Primary Election Preview: Wisconsin State Assembly, 13th District

Three Republicans are vying for a chance to advance to the Nov. 6 general election in the 13th District State Assembly race in Tuesday's primary election.

Robert Hutton, Nathaniel Ristow and Thomas Schellinger are competing for the GOP nomination in the district, which includes southern portions of Brookfield and Wauwatosa, and all of Elm Grove (see map attached to story).

The winner will likely take on Democrat John Pokrandt, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The three Republican candidates all have government reform and private sector growth as top priorities, but they have different ideas about how to accomplish those.

Robert Hutton

, a businessman and former Waukesha County Board supervisor, emphasized tax reform as a way to restrain the growth of government and help out the private sector.

"As a state, we still rank well toward the bottom in terms of our overall tax-friendly climate," Hutton said. "We need to really look at reforming our current tax policy to find ways to reduce that burden not only on families but on businesses."

Hutton said the fundamental difference between he and his fellow candidates lies in his experience as an executive and private business owner, which he said gives him a "unique perspective."

Nathaniel Ristow

, who has most recently worked in Gov. Scott Walker's office, wants to focus on job growth through cutting income taxes, and in the long term, he wants to look at regulatory reform in the state government.

Ristow said reducing income tax rates would give consumers more disposable income, which would then help small businesses looking for customers, essentially improving the conditions for "sustainable" growth.

In the long term, Ristow said the state needs to focus on regulatory reform to make sure state statutes aren't written by bureaucrats in state agencies, but by legislators.

"The Legislature needs to take up the responsibility that they're elected to make laws," Ristow said. "They need to pull back the authority they've delegated to the executive branch and state agencies ... and actually put the details of what they want to have happen into the statutes (instead of) leaving the details up to unelected bureaucrats who aren't accountable to the voters."

Thomas Schellinger

Schellinger, who has experience as a Waukesha County Board supervisor and Brookfield city alderman, was quick to point out that on the issues, he and his fellow candidates are essentially saying the same things. But he said he has one major advantage.

His website lists promoting job growth, along with cutting spending and taxes in the state, as top legislative priorities. But for him, having lived in the district for 54 years gives him the upper hand.

"I'm a hometown candidate," Schellinger said. "I grew up in Elm Grove, I lived in Brookfield for the last 29 years and I went to Marquette University in Milwaukee."

Schellinger added that he has already represented most of the district as supervisor and alderman, giving him a better understanding of the district and the people there.

Candidate biographies

Patch asked each candidate to complete a biographical questionnaire for voters.

Thomas Schellinger (R) - Did not respond

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