Candidate for DPW Chair
JEFF SMITH
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NEW LEADERSHIP CONNECTING RURAL AND URBAN WISCONSIN THROUGH EXPERIENCE AND HARDWORK
I was born and raised in Eau Claire. Once I graduated from North High School, I joined by father’s business, which I eventually bought from him. I took my small window cleaning business from the two man operation it had always been and eventually managed 22 employees at any one time. During this time, my wife, Sue, and I had two girls.
As my children grew up and were educated by our public school system, I became concerned about the state of our school funding system. I involved myself in our local school district where I lead an effort to pass a 40 million dollar referendum after two previous failures by others. Around the same time my neighbors turned to me to lead their effort to overturn a zoning that would have changed the landscape of our town in a negative and dramatic way. This is still the only time in the history of Eau Claire County that a rezoning was reversed through petition that forced a second vote.
From there I turned to politics in the form of becoming the Brunswick Town Chair. I also founded the Eau Claire School District Parent Advisory Committee which I chaired until I made the decision it was necessary for me to run for the legislature.
My first foray into legislative campaigning was 2004. I lost the general that year but in 2006 I upset the longtime incumbent to win the seat in the 93rd. In both years I outperformed the top of the ticket in my district. In 2008 I won re-election by a wide margin with nearly 60% of the vote and even outperformed the great campaign for President Obama.
MEET JEFF
Once in the majority I was given choices and insisted on the chairmanship of Elections and Campaign Reform. I wrote the most comprehensive election reform Wisconsin has seen in generations but was unable to garner enough votes, or support from leadership, to pass it. I did manage to pass legislation into law that makes kindergarten mandatory in Wisconsin. I am most renowned for writing and passing Dog Breeder regulation that forces the end of the practice of puppy mills in Wisconsin. I took control of the payday lending debacle in 2009-10 and forced our caucus to come to grips with passing the most comprehensive and thoughtful regulations on a most vile industry (since repealed by the GOP).
But 2010 brought great failure to Wisconsin, the Democratic Party and this nation. Among all the losses I, too, lost my seat. I still outperformed the top of the ticket but came up 74 votes short. I have continued to press forward since losing my seat, and have run in both the 2012 and 2014 elections but was unable to regain my seat due to the newly drawn districting.
Since 2010 I have also served on the board of Common Cause Wisconsin, served on the board of the Tainter-Menomin Lake Association, joined spiritual leaders in building a homeless shelter in Eau Claire, served as chair of the Eau Claire County Democratic Party, and worked as a Regional Political Director for DPW.
Through all my life experience that includes business background, community activism and political success, I am confident that I am fully prepared for this new challenge better than anyone else I can think of. I do not just talk about running campaigns or working with the Legislature- I’ve lived it. I am not just cute phrases and rhetoric, you will find that I am genuinely honest to the core with the great work ethic to be expected from great leaders. I have never asked anyone working for me to do something I am unwilling to do myself and most often, I have done the same work myself.
Now, let's get to work- together.
