A little more than a week after state to join the administration of Gov. Scott Walker, state Rep. Chris Kapenga has declared that he will run for the open seat.
Kapenga, a Republican from Delafield, said his experience as a lawmaker and a business owner make him the right candidate to address the key economic issues facing the state.
"I feel my unique experience outside of Madison politics as a business owner and CPA will bring a solid set of skills to the Senate that will be instrumental in the upcoming session," said Kapenga, the owner and president of Integrated
Time Systems in Milwaukee. "The Wisconsin State Senate needs the perspective of a conservative who signs both sides of a paycheck and creates family sustaining jobs in the private sector."
Kapenga, whose current district includes portions of Waukesha, is the second lawmaker to throw his hat into the ring in the GOP primary in the new 33rd Senate District. State Rep. Paul Farrow, who currently represents part of Brookfield, also has announced that he will run for Zipperer's seat.
The 33rd District includes Sussex, Waukesha, Pewaukee, Delafield and much of the county's Lake Country communities.
Kapenga, who was elected in 2010, is the vice chairman of the Assembly's Labor and Workforce Development Committee and serves on the Ways and Means Committee; the Jobs, Economy and Small Business Committee; the Insurance Committee; and the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment.
He also a Certified Public Accountant and has worked for Arthur Andersen and
General Electric. He and his wife, Cari, have been married for 16 years and have two daughters.
Gov. Scott Walker has not yet set a date for a special election in the 33rd District. However, the Journal Sentinel reports the Senate primary could be held during the Nov. 6 general election, with the special election for the Senate seat in December.
Both Farrow and Kapenga already are on the ballot in the fall Assembly races. Farrow is running in the 98th District, while Kapenga is on the ballot in the 99th District.
When freshmen assembly member Paul Farrow had a question on why protective services were exempt from collect bargaining Farrow went to the Republican Party leaders for his answers. What did freshmen assembly member Chris Kapenga do? Kapenga was the star of the gossip columnist Daniel Bice's articles and Jeff Flemming's loser of the week on the Charlie Sykes show. Kapenga openly ran his mouth calling key members in his own party and the governor a sell out. I believe this is why every Republican has turned their back on Kapenga and not endorsed him. We need a mature senator that can handle conflict without starring in the gossip column. That's why I am supporting Paul Farrow for senate and you should also.