Washington County Weekend Post e-edition
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/360629
2 0 • W a s h i n g t o n C o u n t y P o s t R e t a i l • 8 - 1 0 - 1 4 Primary; as in Highest in Rank Written By: John Sancomb In Good Taste Tuesday, August 12th is the Primary Election in the state of Wisconsin, get- ting the election landscape ready for the General Election, where we will choose the representatives and officials for the next political terms. Elections for the Assembly, Congressional districts, Sheriffs, Judges, and many other positions will deter- mine which Democrat, which Republican, and any other contested party can- didate will go on to the General election in November. The Primary is seen by many as the less important election, as it doesn't determine the final candidate, but just nar- rows the contenders to the top individuals. These will then go head to head to try to get the official nod by us, the voters, in contested races, to go to City Hall or to Madison. And while this is the order in which the elections will be held, for many districts Primary doesn't just mean first, but more importantly, Primary means most important. I had a chance to talk with Pat Strachota, the current Wisconsin State Assembly Representative for the 58th district, about the election process and the importance of the Primary system and the Primary vote. Pat served on the Washington County Board of Supervisors from 1986 until 2002. Pat enjoyed her time on the board because of the important work that she did for the county. She said that the county is an arm of the state, as it is the counties that do what the state requires in services and policy. Excelling in the duties on the County Board, Pat was urged to run to represent the dis- trict at the state level. But with a young family and a spouse who had to travel often for work, Pat wasn't in a position at the time to take on the additional tasks and responsibilities that working in Madison would demand. As her family grew and her time made it more possible for her to look at serving the people of the area in a greater capacity, Pat decid- ed that it was time to seek the office in order to effect the positive policy direc- tives that would serve her community. In 2005, Pat was elected to the State Assemble seat for the 58th district. As repre- sentative for the 58th dis- trict, Pat was the first woman to hold the office. She has also served on the Finance Committee as vice-chair, is a member of the Health Committee, Joint Finance Committee, and the chair of the Special Committee on Supervised Release and Discharge of Sexually Violent Persons, and currently serves as the Majority Leader. The State Assembly is the best way that Pat felt she was able to ensure that the values and interests of the people in her community were heard and fought for. When it comes to the Primary election coming up, Pat said that because of the political profile of the district that the Primary will most likely determine the winner of the General election three months in advance. Although there will be a General election in November, the fact that the 58th district is over 70 percent Republican, reflects that it is most like- ly a Republican candidate will be representing the district. With that in mind, Pat feels that the Primary election will determine which Republican will be the sole Republican on the November ballot, so by default, will also be the winner of the primary on Tuesday, August 12th will represent the 58th district in Madison. The Primary system isn't the only way that candi- dates are narrowed in the election process. Pat explained that in California, for example, the top two vote getters go on to the General election. In this process, the contest is a popular vote instead of a vote of the parties. In the case of the 58th district and most districts around the state, the Primary sys- tem ensures the represen- tation of all parties to field a candidate to vie for the position is preserved. That is why there is only one candidate to vote for in many positions in the General election; and the more contested battle hap- pens in the Primary Election. For this reason, Pat said that it is very important to pay attention to the Primary elections. The younger generations are bringing their views and values to the political dis- cussions. 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