EAU CLAIRE — Residents in the 93rd Assembly District will have a new representative next year, as incumbent Republican Warren Petryk is retiring and opted to not seek re-election. Two Democrats, Christian Phelps and Nickolas Butler, will square off in a primary next Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the lone Republican on the ballot, James Rolbiecki, in the November general election.
Butler is an author and former Leader-Telegram columnist. He has written five books and numerous essays about western Wisconsin. Butler grew up on the south side of Eau Claire and graduated from Memorial High School. He noted he has two children that attend public schools here.
Phelps says he is a fourth-generation western Wisconsin resident, and he has outlined a platform of issues that he believes will appeal to area voters, saying he will push a “positive, progressive future.” He lives in the Third Ward in Eau Claire. Since 2020, Phelps has worked at Wisconsin Public Education Network as director of Digital Organizing and Communications, where he advocated for the state Supreme Court to redraw districts and create “fair maps” for the Legislature.
The 93rd Assembly District's boundaries have changed this year due to redistricting. According to an analysis of the population, the district is considered to be 56.3% leaning Democratic, according to Wispolitics. Petryk, R-town of Washington, was elected in 2010 and held the seat for 14 years. Currently, Republicans hold a 64-35 margin in the state Assembly. Because of redistricting, it is expected to be about 52-47 or closer for either party, and Democrats view this seat as one they hope to pick up.
Each candidate was given an identical questionnaire. Here are their responses.
1) What made you decide to enter the race for the 93rd Assembly? What in your background makes you a good fit to represent Eau Claire and the rest of the district?
Butler: This is a crucial moment in Wisconsin political history and for the 93rd Assembly District in particular, and this moment demands a candidate who really knows the district and has lived here for a long time, working within the community and developing relationships with everyone from small business owners to artists. Anyone who read my column in this newspaper for over five years knows how much I care for this district and the people who live here, because I wrote about everyone - Democrats and Republicans alike. As a writer, I've made my living for a long time listening to people, internalizing their stories, and then celebrating their lives. That listening and advocating is precisely what I plan to do after our campaign wins the General Election.
Phelps: The new legislative maps give our community the best opportunity we've had in 14 years to turn this election into real policy change. Throughout my life, from protesting Act 10 as a 17-year-old to working as a special education paraprofessional and journalist and Director of Communications at Wisconsin Public Education Network, I have found that our community is amazing at standing up for our neighbors and building movements. I have also seen that the gerrymandered state legislature is almost always the obstacle, and has consistently been the reason we don't get real investments in our community and progressive policy change that matches our values. This year, we have a chance to change that, and I was the first candidate to enter this race because I have a unique set of relevant experience, passion, and community organizing skills to make the most of the opportunity we have in front of us.
2) Both Democratic candidates share the goal of defeating Republican James Rolbiecki to win the seat. What makes you the candidate that is most likely to achieve that goal?
Butler: The Republicans demonstrated exactly which campaign they did NOT want to face when long-term incumbent Warren Petryk, sitting on a large war-chest, quit about an hour after we entered the race. Our campaign is built around a robust coalition of progressives, independents, and moderate conservatives who want change in Madison. This coalition is evident when you drive the highways and rural roads around Eau Claire - you'll see handmade, blue painted signs in places no Democratic sign has been posted before. Our campaign has outraised both our primary opponent (almost 2/1) and our Republican rival (almost 5/1) - we have the resources and messaging to win in November.
Phelps: I am the only candidate running with years of grassroots campaigning experience. I have been instrumental in the passage of public school referendum campaigns in communities across the Chippewa Valley and Wisconsin, from large urban communities to tiny rural communities and everything in between. I have community organizing and messaging experience that equips me to connect authentically with a vast cross-section of residents around a set of shared values, and I've turned that into victories at the ballot box: think of the name-recognition hurdle I have already cleared with my team of volunteers, and know that I will bring this same work ethic to the general election. A strong, grassroots campaign is a winning campaign, especially in this new district, which with the new boundaries is the bluest in the region; Tony Evers won it by 14.5% in 2022.
3) Who has endorsed your candidacy? What individuals, organizations, etc., have declared you are the best choice?
Butler: We have three major trade union endorsements: the Carpenters, IBEW, and Operating Engineers; recently, the Wisconsin REALTORS Association joined the endorsement list. We have the endorsement of State Secretary and Eau Claire native Sarah Godlewski, as well as State Senator Brad Pfaff, former Assemblypersons Dana Wachs, Kristen Dexter, and Janet Bewley. Other endorsements include: Missy Christopherson, Carol Craig, Donn Dexter, Doug Duren, Bill and Carol Gabler, Max Garland, Nicholas Gulig, Charlie Johnson, Marquell Johnson, Mickey Judkins, Amber Kersting, Kerry Kincaid, Eric Larsen, Mike McCabe, Joshua Miller, Emily Moore, Greg Moore, Jane Mueller, Rich Postlewaite, Them Coulee Boys, Justin Vernon, Karen Voss, Martin Voss, Dana Wachs, Mike and Hilary Walters, Charlie Warner, and Erica Zerr. Our campaign has also been endorsed by the Moms Demand Action.
Phelps: My endorsers include the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)-Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, Our Wisconsin Revolution, the Wisconsin Working Families Party, as well as Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, four incumbent members of the Wisconsin State Assembly, City Council members, County Board members for Eau Claire and Trempealeau, 10 current and former school board members in Eau Claire and Menomonie, and many more. As of August 4, I have endorsements from 48 influential individuals and 10 unions/organizations -- and counting -- thanks largely to my years of collaborative community organizing work. Visit PhelpsCampaign.com/endorsements for the full list.
4) If elected, what are your three biggest legislative goals?
Butler: From the very first day of our campaign, my primary goal is to do whatever I can to stabilize the healthcare system (and stand up for women's reproductive rights) in West Central Wisconsin. My second goal is to reinvest in public education, both preK-12 and our UW-System. My third goal is helping working families better afford high-quality and reliable daycare for their children. There is so much to be done, but our state is sitting on a massive budget surplus that Republican legislators seem intent on depriving the Wisconsin people of when most working-class families are really struggling in so many different ways (childcare, inflation, housing costs, healthcare, etc).
Phelps: 1. Fund strong public schools: After 16 years of defunding relative to inflation and more public funds lost to unaccountable private schools, districts across the 93rd are increasingly resorting to high-stakes referendums. I have a specific plan to boost special education reimbursement and reform the revenue system so we can put kids first in the next budget.
2. Champion healthcare and reproductive freedom: The hospital closures have been devastating, and I plan to reinstate the Rate Review Board for more accountability over hospital chains, expand BadgerCare and add a public option, and move toward universal healthcare, including reproductive care, in alignment with Wisconsin's progressive traditions.
3. Protect the environment: As a millennial, I'm very concerned about the fragility of our planet; we must restore full funding to the DNR so it can work with scientists to purchase and protect more public lands in the 93rd, expand the electric vehicle charging station network, and authorize Regional Transit Authorities to increase public transportation, in addition to increasing revenue for our municipalities so they can clean up pollutants and ensure clean water for all of us.
5) Why should Democrats living in the 93rd Assembly District vote for you?
Butler: Because our campaign is best situated to flip this Assembly seat. We have deeper roots in the community and farther-reaching relationships, not just in Eau Claire, but from Downsville to Osseo. We have a positive and inclusive message (H.E.A.L.) that was designed from Day One not just to win the primary, but to win the general election in November, and to advocate for everyone in the 93rd for many years to come. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask for your vote, and your support on or before August 13th - thank you!
Phelps: Too often, we as voters are put in a position where we must weigh experience against youth, or electability against progressivism. That is not the case in this election. At 30, I am the youngest, most qualified, and most prepared candidate running in this race, bringing years of community organizing and policy experience that prepares me to hit the ground running right away. I also have robust experience building coalitions in both urban and rural communities to run successful, values-forward campaigns that appeal to a broad swath of Wisconsinites. I will be the 93rd's first millennial and first LGBTQ+ state rep., and in the new boundaries, we have an opportunity for new leadership that we can't pass up.
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