Jeremy Ratliff
Reporter
Following official notice of non-candidacy from current District Attorney Don Dunphy in May, two candidates have stepped in to vie for the open seat.
On Aug. 9, Sidney Brubacher (D-Wausau) and Galen Bayne-Allison (D-Lake Tomahawk) will face off in the partisan primary with the winner stepping for Dunphy in January. Below is Brubacher’s candidate profile as well as his answers to four uniform questions asked of both candidates.
Sidney Brubacher
Age: 59
Current city of residence: Wausau
Location of Practice: Wausau
Name of Practice: Marathon County District Attorney’s Office (Assistant District Attorney)
Party Affiliation: Democratic
Education-
High School Attended: Edgar High School (native of Manistique, MI)
Undergrad: University of Minnesota
Law School: Northern Illinois University
Experience-
Previous work experience: Cold War US Navy Navigational Electronics Technician (1988-1994) aboard a ballistic missile submarine as part of the SWSE program.
Law experience: 10 years Criminal Prosecution Marathon County District Attorney’s Office; three years Criminal Defense (private practice)
Other information of note:
*Reactivated with US Navy following 9/11 attack.
“Military experience has played a large part in shaping the person I am today; equipping me with the professional tools to manage the stress and workload I’ve experienced as an ADA and will experience if I’m elected as the next District Attorney for Lincoln County.”
Candidate Questionnaire:
1) Why have you chosen to run for the Lincoln County District Attorney seat?
“I first ran back in 2012 versus exiting DA Don Dunphy. I had heard of a need for a change up there and I was asked to run by a few law enforcement officers and attorneys up there. I knew Don was only going to serve one more term and when I heard he was going to file for non-candidacy, I talked it over with my wife and decided to throw my hat into the ring.
“I have family in the Merrill area and we will still be close to Wausau. Moving up from ADA to a DA position will be a challenge, no doubt. When you’re a DA for a smaller county, everything falls on your shoulders and there will be a learning curve I know. But it’s a challenge and responsibility I’m ready for after 13 years of practice.”
2) If there is a particular change you would make-if any-upon being successfully elected to the Lincoln County District Attorney seat, what would that change be?
“I would like to improve relationships with law enforcement and establish a training relationship with law enforcement. As an ADA here in Marathon County, we hold training sessions once a year with area law enforcement officers and deputies. As part of these annual sessions, I have provided legal updates including new laws and changes to existing laws. I also make time for a listening session where I hear issues and concerns from local law enforcement and answer questions.
“I believe in making myself available 24 hours a day if and when needed. That is the sort of relationship I want to establish openness with law enforcement and be accessible when I’m needed, even if it means phone calls or visits from law enforcement in the middle of the night. That’s part of the job.”
3) What do you feel will be the greatest challenge you will face upon successful election to the Lincoln County District Attorney seat?
“I feel the greatest challenge for me as District Attorney of Lincoln County, will be the responsibility of budgeting and the political end of things. I’m not necessarily afraid of that, but it will be something I’ll have to learn. I think time management will be key in addressing and maintaining budget affairs and relationships with other departments, while still managing my prosecutorial duties.”
4) If you could pick one lesson or concept you have learned in your professional career, which you feel will prove to be a benefit to you upon successful election to the Lincoln County District Attorney seat, what would that be?
“We have eight Assistant DA’s in our office here and we all have a case load of 200-500 open cases at any one time, aside from jury trials, motion hearings, and training and assisting law enforcement.
“It took a while to learn how to balance and fulfill my duties and I will carry that experience over to my position as District Attorney of Lincoln County if I am elected. I expect to have a similar case load in Lincoln County with the additional duties I mentioned before. I will learn to balance my duties just as I have for the last 10 years in serving Marathon County. The stress and work load I have experienced here as an Assistant District Attorney, I feel has prepared me to be a capable and effective District Attorney of Lincoln County.”