53rd Assembly District

I have been waiting for some time to see something in our local Fond du Lac Distorter about the Republican primary race in the 53rd Assembly District. Less than a week before the primary, they FINALLY have something to report. Spanbauer challenges Owens for 53rd Assembly seat

Claiming to be the "voice of the people," Dick Spanbauer is ready to be heard in Madison. Spanbauer, a Republican candidate for the 53rd Assembly District seat, is hoping to unseat longtime incumbent Carol Owens, R-Oshkosh, in the primary election on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Owens was first elected to the Assembly 14 years ago.

I've talked to both Carol and Dick in an informal manner, and I have to admit, I like them both, as people. Something hit me while having these conversations, Carol doesn't talk much, but she does act. I got the impression that Dick is a major talking, but isn't much of a do-er.

"She looked me right in the face and told me I had to wait my turn," said Spanbauer, who ran against Owens in the 2004 primary election, losing by less than 10 percent of the votes cast. "(Owens) is so out of touch with the people and we're long overdue for a change."

One of the things Dick told me was that "many people told me if Lu Ann Byrd (the Dem in 2004) had not been running, I could have won the Republican primary, because the Dems would have voted for me". This tells me a LOT. If Dems are going support a Republican, then he's not really a Republican, is he. Mr. Spanbauer also says he's the "town chairman for a rather large town". I thought he was from Algoma, population about 6,000. I might be wrong, but I know 6,000 is NOT a large town. Perhaps the 53rd IS ready for a change, but I don't believe that change should be Spanbauer. He's extremely pro-union, and that's not good, in my opinion. Carol has been able to represent ALL of the people in this district for 14 years, and I'd like to see her serve 2 more. What we do NOT need is another RINO in Madison, we have enough of those already. I think if we had come up with a suitable replacement in that seat, Carol would have gladly stepped down. Under the circumstances, she probably didn't feel comfortable leaving the seat in the hands of a Republican In Name Only. NOTE: I would have provided a link for Mr. Spanbauer, but I couldn't find one.