Incumbent John Spiros will face challengers Donna Rozar and Trine Spindler in the Aug. 13 partisan primary to represent the Republican Party in the November general election for Wisconsin's 86th Assembly District.
The winner of the primary will face Democratic Party candidate John Small, who is unopposed for the party's nomination.
The district has been represented by Spiros for six terms since 2013. Republican Jerry Petrowski represented the district for over 20 years between 1999 and 2012.
The redrawn 86 th Assembly District contains the entire cities of Marshfield and Pittsville and the villages of Spencer, Stratford, Edgar and Marathon City. The district spans the northern half of Wood County, a significant portion of western Marathon County and a small piece of northwestern Portage County. Other villages in the district include Hewitt, Auburndale, Vesper, Junction City and Rudolph.
Wisconsin state assembly representatives serve two-year terms.
To learn more about registering to vote and to find your polling place, visit the My Vote Wisconsin website.
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin asked each of the candidates to address important issues in the district and why they are running for the position.
Donna Rozar
Residence: Marshfield
Occupation and education: Registered nurse, nurse educator (retired), small business owner; diploma in nursing from Virginia Baptist Hospital of Nursing in Lynchburg, Virginia, bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and a master's degree in nursing from Viterbo University in La Crosse
Relevant experience: Wood County Board supervisor, held leadership positions over my years on this board; elected to State Assembly in 2020, vice-chair of the Committee on Health, Aging and Long-term Care, chair of Family Law; Wood County Board of Supervisors, chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, Chair of the UW Commission, vice-chair of the Operations Committee
Trine Spindler
Residence: Stratford
Age: 40
Occupation and education: Dairy owner/operator; bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Campaign website/Facebook page: www.trineforassembly.com and Trine Spindler on Facebook
John Spiros
Residence: Marshfield
Age: 62
Occupation and education: Vice president of safety and claims at Roehl Transportation. Current representative for the 86th Assembly District. Associate degree in criminal justice from Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.
Relevant experience: I served six years in the U.S. Air Force before beginning my career in law enforcement. After serving as a police officer, I entered the transportation industry, which is where I have been since. Prior to running for Assembly, I served eight years on the Marshfield Common Council. I haveproudly and effectively represented the 86th Assembly District in the Capitol since 2012.
Campaign website/Facebook page: Spiros for Assembly and Re-Elect Representative John Spiros on Facebook
Why are you running for office?
Rozar: No response provided.
Spindler: For over a year I have watched our community split by the controversy of industrial wind and solar energy complexes. I have been working with an amazing group of people from the town of Day and also lead the Farmland First Marathon County Chapter of volunteers in the fight against these developers. Our goal is to help central Wisconsin towns protect the health and safety of their residents and preserve some of the best tillable land in our country. I am proud to have helped 13 towns pass health and safety ordinances and am encouraged that we will continue to work hard for this cause. You can learn more on www.farmlandfirst.com .
Spiros: As when I first ran for public office, my motivation continues to be cutting taxes for hard-working Wisconsinites. I’m proud that I’ve played a large role in bringing Wisconsin’s tax burden to an all-time low by cutting over $31 billion during my time in office. Next session, I look forward to continuing to cut taxes for seniors and middle-class families during this time of Bidenflation, continuing to bolster public safety, supporting the local economy and local agriculture, and ensuring that central Wisconsin is a place where people want to both raise families and retire, with good schools and safe communities.
What makes you the better candidate in this race?
Rozar: My life and work experiences help me bring a unique perspective to the discussions held in Madison. When I was elected in 2020, I retired from nursing to devote my time to serving the constituents of my district. I do not have another job, and as a widow with all dependents out of my home, I am able to focus on my job as a legislator. I am also, at this time, the only nurse in the state Assembly.
Spindler: I am passionate, young and ready to fight for our rural Wisconsin values. I deeply care about the developments happening in our communities, as I have proven in my volunteer work with Farmland First. I am in this race because the people in our communities are asking for representations, they are asking Madison to leave us alone, and they asked me to run.
Spiros: As a veteran, former law enforcement officer and business executive, I bring a level-headed perspective with real-world experience to the Assembly in order to make the best decisions on behalf of Wisconsinites. My record in the Assembly is crystal clear: I’ve worked to cut taxes by over $31 billion, I’ve bolstered public safety as the chairman of the Committee on Criminal Justice & Public Safety, and I have an extremely strong record of pushing back against the radical, left-wing policies of the Evers Administration. I am the only candidate with the leadership experience and seniority needed to be an effective legislator.
What is the most pressing issue facing Wisconsin, and how would you address it?
Rozar: This is a difficult question because there is more than one pressing issue. Depends on who you talk to for the answer to that question. I believe inflationary challenges are making life difficult for Wisconsinites. That is why I have worked with my legislative colleagues to bring tax relief so people can keep more of their hard-earned money. It has been disappointing that the governor doesn’t see tax relief for the people of Wisconsin as a priority. I will continue to fight for reasonable taxation.
Spindler: The industrial wind and solar projects pushing thought central Wisconsin. Not only will the placement of industrial-scale energy complexes in our communities decrease our property values and put our health at risk, but the increased competition for already scarce tillable acres will drive small farmers out of the market. Utilities have admitted that wind and solar will lead to increased energy bills at a time when most of us are already struggling. The only thing green about weather-based energy is the subsidies that keep it going. Most importantly, people do not want large-scale wind and solar in their communities and it should be our choice, not Madison’s.
Spiros: The radical, left-wing policies of the Evers Administration would destroy our state and turn Wisconsin into Minnesota 2.0 if left unchecked. I sit on the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, which is a critical mechanism to stop the policies that will destroy Wisconsin and keep the bureaucracy in check. Just this past year, the committee has stopped vaccine mandates, the erosion of parental rights, loosening of ID requirements and last-minute changes to election administration. Only experienced, truly conservative legislators sit on this committee, and I will continue to use this mechanism to keep Wisconsin sane.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
Rozar: 1) Government over-regulation. Continue to stop the bureaucracy from implementing unreasonable rules that go beyond legislative intent. 2) Protecting the lives of the unborn. Continue to support legislation that saves as many babies as possible from abortion. 3) Over taxation. Continue to work to help Wisconsinites keep more of their money while governing in a fiscally responsible manner.
Spindler: 1) Industrial wind and solar is the absolute number one concern, which I addressed earlier. 2) Foreign ownership of American soil. I intend to support legislations that will keep American property under American ownership. 3) Increase regulation and bureaucracy. Many want more local-level control and freedom to run their businesses. I would be proud to help make that happen by getting rid of the bureaucrats and freeing up our market.
Spiros: I consistently hear about high taxes, especially from seniors. I helped put together a huge tax cut for seniors earlier this session, but it was unfortunately vetoed by the governor. Next session, I will continue to work to cut taxes for seniors and middle-class families struggling with Bidenflation. My constituents are also concerned about public safety. I am the strongest supporter of law enforcement in the Assembly, and as chairman of the Committee on Criminal Justice & Public Safety, I will continue to fight to make sure that those who keep our communities safe have the resources needed to be effective.
Residents of central Wisconsin are seeing increasing costs in necessary and everyday expenses such as housing, childcare, groceries, health care and transportation. If elected, what will you do to help residents who are struggling to make ends meet?
Rozar: Government is not the answer to all problems. Investments need to be made that help individuals get the skills they need to have good paying jobs and government needs to create an environment where businesses can succeed to provide employment. Investing in economic development, housing initiatives, education and work skills training are all things that will help individuals prosper. Private/public partnerships are critical to solving these challenging issues.
Spindler: They can start by voting for Trump in November. It is time we all realized that we cannot sit back and think that matters will be taken care of for us. Bidenomic, “it’s working," is crushing our economy. I believe in a balanced budget with less taxes, because you know how best to spend your hard-earned dollars and less regulations so that you have an easier path to succeed. But it all starts with you voting in the November election.
Spiros: I will continue to fight to keep money in people’s pockets through tax cuts, as we all feel the effects of the spiraling inflation Democrats have caused. This past session, I worked to make child care more affordable through increased tax credits, provide farmers with low-cost health insurance, and allow advanced practice registered nurses to practice to the full extent of their training and increase access to rural health care. Next session, I will work toward ensuring electric vehicles contribute to transportation funding (as the gas tax burden currently falls on the middle class) and bringing more good jobs to the local economy.
As costs have increased for individuals, so have the costs for our local units of government. Our local schools and technical colleges, municipalities and counties are limited in how much local tax levies can be raised. These limits were set decades ago and adjustments to them are rare and inadequate for matching increases in cost of living and inflation. If elected, what would you do at the state level to reduce the burden on local residents who have to consider levy limit referendums for school districts, public safety workers or large transportation projects so frequently in elections?
Rozar: There will never be enough money to do all that people think needs to be done. Creativity and innovation, as well as fiscally sound decisions and realistic expectations need to be considered. The shared revenue package, which provided a minimum of a 20% increase to local municipalities, was a great win in the last legislative session. This support is now tied to sales tax so it will increase in relation to the health of the sales tax revenue. Discussions will continue to provide funding to school districts, local municipalities and for critical services.
Spindler: Just like our townships are asking for local control and fewer mandates so are our schools. I want to cut away as much bureaucracy as possible and leave the decision to our locally elected officials.
Spiros: Recently, the Legislature passed a historic increase in shared revenue payments. Every unit of local government received a minimum 20% increase in shared revenue, and some in the 86th Assembly District received an over 200% increase (yes, you read that right). These increased payments will support local EMS, fire, police and local infrastructure for years to come. The Legislature has also reached two-thirds funding of public schools and expanded school choice to give families the best options for their children. I look forward to continuing to cut bureaucratic nonsense at the state and supporting the government closest to the people.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Meet the Republican candidates running in the primary for Wisconsin's 86th Assembly seat
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