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Published - Saturday, March 01, 2008

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Tara Johnson may challenge Kapanke


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La Crosse County Supervisor Tara Johnson may challenge state Sen. Dan Kapanke, R-La Crosse, in November.

Johnson recently filed papers with the state elections board in Madison but denied she’s officially running for state senate when asked.
“Absolutely not, except that I’m a candidate for county board supervisor in the 18th District, and Dave Drewes is running against me. That’s official. That’s what I’m working on right now,” she said Friday.

“There’s no such thing as an exploratory committee,” Johnson said, adding she filed the papers “to be on the up-and-up for some folks in town who would love to see competition in that race and want to give me contributions to try and encourage that.”

Johnson, 45, was first elected to the county board in 2000 and has chaired the county’s Health and Human Services Board since 2004. She was executive director of the local United Way from 1993 to 2000.

In her eight years on the county board, Johnson has won three contested elections. Drewes, who she beat in two of those elections, is challenging her again in the April 1 election.

Johnson is married to Tim Padesky and they have two children, Nicholas, 11, and Layna, 9.

“I know Tara Johnson,” Kapanke said Friday. “I personally like her, and we may disagree on some issues I’m sure, but I just don’t look forward to a knock-down, drag-out, nasty campaign. It’s not what I’m made of, and I’m sure she’s not made of that, too. But outside forces sometimes play a role as we all know.”

Independent expenditures on attack ads played roles in Kapanke’s first unsuccessful run for the seat in 2000 against Mark Meyer, and again in 2004 when he beat Brad Pfaff of Onalaska for the open seat.

The 32nd State Senate District includes all of La Crosse, Vernon and Crawford counties, as well as southern Monroe and northwest Richland counties.

Kapanke is the owner of the La Crosse Loggers baseball team and a former town of Campbell chairman.

Pfaff, a staffer for U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, said he’s decided against a rematch, and will support Johnson if she decides to run.

“Democrats have an excellent opportunity to win this seat in 2008. I think Tara Johnson will be a good candidate. She’s very bright. She’s energetic. She’s extremely well-organized,” Pfaff said.

Reid Magney can be reached at (608) 791-8211 or rmagney@lacrossetribune.com.
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Johnson Watch wrote on Sep 21, 2008 2:19 AM:

" Johnson is RUNNING SCARED!

Johnson now realizes that those EXTREME LEFT views like Decker, the Daily KOS, and Huffington Post don't play well here in the La Crosse area. In fact a September 11 article points out she claims she WASNT a Democrat until she decided to run for Senate, a move intended to try and DISTANCE herself from radicals like DECKER. This is an outright LIE! Johnson has been a Democrat for years.

Tara - Johnson Padesky doesn't want people to know a West Coast PAC RECRUITED her in 2007.

The information provided on http://johnsonwatch08.blogspot.com/ is factually correct.

Read ALL the posts and learn what Ms. Johnson is trying to distance herself from. "

johnson watch wrote on Jul 23, 2008 12:00 PM:

" Please visit
http://johnsonwatch08.blogspot.com/

to see information on how Tara Johnson - Padesky REALLY does business. "

Grant wrote on May 13, 2008 1:57 PM:

" Google[ " Dan Kapanke / wife " ] and see what you get "

just the facts wrote on Mar 2, 2008 8:27 AM:

" Dear Real World ; I'm sorry but your not in the real world and are politically naieve! We love Dan and will continue to support him. But he has been targeted by the state democratic party as well as the LaCrosse socialist regime. He cannot out spend them. These people are intent on changing the way that we and our children and grandchildren live! You and your dreamers need to wake up! Look at what they have accomplished in our schools, with the help of the teachers union! Dan will be unwillingly dragged into negativeity like it or not! Can't you see it has already started? Re read my blog! "

retired wrote on Mar 1, 2008 10:58 PM:

" She'll have a hard time competing with his war chest. Kapanke has taken over $112,000 from the cable companies in return for his favorable votes. http://www.wisdc.org/pr110907.php "

The Moderate wrote on Mar 1, 2008 4:20 PM:

" Looks like Micky will have to give Kapanke some money so she can be listed in the paper as one of his supporters. Maybe she can use Timmy's credit card. "

Whiskerflickins wrote on Mar 1, 2008 12:37 PM:

" As a Centrist politically, I think this candidate is a socialist Turd.
"Tribune underling receiving development"
For crisakes she hasn't even announced, and these one-sided newsless freaks at the Tribune have her highly publicized and elected already.
"

audifan08 wrote on Mar 1, 2008 10:59 AM:

" 09-19-07 Tara Johnson says building a 29.5 million dollar jail expansion isn't very appealing to the board. She sees building an addition to the jail is a "monument to failure". Let me tell you something folks, Tara Johnson herself is a Monument to Failure. If this Socialist, Doyle-Lockstepper would defeat Mr. Kapanke LaCrosse would be in a world of hurt. Reject this Socialist, anti-American now! "

North Sider wrote on Mar 1, 2008 9:47 AM:

" Married name? Wasn't there quite an overlap while she was serving the County and her Husband 'electrical' business was receiving work at the same time? I think so, and it was stopped. We should all do well to take her off the County board, let alone vote her into a higher elected position. "

The Real World wrote on Mar 1, 2008 8:26 AM:

" Hey just the facts, Sen. Kapanke will do just fine against this opponent. He is a real person and has an outstanding approach to things. He is not going to wallow in the mud, quality individuals don't do that. We have finally got a sincere and intelligent person in Wisconsin politics and the people are going to keep him there. "

just the facts wrote on Mar 1, 2008 8:22 AM:

" Oh by the way Dan, guess who would have notified the tribune reporter about her filing? Do you think Reid Magney was simply rummaging around and accidently stumbled onto this information? The local media has already jumped all over your vote on the abortion pill. Padesky has friends in the local media. Don't count on a Tribune editoral endorsement. Their mind is already made up. "

just the facts wrote on Mar 1, 2008 8:08 AM:

" Dear Dan , as kramer on seinfeld would say, "Oh she'll run all right", and it will be the nastiest campaign you have ever seen ! Tara Padesky has studied at the feet of Doyle and the rest of the socialist democratic party that meets every time there is a county board meeting! Her hero is Hillary and the Clinton mob! Just research her letters to the editor for your own ammunition. Expect her to go after your personal life early and often. She has an arrogant and holier than thou attitude. Why do you think that she bristles when anyone addresses her by her married name, its because she has an ambitious political scheme, and does'nt want to affect the family electrical business negatively. "


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