College Republican takes on veteran lawmaker in St. Croix County

A conservative student from River Falls is entering politics against a New Richmond business leader who left the Legislature after 14 years in office more than a decade ago in a bid to win Wisconsin’s 28th Assembly District seat in the Aug. 13 primary. 

The 28th Assembly District includes St. Croix County along with parts of western Dunn County and northeast Pierce County. In recent elections Republican Rep. Gae Magnafici has won the seat by more than 25 points. 

Maginifci is not seeking reelection, leaving the spot open. Rob Kreibich, executive director of New Richmond’s Chamber of Commerce, and Brady Penfield, a 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-River Falls student, are facing off in the Republican primary. The winner faces veterinarian Danielle Johnson, the sole Democrat, in the Nov. 5 election.

Penfield has stayed on top of local political issues as a member of College Republicans. 

In the Legislature he said he would focus on psychiatric facilities, refugee resettlement and employment, while centering his platform around the Christian faith. 

“I’m pro-God, pro-family and pro-America,” he told Wisconsin Watch. “When I say pro-America, I mean pro-Wisconsin, because that’s the influence I have in Wisconsin, but it means I support the America first policies that Donald Trump believes in, and at a small level, I believe that those principles should be applied to Wisconsin.” 

He said the border crisis is a “huge concern” with citizens in St. Croix County and he agrees with their worries. Additionally, he wants to work on economic development and opening job opportunities for people by keeping taxes low and getting businesses to start operations in Northeast Wisconsin. 

Penfield said he stands out from the other candidates as a young outsider entering politics without the influence of lobbyists.

“I will vote in accordance with my Christian faith, without a doubt. That will also influence my integrity, that I won’t take any money from lobbyists when I’m in Madison,” he said. “That is a promise that I will not do that, which makes me stand out.” 

Kreibich, 65, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment, has served as a state representative for the 93rd Assembly District from 1993 to 2007 and now is New Richmond’s Chamber of Commerce executive director. 

“I’ve been successful and effective in the Legislature before and I can do it again. This growing county needs a third strong voice in Madison and I can provide that,” Kreibich told the Hudson Star Observer. “I am in the trenches everyday working with small businesses and entrepreneurs. I have a front row seat to people pursuing their dreams. They need the state govt to be an ally not an obstacle to their success.”

While in the Legislature he served as chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee for 12 years and authored the Edvest College Savings Program which has helped families invest over $6 billion to pay for their children’s higher education costs.

Johnson, the only Democrat in the race, told Wisconsin Watch she thinks the district would benefit from affordable daycare and clean water. 

“Communities and small businesses especially are really impacted when families do not have access to daycare, and someone is or can afford it, so that we’re already headed for a really severe worker shortage, and we’re feeling that pinch and lack of accessible daycare really has a big ripple effect for the health of communities on the whole when when small businesses can’t find workers because of that obstacle,” she said.  

There are also issues of contamination in St. Croix County and neighboring cities, Johnson said. Many residents do not have access to clean water without PFAS in it.

And as a veterinarian and business owner, she has the unique skill to see these problems and solve them, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.