First-time candidate Paul Hambleton, a Democrat from St. Croix County, is challenging Republican Sen. Rob Stafsholt* for his seat in Senate District 10.

Paul Hambleton (D)

Age: 69

Prior elected office(s): None

Community/civic activities: Chair, St. Croix County Democrats

Family: I have a blended family with six adult children and their families and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 21 to 2 years old living in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Cambridge, England. My father is 93 years old and lives in Woodbury.

How long have you lived in Wisconsin? I've lived in St. Croix County for about 50 years. After graduating UW-Madison, I lived on a small family farm north of Baldwin and worked as a carpenter and at WITC (now Northwoods) as an instructor while raising my children, then a special education and English teacher at Baldwin-Woodville School District. I moved to Maine in 2012 for work and returned to Wisconsin in 2018 to help my parents and now live in Hudson.

What do you see as the main issues in Senate District 10? Public schools are essential in our communities. Let’s get public school funding right so we don't have to ask property taxpayers to bear more of the burden every year. Let’s find a way to reimburse funding for special education from the state to take the pressure off local property taxes. Let’s expand Badgercare to cover more rural citizens and build a stronger rural health care system. Water quality is another issue. With our unique geology, groundwater is especially vulnerable to nitrate pollution. Our farmers are the real caretakers of soils and groundwater. Let's find ways to support family farms who can help keep both the rural economy strong and the groundwater clean.

State government expects to close its books in mid-2025 with an available surplus of $3.4 billion. Should that surplus be spent and, if so, how? The surplus shouldn't be used for ongoing spending, as that would create another cliff down the road. Rather, we can look for ways to make investments that will pay off in the future or temporary, short-term expenditures to get something off the ground. Right now, a real concern is the availability of daycare for young families. Another is affordable housing. While there would be many ideas, perhaps a short-term program to help through a tax credit or other mechanism could help. Those two come from the many conversations I've had with younger folks at the doors.

To control property taxes, there are limits on what local governments and schools can spend. Those limits are causing more local governments to hold referendums asking to raise property taxes. Should spending limits on local governments and schools be loosened? Would you change the school funding formula and how? We need to take a hard look at school funding and municipal revenue sharing. I'd work with other legislators to reform the school funding formula to bring more resources to our public schools so that the burden will not continue to fall on local property taxes. Special education has long been a fast-growing need in our state with more and more children requiring services. As a former special education teacher, I know how important early intervention is to help these children, and yet the cost of this mandated service is not reimbursed adequately from state or federal sources. Instead, it is increasingly borne by local real estate taxes. In addition, unaccountable voucher schools drain away almost a billion dollars a year from public education in our state, with many millions of those dollars coming from western Wisconsin. This must also change. If elected, reforming our school funding will be a top goal.

Many families are struggling to find child care in the region and child care centers are struggling to stay open. What's your solution? No easy fix here either. Child care is a small business and could be incentivized and supported. Child care workers aren't paid enough, nor are they recognized for what they do or given the kind of training that professionalizes their work. They really do make a difference in early child development and learning. It's also very expensive when the burden falls only on the young family - and can easily cost $1,000 a month or more per child. Availability of childcare also connects to our need for growing the workforce in Wisconsin, so it's in our interest to build a stronger childcare model across the state. An investment in helping develop a stable childcare industry across the state would pay off in many ways, but it will take an across the aisle approach to get it off the ground.

Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic Atty. Gen. Josh Kaul have called for a “red flag” law allowing judges to order those found to be dangerous to themselves or others to surrender their guns. Could you support a “red flag” law? It depends very much on the details of a red flag law whether I would support it or not, but the concept is worth considering. A person who is out of control of his/her emotions and becomes violent should not have access to a gun.

Where do you stand on the issue of abortion? Please be specific as to when or if you think it should be allowed in all or certain circumstances and why. Women should have the right to make decisions about their own bodies. I would support an effort to put Roe v Wade back in place by law.

Why are you running for office and what can you bring to the table? I’m running for office to bring my experience as a problem solver and ability to work with others to bear on the difficult problems we face in western Wisconsin. Our schools, farm economy, municipal services, small businesses, and medical system need help. Our current legislators haven’t stepped up and in fact are responsible for undermining and underfunding essential services and investments. It’s time for a change I believe that government works best when we step up to make it work. I have professional experience in mediating disputes, negotiating, managing staff, and analyzing legislation. My campaign motto is “Together we do better” because I believe when we find common ground and work together we come up with solutions that help everyone succeed.

How will you work with members of the opposite party to come up with solutions for all your constituents, not just those in your party? We have more in common than we have differences. People are tired of partisan wrangling. When I meet people in small groups or one on one it’s not hard at all to find common ground on the things that matter. We want safe communities, fair treatment, opportunities for our children to learn and thrive, good schools, access to health care, good jobs, a strong economy, and respectful dialogue and discussion. That's how we work together. I'll represent everyone, whether they voted for me or not.

Is there anything you would like to add? Thank you for taking the time to read through and carefully consider your vote. Stepping up to run for office wasn't an easy decision, and voting isn't either. If you do honor me with your vote, I pledge that I'll do the best I can to represent western Wisconsin. It's a privilege to run for office, and even more to serve. Thanks again.

Rob Stafsholt* (R)

Sen. Stafsholt did not respond to the Journal’s questionnaire.

According to his website:

Occupation: Lifelong resident of St. Croix County who has helped manage his family’s farm for over 30 years as a fourth generation farmer. He has an adult daughter, Maggie, who works on the family farm and in the family business.

Education: Stafsholt is a 1994 graduate of New Richmond High School and attended both UW–Eau Claire and UW–River Falls. His business experience includes previously running his family’s food manufacturing company; working as a mortgage loan originator in St. Croix Falls and New Richmond; owning and operating several rental properties and real estate investments; and recently starting and running a waste disposal company in the area.

Prior elected office(s): Stafsholt was first elected to the State Assembly in November 2016, and voters re-elected him two years later. In 2020, he was elected the State Senate, representing the 10th District of Wisconsin.

Community/civic activities: Member of the New Richmond Chamber of Commerce; lifetime member of the NRA, Richardson Sportsman Club, and Balsam Lake Rod & Gun Club; member of St. Croix County Farm Bureau, Wisconsin Property Taxpayers Inc. and St. Croix Republican Party; served on the Town of Erin Prairie’s Planning Commission; has been a member of sportsman clubs like Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, Safari Club International, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Sportsmen’s Alliance.