Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Assembly race draws two GOP candidates
Two Republican candidates have entered the race to fill Barbara Gronemus’ state Assembly seat next fall.
Galesville businessman and political novice Dave Hegenbarth, 52, announced his candidacy Monday for the 91st District, which includes all of Buffalo and Trempealeau counties and a town in Jackson County.
David Anderson, 58, who challenged Gronemus in two previous elections, also confirmed Monday he will run again.
Hegenbarth, who owns Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in Galesville, Arcadia, La Crosse and Sparta, said although he has not held elected office, his experience in business and customer service have prepared him for the job. Hegenbarth started in the grocery business in 1975, working his way from bagger to general manager. He has owned stores since 1993.
“I’m a person who’s accustomed to serving other people,” he said. “My hope is that I can bring that to government.”
Hegenbarth also was chairman of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District’s Long Range Planning Committee.
As president of the Wisconsin Grocers Association for the past two years, Hegenbarth said he spent time lobbying lawmakers in Madison and learning how the Assembly works.
If elected, he said he would work for affordable health care, lower taxes, job creation and worker training.
“Unfortunately, the issues seem to be staying in the same place,” he said. “People pay too much taxes; people need affordable health care.”
Gronemus, who was first elected in 1980, is not seeking re-election.
Running against the incumbent Democrat in 2004, Anderson, of Whitehall, pulled 35 percent of the votes. He got just more than 30 percent in the 2006 election, when Republicans did not fare well nationwide.
“I held my own when the whole party was getting really taken down,” he said. “I think I’m making some headway.”
The finance manager of Osseo Ford, Anderson was a supervisor on the Trempealeau County Board from 1994 to 2000.
Two Democrats, Chris Danou of Trempealeau and James K. Kraft of Durand, also are running to replace Gronemus. Republican Tom Bice of Trempealeau had announced his candidacy but has since dropped out.
Primary elections will be held Sept. 9.
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