Cuba City, WI – Grant County dairy farmer Travis Tranel officially announced today that he is going to challenge Democrat State Representative Phil Garthwaite to represent the 49th Assembly District in 2010.
Tranel says his main reason for running is to improve the economy of Southwest Wisconsin by reining in government, and because the area needs someone who truly represents the needs, interests, and values of the folks living in the 49th Assembly District. Tranel says the current Representative seems to pay more attention to keeping the folks in Madison happy than actually representing the needs of the 49th District, and says he is particularly critical of Rep. Garthwaite’s votes to raise taxes by nearly $5 billion dollars last year.
Tranel says he remains disappointed with the direction our government continues to head. “Higher taxes and bloated government spending are not going to get our economy back on track,” said Tranel. “We have to stop spending money we don’t have and borrowing from future generations. I believe people are starting to realize that our current politicians are blowing it. At some point you have to stand up and say enough is enough. We need to get back to basics.”
Tranel believes that Wisconsin’s tax climate is a big reason the state has lost over 250,000 jobs in the last year and a half, and over 4.3 percent of its private sector businesses since 2006. He also said he believes that hard working families should be able to keep more of what they earn.
Tranel won the 49th Assembly District 3 way Republican primary in 2008 by 10 percentage points. Campaigning for lower taxes and more responsible spending, he went on to make an impressive showing in the general election, out-performing the top of the Republican ticket by over 2,000 votes.
Tranel is an active member of St. Joseph’s Church in Sinsinawa, where he serves on the Parish Council. He is also a member of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the Knights of Columbus, the National Rifle Association, Ducks Unlimited, and the newly formed Southwest Wisconsin Young Professionals. He is a graduate of Loras College, and holds degrees in economics and finance. Travis and his wife Stephanie farm in rural Cuba City where they are raising their daughter, Evelyn.
The Republican primary will be held on September 14th and the General Election will be held on November 2nd.
