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Redrawn 70th Assembly District Poses Challenge For Incumbent Democrat

Both Candidates Say They're Gun-Rights Advocates, Controlling Frac Sand Mining

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Photo: Amy Sue Vruwink's Campaign Facebook page | Nancy VanderMeer's Campaign Facebook page

Six-term incumbent Democrat Amy Sue Vruwink is facing a rematch against Republican Nancy VanderMeer in the 70th Assembly District, but the district’s new boundaries are posing a challenge for the incumbent.

It is now a two-hour drive to get from one side of the 70th Assembly District to the other, from Portage County on the east to Monroe County on the west. Vruwink notes that when Republicans in the state Legislature redrew the district’s boundaries, they cut out the schools that she attended and the homes of many of her supporters.

“It came down to politics. They wanted to carve the district so my family couldn’t vote for me anymore,” she said. “I do believe that people should be choosing who their elected officials are and not politicians choosing the people.”

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Vruwink faces a rematch with her 2012 opponent, VanderMeer, who is a Tomah businesswoman. VanderMeer said that she believes regardless of the changes to the district’s borders, the constituents want someone different representing them.

“I did not have a say in the decision of how our district has been designed,” she said. “I believe the people in the 70th district, they are ready for change.”

One thing VanderMeer wouldn’t change is Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to refuse the federal Medicaid expansion money.

“Given the fact of the growing deficit federally, was there an assurance that we would have gotten that money?” she said.

However, Vruwink said that forcing 93,000 Wisconsin residents off of BadgerCare was immoral.

“We have a moral obligation to take care of our citizens, to make sure they’re not using emergency rooms,” she said.

While Vruwink said she believes that Walker’s economic policies have hurt job growth, VanderMeer said easing regulations is the right idea.

“I would take a look at what we could do to attract small business to our district, making regulation less cumbersome,” VanderMeer said.

“Jobs and the economy are very important to our state, but what goes behind that?” Vruwink said. “The infrastructure, our school system, our technical colleges, higher education.”

Vruwink and VanderMeer are both gun-rights advocates, and both agree that local communities should be able to control frac sand mining.