Samantha Kerkman /Submitted photo
State Rep. Samantha Kerkman (R-Randall) has announced she is seeking re-election to the State Assembly.
Kerkman, 36, is running for her sixth term representing the 66th Assembly District. The district includes most of Western Kenosha County, the city and town of Burlington in Racine County and parts of Somers.
“This past session I fought for the taxpayers of the district by supporting an audit of the Wisconsin Shares Program and the Medical Assistance Program, including the FamilyCare Program, while serving on the Joint Audit Committee,” said Kerkman. “In addition, I fought against the $3.2 billion in tax increases that were included in the state budget last year. For me, with each vote I take as an elected official, I take it with the taxpayers’ checkbooks in mind.â€
In addition to her duties in Madison , Kerkman remains dedicated to community activities and organizations. She serves on the Kenosha County Local Emergency Management Planning Committee, the Carthage College Advisory Committee for the Division of Social Sciences, Twin Lakes and Burlington Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Wheatland.
A lifelong resident of the district, Kerkman and her husband, Chad , are the proud parents of two young boys, Ian and Evan. Chad Kerkman is a Kenosha County Circuit Court judge.
“Just like finding the right balance between working and being a mom, balance is the key in getting things done in the Legislature,†explained Samantha Kerkman. “Often we must balance different viewpoints, districts, and needs. I still have a lot that I want to accomplish. That’s why I am running again.â€
Election to the State Assembly occurs every two years. The general election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
Steve Brown of Salem is running for the 66th District Assembly seat as a Democrat.
If you liked her last five terms in the state Assembly, you’ll just love a sixth! That, pretty much, was the only message Samantha Kerkman had for voters in the 66th District in announcing Thursday that she will be seeking re-election.
Nothing much new. Just more of the same old same old from Kerkman. And she thinks she deserves TWO more years!
That’s why I am seeking the 66th Assembly District seat in the fall election. I believe that you and I, the REAL people in Racine and Kenosha Counties are tired of an Assembly representative who seems to care about Big Money interests and ignores – or votes against – those of ordinary folks.
In her campaign announcement news release, Kerkman talks about instituting a “Phase 2” of her business plan. But her only plan is to stall! She wants to “freeze” new regulations on greedy business. Quite a surprise there!! “Freeze new regulations,” she says, “until we can take a good look at everything.”
Well, maybe SHE hasn’t been looking at what’s happened to our economy! But everybody else has! Americans . . . the people who have lost their jobs, or fear losing them. . . young graduates who can’t find work. . .people who have lost their homes. . . already have taken a good long look!
You and I, we understand that most of our economic problems stemmed from a LACK of regulation on wildly out of control banks and big business. We don’t need red tape. We need appropriate, sensible and reasonable regulations to rein them in. And we need to do it NOW!
Look at the polls. WHO is demanding controls on the irresponsible and greedy. The PEOPLE, and we want it NOW !
And look who wants to “freeze” and delay any steps in that direction. Samantha Kerkman and her big campaign donors.
It looks like more of the same, unless we all stand up and stand together.
That can happen this November with a vote for Steve Brown. I will represent ALL of the 66th District, including Somers and the parts of eastern Kenosha County that Kerkman ignored in her description of the district Thursday. This may seem like a minor point, but it is endemic of Samantha Kerkman being out of touch and out of step with ALL of District 66 and with Wisconsin.
It’s time to take back the 66th District Assembly seat Samantha Kerkman believes is hers. It is not hers. It is the people’s seat! It is time for the PEOPLES’ voices to be heard again! That’s why I’m running for District 66 of State Assembly.
Steve Brown, PhD