Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Saturday, September 02, 2006
Two vie to face Brown for state Senate
A desire to be a new voice for western Wisconsin has led two political novices to vie for the Democratic nomination for the 31st District state Senate seat.
Chris Danou of Trempealeau, Wis., faces Kathleen Vinehout of the Buffalo County town of Alma in the Sept. 12 primary, with the winner facing Republican incumbent Ron Brown in the November general election.
While neither has been elected to a political office, Danou is president of his local police union, and Vinehout has worked with the Wisconsin Farmers Union on policy and legislative issues for two years.
“It’s time a real working person steps up and runs for office to try and make a difference,” said Danou, an officer with the Onalaska Police Department.
“I’ll stand up for people who don’t currently have a voice,” said Vinehout.
Police work has taught him how to confront problems head-on, Danou said, and one of the first things he would tackle in Madison is campaign finance reform. He would eliminate the influence of special interest groups so lawmakers pay more attention to regular citizens.
“The battle should be about ideas, not who has the most money,” Danou said.
Other interests include health care reform, supporting stem cell research and pushing for technologies that would ease environmental problems such as global warming.
Both candidates expressed interest in revamping the state’s education funding formula.
Vinehout would use her health care background to fight for a statewide health insurance program to cover people like her and her son, who don’t have health insurance. Private insurance is too expensive for many rural residents, she said.
“It just tears me apart,” she said. “Something can be done. It’s a solvable problem.”
Providing health insurance for farmers also could improve the rural economy, another area Vinehout pledged to work on. Specific ideas included forming networks for regional businesses to help each other succeed.
Earlier this week, Danou was denied unpaid leave from his police job so he could campaign.
State Senate District 31 Democratic primary
District includes all of Trempealeau, Buffalo, Jackson and Pepin counties and parts of Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Monroe and Pierce counties.
Chris Danou
Age: 39
Home: Trempealeau, Wis.
BACKGROUND: Bachelor’s degree in history and international relations, University of Wisconsin in Madison, 1989; master’s degree in international relations from American University; master’s degree in wildlife biology, UW-Stevens Point. City of Onalaska police school liaison officer. Also member of the
La Crosse County Emergency Response Team.
Family: Wife Kate; sons Orion, 5, Rowan, 3.
Kathleen Vinehout
Age: 48
Home: Town of Alma
BACKGROUND: Bachelor’s degree in education, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville; masters and doctorate degrees in public health, St. Louis University; associate degree in agriculture. Operates 233-acre farm in Buffalo County with her family.
Family: Husband Doug; son Nathan, 10.
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