up of Ward 1 in the Town of Washington, wards 30, 33, and 66 in the City of Eau Claire, and wards 9 and 10 in the City of Altoona.

One of the main concerns of Bataineh, who is a nurse, was the county’s health.

“The opioid epidemic has been an ongoing issue, not only for our community, but for the country as a whole,” she said. “If something doesn’t happen soon, especially here, right now, with the closing of our HSHS facilities… we’re going to have even more problems.”

Bataineh also highlighted financial stability as a top concern. To address financial issues she suggested the county be more open with their budgeting process.

The candidate said families in the community are already facing financial issues. The county needs to be responsible with their money they currently have and not increase taxes.

She said she also wanted to work to bring organizations and lower housing prices to the community. To do this she suggested setting up an environment that is friendly to businesses and incentives for companies to thrive and build housing that is affordable.

Bataineh joined the army after she graduated high school She spent four years on active duty in Fort Riley, Kansas and another four years in the National Guard.

She has also worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, said Bataineh. In the last summer she got her license to become a nurse and has been working part-time for Dove Healthcare.

She said she has been volunteering since she was a teenager. She started by volunteering at the Brainerd State Hospital and currently is a youth group leader.

“All of my positions and what I’ve done are more geared towards service…” said Bataineh. “I think my background helps me to relate to people and understand where they’re at and what they need.”

She said that she would work to persuade other supervisors by offering facts and personal experiences. Knowing what people need and what the county can do are crucial when finding an answer to a problem.

She said she would bring a “compassionate, conservative view” to the county. Transparency is very important to her and she will strive to be open and honest on the county board.

The county board is not meant to be partisan and instead is focused on helping the entire community, said Bataineh.

“That would be my goal, to take input from members of the community and put into place things that make sense for everyone,” she said.