Democrat Andi Rich is challenging Incumbent Republican State Senator Mary Felzkowski in District 12.
The district includes much of Northeast Wisconsin.
Rich lives in Marinette, an eastern Wisconsin city that has been dealing with extensive PFAS contamination since the discovery was made public in 2016.
It’s her main motivation for running for State Senate.
“We still don't have regulatory limits, and we have no legal ability to hold the polluters accountable and force any type of cleanup. People in my community are continuously getting sick, getting diagnosed with various cancers and preventable diseases that are directly linked to these toxic chemicals,” said Rich. “I can no longer sit idly by, bang my head against the wall, and tell these legislators that we need their help while just being completely ignored.”
While she doesn’t think it should all be on businesses or corporations to clean up contamination, Rich does believe they need to be held accountable.
She’d like to see a structure where corporations need to start remediation before continuing with projects.
“It needs to be the corporations still operating, the corporations that want to start operating and using these chemicals. It's in our own best interest for the taxpayers to pick up some of this or it won't get done, so it does need to be a joint effort,” said Rich.
One of the topics WXPR talked to candidates about was abortion.
Abortion has been a major issue at both the National and State level since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
When asked about her stance on abortion and what, if any, state laws there should be regarding it, Rich says statistically majority of people in Wisconsin are pro freedom to choose and that is what she would support if elected.
“My favorite number of abortions is now and always has been zero. That said, I don't believe in infringing on a person's rights to push a desire of mine onto them, right? Freedom is the most important thing,” said Rich.
You can learn more about Rich and where she stands on issues on her website.
The election is Tuesday, November 5th.
You can learn more about what’s on the ballot, candidates, and the voting process with the WXPR Voter Guide.
