Benjamin Franklin and Phil Collins will face off in the Republican Party primary for state Assembly District 88.
The state Senate and Assembly races will reflect new electoral maps — signed into law by Gov. Tony Evers. The maps were created to more evenly divide the legislative districts between Democrats and Republicans. T
District 88 covers Green Bay suburbs, and it gained De Pere, but it no longer covers the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Municipalities include De Pere, Allouez, Bellevue
Incumbent Rep. John Macco represented the 88th District but was drawn out under the new maps and will retire from the Assembly at the end of his term.
The winner will secure the GOP nomination and go on to face Democrat Christy Welch.
Candidates were asked to adhere to word limits. Answers were gently edited for grammar, style and accuracy.
Ben Franklin
Phil Collins
- Age: 57
- Occupation: Cashier and political canvasser
- Highest level of education: Master's in public administration
- Campaign website link: www.PhilCollins4America.com
Why are you running for state Assembly?
FRANKLIN: I am running for dtate Assembly because I want to serve the great people of the 88th District. We are experiencing solid growth in this area, and we need forward thinking that will produce impactful solutions for problems that come with growth. We need strong representation that is going to attack issues head on and fight for our district, regardless of what's going on in Madison. I served the nation in the U.S. Air Force, and I am excited to serve here in Wisconsin now.
COLLINS: Not enough conservatives are in our Legislature. I want to help cut tax rates, keep spending low, pass an abortion ban, save gun rights, and pass election reforms that ensure that only eligible people will vote.
What two issues do you feel most need to be addressed in state Legislature?
FRANKLIN: It's critical to support our local economy, create job opportunities, and ensure growth for all residents. Everyone, regardless of financial status, is feeling the burden of inflation. We feel it at the grocery store. We feel it at the gas pump. We feel it when we need health care issues addressed. The list goes on and we need to get this under control. Helping folks deal with rising costs and improving quality of life are top priorities. The second issue is we need to keep the government accountable and make sure they are working for the people. Defending our constitutional rights, fighting for the rights of parents to decide what's best for their children, and making sure government is working for the people. We need to keep our streets safe by holding criminals accountable, securing our southern border, and combat the flow of drugs and human trafficking. I will be our voice in the Assembly and put people first.
COLLINS: Since the state government has surplus, we should cut all of the state income tax rates and let people keep more money that they earned. We need to prevent election fraud. We need a law that states that people must prove U.S. citizenship, when they register to vote. We need a law that would require city and county clerks to check obituaries and remove dead people from voter registration lists.
What will be your priority in the next two-year budget?
FRANKLIN: Wisconsin’s individuals, families, and businesses know how to spend their money better than the government. The most recent biennium budget returns $3.4 billion of surplus back to Wisconsin taxpayers and I would like to keep that trend going. The current budget reduces the third income tax bracket of 6.27% down to 5.3%. This is a $2.3 billion income tax cut that is designed to save the typical Wisconsin family almost $500 per year. Additionally, $650 million was directed toward property tax relief. This is supposed to be approximately a $300 property tax savings for a typical home. Due to the recent school referendums passing in the 88th District, taxes are due to go up, so these sort of tax breaks will be important to people.
Second priority is investing in high-quality health care that benefits all Wisconsin residents. There has been good work laid out here, but we need to keep fighting. The biennium budget added $104 million in funding over the biennium for Direct Caregivers in Family Care. It also provides a $3 million increase for Home Health Skilled Nursing Services and increases the Medicaid dental reimbursement rate by 40%. We still need to fight for more affordability when it comes to other health care options and look at BadgerCare accessibility.
COLLINS: I want to help cut all state income tax rates. Since the state government has a surplus, we should let hard-working people keep more of the money, that they earn. I want to ban DEI spending. It's unneeded spending that doesn't help our government. Only the most qualified people should get government jobs.
To vote
To see what races are on your ballot, find your polling place and request an absentee ballot, go to myvote.wi.gov .
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: 88th Assembly District: Republicans Benjamin Franklin and Phil Collins meet in August primary
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