Meet the Republican candidates running in the primary for Wisconsin's 87th Assembly seat

Brent Jacobson and Cory Sillars will face off in the Aug. 13 partisan primary to represent the Republican Party in the November general election for Wisconsin's 87th Assembly District.

The winner of the primary will face Democratic Party candidate William Switalla, who is unopposed for the party's nomination.

The 87 ^th Assembly District covers entirely new area following the redrawing of legislative district boundaries in 2023. Republican James Edming of Glen Flora represented the district in its previous boundaries since 2015 and announced his retirement in April after the new districts were finalized.

The district now contains the cities of Mosinee, Schofield and Marion and the villages of Kronenwetter, Rib Mountain, Rothschild, Iola, Wittenberg and Birnamwood. Portions of the counties of Marathon, Portage, Waupaca and Shawano are represented by the district. Other villages in the district include Hatley, Tigerton, Rosholt, Eland, Elderon and Big Falls.

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.

Brent Jacobson

Residence: Mosinee

Age: 40

Occupation and education: Practicing attorney; law degree from West Virginia University and business degree from St. Cloud State University

Relevant experience: Small business owner, mayor of Mosinee, Marathon County supervisor, chair of the Mosinee Plan Commission, chair of the Marathon County Public Safety Committee and former chair of the Mosinee Area Fire District

Campaign website/Facebook page: www.jacobsonforassembly.com and Jacobson for Assembly on Facebook

Cory Sillars

Residence: Village of Rib Mountain

Age: 52

Occupation and education: Carpenter for over 30 years; associate degree from Northcentral Technical College

Relevant experience: Trustee for the village of Rib Mountain, member of the Wausau School Board and small business owner of a 50-year-old family business

Campaign website/Facebook page: coryforwisconsin.com and Sillars for 87th Assembly on Facebook

Why are you running for office?

Jacobson: I am running for the state Legislature because I feel Wisconsin is at a critical juncture. We are one branch of government away from becoming a state that will be subjected to far left, liberal policy that is out of touch with the beliefs, values and needs of rural Wisconsin. Kitchen table issues like the cost of groceries, gas and home ownership will be lost to liberal agenda items like rising taxes, unchecked crime, illegal immigration and gender identity to name several. I am running to speak out and stand up for rural Wisconsin in the state Legislature.

Sillars: I am running for the 87th Assembly District because it is time for representatives to be responsive to the residents of the district and not be beholden to party leadership or the establishment powers in general. I offer the voters a chance to vote for a political outsider who only wants to serve the residents and not be in Madison for ulterior motives or personal gain.

What makes you the better candidate in this race?

Jacobson: I have private sector experience as a business owner. I understand the burdens businesses face from government overreach, whether that be in taxation or industry regulation. I can use my private sector experience to ensure pro-business policy supports the bills I vote for. I have a record of success as a mayor. Mosinee’s downtown has come back to life, our business park is expanding, jobs and residents are on the rise, and taxes have remained low. As a county supervisor I am tough on the issues, having fought wasteful spending and far left efforts to lower penalties for drug offenses.

Sillars: I'm personable and approachable because of being a blue collar, small business owner who navigates the same regulatory issues as so many others in the 87th District, just working to support their families and employees.

What is the most pressing issue facing Wisconsin, and how would you address it?

Jacobson: Inflation. Seniors on fixed incomes and struggling families are worried about the future. The cost of food, gas and home heat are overwhelming. Energy costs drive inflation. We can tackle inflation by becoming an energy independent nation. While much of that falls on our federally elected officials, at the state level, I intend to be a pro-energy independent legislator when it comes to burdensome state regulation. In addition to tackling inflation, we can put more money in people's pockets. I intend to support efforts to exempt retirement income from taxation and to flatten and eventually eliminate the state income tax.

Sillars: Sillars did not respond to this question.

What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?

Jacobson: As I mentioned above, the cost of living is the number one issue I am hearing on doorsteps. However, residents are increasingly worried about rising crime that has poured into our smaller communities, most often driven by drugs. Smaller communities are strapped with law enforcement agencies that are stretched thin and a tax base struggling to fund more. The state must direct additional aid to rural law enforcement agencies to put more officers with more experience on the streets. This simply means getting our priorities in order when it comes to the state budget process.

Sillars: Sillars did not respond to this question.

Residents of central Wisconsin are seeing increasing costs in necessary and everyday expenses such as housing, child care, groceries, health care and transportation. If elected, what will you do to help residents who are struggling to make ends meet?

Jacobson: We are constantly losing out to states like Florida that do not have a state income tax. We are not even competitive with many of our neighboring states where the overall tax burden is lower. Every dollar that stays in the economy is far more powerful than sending it to the government. As mentioned above, I will work to exempt retirement income from taxation to help our struggling seniors, and I will work to reduce and eliminate the state income tax to help our hard-working families that are barely getting by.

Sillars: Sillars did not respond to this question.

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 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?

Jacobson: No resident should have to face referendums repeatedly. Rib Mountain residents in the Wausau School District, for example, may be facing one again. Much of this comes down to better oversight and management at the local level rather than blaming the state Legislature. The Legislature can encourage responsible spending by local government while at the same time increasing local funding through the expenditure restraint program. As mayor of Mosinee, our community is repeatedly awarded additional state aid because we keep our spending in check. I would work to expand this program in the Legislature to aid responsible local governments.

Sillars: Sillars did not respond to this question.

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 Wausau Daily Herald: Meet the Republican candidates running in the primary for Wisconsin's 87th Assembly seat