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Kapanke in Prairie du Chien

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Dan Kapanke

 

Kapanke announces 

candidacy, visits Prairie du Chien

By Ted Pennekamp

 

Former State Senator Dan Kapanke (R La Crosse) is running again for the seat for the 32nd District. On April 18 in La Crosse, Kapanke officially announced his candidacy for the November 2016 election. He was at the Hungry House in Prairie du Chien the morning of April 19 to meet with residents.

“I felt it was time to jump back in and get my name on the ballot,” said Kapanke Tuesday morning in noting that it has been five years since he last held the 32nd District Senate seat. Kapanke was defeated in a 2011 recall election by Jennifer Shilling (D La Crosse), who also prevailed in the general election of 2012. 

“I love where I’m at,” said Kapanke, the owner of the La Crosse Loggers baseball team. “But, in looking at the political scene nationally and in the state, it was time to get back in. In Western Wisconsin a common sense conservative voice is needed. I’m excited about it. I’ve been asked to run again at various times within the past five years.” 

One of the top issues for the people of the 32nd District and throughout the state, said Kapanke is transportation and infrastructure. “Our roadways have been neglected and we can’t keep kicking the can down the road anymore,” said Kapanke about the need to get more funding back into the transportation budget. “Infrastructure is an area that should get bipartisan support.” 

Kapanke also said he would address the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, the continued need for job growth, and funding for education.

“Job growth needs to continue, and there’s been some good news in Prairie du Chien recently,” he said in noting that the Solomon Corporation coming to the city will benefit the area’s economy. 

“There are positive things happening in Wisconsin. We have reversed the trend of job loss. We are growing jobs, but perhaps not as much as we would like. We need to continue this growth.” Kapanke cited “Chief Executive Magazine,” which listed Wisconsin as 12th in the nation for job growth, up from 44th on their previous year’s list. 

“We have increased the tourism dollars in the state budget. Also, our gross domestic product just edged past Minnesota’s in 2015,” Kapanke said.

The relatively high number of school referendums passed in the state in recent years was cited by Kapanke as showing that residents continue to put a priority on quality education in the face of ongoing budget cuts. “People care about their schools and want to keep them functioning properly,” he said. “We have one of the best K-12 educational systems in the U.S. and we want to maintain that. Everyone wants what’s best for the students, but we may have different ideas of how to get there.” Kapanke said that the state also needs to keep its educated young people here, rather than having them live elsewhere.

Kapanke noted that he has an agricultural background and is also a veteran. He said that if he is elected, he will work to improve the agricultural industry and will fight for veteran’s rights. He said that the state can’t have any more abuses of veteran’s funding and other such problems that have cropped up in recent years.

“I’m going to put an emphasis on all the positive things that have been happening, and address the challenges in the state,” he said in conclusion.

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