Since 2020, the 12th Senate District has been represented by Senator Mary Felzkowski.
In the upcoming November election, her position will be contested by political newcomer Andi Rich.
Wisconsin’s 12th Senate District encompasses Rhinelander to Marinette.
This week, small business owner Andi Rich announced that she’s also running for the seat as a Democrat.
Rich is from Marinette and describes herself as a “lifelong Northern Wisconsin girl”.
She has an honors degree from Lakeland College in Business Administration and Marketing.
“In this area specifically, the people here, it's not really partisan issues that I'm running on. It's common sense issues. Nobody wants to drink poison. It doesn't matter what your party affiliation,” she said.
She’s running because she feels like the concerns of northern Wisconsinites are ignored in Madison.
“As hard as we try to get the attention of our representatives, I feel like everything that we are asking for is falling on deaf ears, specifically in the realm of clean water,” she said.
One of Rich’s main legislative priorities is expanding PFAS regulations.
As it stands, the EPA’s regulations only impact municipal wells.
“And so many of the people that are in this district live off of well water. And right now nothing that's been passed from the EPA is going to help those folks,” said Rich.
Rich also says we’re lacking fair funding for schools in rural areas and hopes to tackle this issue in office.
“They’re people issues and so I'm sick of feeling like our representation in Madison is too busy playing party politics and pointing fingers. I just want to show up to the table and try to do what's best for everybody in the community,” she said.
While clean water is a major part of her platform, Rich says she’s open to tackling many issues.
“What I really want people to understand is that I want to represent everybody. I'm not running to just help a certain group, or just focus on one issue,” she said.
For the past four years, the district has been represented by Republican businesswoman Mary Felzkowski.
WXPR reported on Senator Felzkowksi’s re-election bid announcement in March.
Felzkowski hopes to be elected to continue fighting for “lower taxes, smaller government, less burdensome regulations, and strong conservative values.”
