On Monday October 22nd, WTCH Radio invited candidates for the 6th District – State Assembly into the studio for a Q & A session. Watch videos and listen to audio and watch full videos below.
Incumbent Gary Tauchen – Republican
Gary Tauchen is a graduate of Bonduel High School and UW- River Falls. He’s co-owner of a family-owned dairy farm near Bonduel.
Gary is a member of the Shawano Area Chamber of Commerce, Shawano Rotary, The Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Dairy Business Association, the American Dairy Coalition, the Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol and the Brown, Outagamie, Waupaca and Shawano County Republican Parties. He also serves on Shawano County’s Emergency Management Committee, CHAT- Community Health Action Team, and as a board member of the Rural Health Initiative.
Prior to representing us in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Gary was very involved in helping develop organizations that helped transform the agricultural industry. He’s a founding board member of Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Livestock Identification Consortium and Cooperative Resources International. From 1999-2003 he served as an adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and the World Trade Negotiators under two administrations.
In 2006 Gary was elected to serve as this area’s Representative in the Wisconsin State Assembly. As a Shawano County resident, business owner, and community leader, he has gained years of valuable experience that he uses in his role as our state representative. His area includes most of Shawano County and parts of Outagamie, Waupaca and Brown Counties.
Gary Tauchen serves on several legislative committees: Chairman of the Small Business Development Committee, Vice- Chair of State Affairs, Agriculture, Energy and Utilities, Family Law, International Affairs and Commerce, and Tourism Committees. Gary truly believes the most effective government policy is base on common sense, expands opportunities for people, and leads to a better quality of life for all of us.
Opponent, Mike Hammond – Libertarian
Mike Hammond was born and raised in Shawano. He has lived his entire life on a farm in the town of Waukechon. He graduated from Shawano High School in 1979 and has spent his working years so far as a farmer and doing farm related work. He downsized out of farming over the past few years and has put work on hold for the time being to run for political office. He has been a long time member of the town of Waukechon planning and zoning committee and is a recent graduate of the Leadership Shawano County program, class of 2017.
He has a growing interest in politics and state government and decided it was time to get involved, basically, ‘put up or shut up.’ Being dissatisfied with the actions of both major political parties led him to the Libertarian party and he is running for Assembly as a Libertarian.
Opponent, Richard Sarnwick – Democrat
Dr Sarnwick is a Shawano area physician: a family Doctor running for the State Assembly. This is his first run for public office… He lives in the Shawano area with his wife, Gail, and his dog, Rubie.
He has been in the Shawano area for over 25 years, and during this time he has worked in the emergency room, he has taken care of patients in clinic, and still goes to see patients in area nursing homes. He served as chief of the Medical staff at Shawano medical Center 2002-2004
he is a Board Certified Family Practice physician
He is also the Founder of the Shawano Farmers Market, and served as president of this non profit organization for about ten years.
He plays fiddle in a shawano area music group, and is a big believer in the future of Shawano and surrounding communities.