By Kim McDarison
A fall general election will be held Nov. 8. Residents within Wisconsin Assembly District 31 will find two names on the ballot: Democrat Brienne Brown and Republican Ellen Schutt.
In April, Wisconsin underwent a redistricting process which changed the boundaries of some legislative districts. Redistricting is a process that occurs every 10 years.
Walworth and Rock counties, in part or whole, are included in Assembly District 31. The district includes the portion of the city of Whitewater residing in Walworth County.
Both Brown and Schutt are newcomers running for the seat in the district. The would-be incumbent, Republican Amy Loudenbeck, Clinton, who has held the seat since 2013, said in advance of the August primary race that she would not seek another term as the district’s representative. Her name will appear on the November ballot as the Republican candidate running for the position of Wisconsin secretary of state.
During the August primary, four Assembly District 31 candidates came forward to vie for placement on the November ballot. Brown, from Whitewater, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Schutt, from Clinton, faced two challengers in the Republican primary: Maryann Zimmerman, Whitewater, and Jason Dean, Elkhorn. Schutt emerged with a comfortable margin, with 840 votes separating her from Zimmerman and 1,268 votes separating her from Dean.
In Assembly District 31, the new map includes the communities, in part or full, of Whitewater, Elkhorn, Darien, Avalon and Clinton.
An earlier story about primary candidates, which includes the Assembly District 31 map, is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/primary-election-guide-jefferson-walworth-countywide-races-on-aug-9-ballot/.
Fort Atkinson Online recently asked Brown and Schutt to respond to a short questionnaire. Candidates were asked to keep responses to four questions to a total of between 700 and 1,000 words.
Their responses follow.
Brienne Brown
Age: 49
Address: 156 N. Fremont St., Whitewater
Occupation: Educator/Small Business Owner
Number of years resided in city: 10
Education: Bachelors of Journalism, Master’s work without thesis, University of Texas at Austin
Civic and other organizational memberships: League of Women Voters, Whitewater Grocery Cooperative, Library Board, Plan Board, Equal Opportunities Commission
Political experience: two elected terms on Whitewater Common Council
What are your reasons for seeking this position?
While serving on Whitewater Common Council, I found that I enjoy serving my community and working across the aisle to find practical solutions to local problems. My experience on the Council has given me an understanding of how the State Assembly could better serve Wisconsin’s cities and towns if politicians actually had local governing experience before running for higher office. As a small business owner, educator, and mother, I bring real world experience to obstacles facing everyday people. I’m running as a Democrat, because right now they are the party that is proposing practical solutions that do not interfere with people’s freedoms.
What are the most pressing issues facing the position you seek?
Women’s reproductive freedom, affordable healthcare, fair funding for education, support and training for public safety officers, gun safety reform, and stewardship of our land, which includes preserving family farms.
The Republican-led legislature has been in power for 12 years, and things have gotten worse for the middle class. Seventy percent of Wisconsinites believe it is government overreach to force women to have babies. Women have to drop out of the workforce to have children, because childcare is too expensive – or nonexistent. There is no real safety net in the case of divorce, sickness, or loss of a job. There is a projected $5.4 billion “surplus,” however inadequate funds were invested in our schools, cities and police departments in the first place. Land and housing is becoming more scarce and expensive, and we need to make sure that we plan in a way that moves Wisconsin and future generations forward.
If elected, what unique perspective and experience do you bring to the State Assembly?
I am a former investigative journalist who studied politics and international relations, specifically how geography influences political decisions. I moved into public health and studied the built environment and how it influences communities. In both cases I often had to follow the money. I have a 20-year history of writing winning grant proposals and funding private and state projects. Upon moving to Whitewater, I noticed that there was no town square, and I collaborated with other community members to build a farmer’s market near City Hall. Whitewater is a USDA food desert, and I am a founding board member of the Whitewater Grocery Cooperative, an initiative to build an affordable grocery store. I have an ability to tease out problems that are often ignored and the research background to find evidence-based solutions.
Any additional comments?
I am no stranger to hard work. I worked for my dad in his contracting business when I was a teenager and worked in a fish cannery in Alaska during college. My parents are Vietnam veterans (my mom outranks my dad), and I was raised hunting. I’m a gun owner who believes in common sense gun laws. My dad owned a quail farm, and my husband’s family has been farming crops for 150 years. I believe that most of the issues that we’re grappling with are truly bipartisan and that I have the experience and skill set to work across the aisle and make decisions that benefit all Wisconsinites.
Ellen Schutt
Age: 26
Address: Clinton
Occupation: Legislative assistant
Number of years resided in city: I am a lifelong resident of the 31st Assembly District. I grew up in Darien on my family’s farm and my husband and I now live in Clinton and have for the past two and a half years.
Education: University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017, Political Science B.A.
Civic and other organizational memberships: I am a member of the Rock County Farm Bureau, the Clinton Community Historical Society, and a lifetime member of the Walworth County Fair.
Political experience: I am a member of both the Rock and Walworth County Republican Party, and a board member of the South Central Wisconsin Young Republicans. Since 2018, I have worked on a number of state legislative campaigns as well as working as an aide to conservative legislators in the state capitol.
What are your reasons for seeking this position?
I’m running because I am thinking about the next generation. I want to make sure that the generations after me have the same opportunities that I did. I recently got married, and my husband and I are thinking about starting a family, and we are concerned about the world our children might grow up in. I want to be a part of the solution to the challenges Wisconsin faces going forward and make sure we think about how each and every decision made in Madison will affect the future generations.
What are the most pressing issues facing the position you seek?
The most important issues I hear about as I have met with people across the district at community events, parades, and their doorstep are regarding record inflation and the economy, rising violent crime and support of first responders, and ensuring our smaller communities and rural Wisconsin doesn’t get left behind.
If elected, what unique perspective and experience do you bring to the State Assembly?
I will bring a unique perspective to Madison that emphasizes the importance of our rural and smaller communities. I grew up on my family’s farm in rural Walworth County, and I continue to help out on the farm to this day. I understand the issues facing farmers, and our smaller and rural communities and will provide a voice for them in Madison. I also believe I have great experience in both the public and private sector. I have worked numerous jobs in the private sector, and have worked for a number of state representatives, including our current representative Amy Loudenbeck. I learned a lot from each of them – not just about public policy but also about management. I understand what it takes to accomplish things in Madison and get results for your constituents. If elected, I will be able to hit the ground running working for the people of the 31st Assembly District.
Any additional comments?
None cited.
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