Bryan J. Van Stippen of Deerbrook has announced his candidacy for Wisconsin State Assembly District 35, which includes all of Lincoln County and parts of Langlade, Marathon, Oneida and Shawano counties. He announced his candidacy surrounded by supporters in Merrill, Antigo and Tomahawk.
“As a husband, father, and small business owner, I care deeply about our community and that’s why I want to serve the people’s interests in the 35th Assembly District. We must work together to make sure our community and local governments can work for us and aren’t hamstrung by Madison politics,” Van Stippen said.
Van Stippen vowed to put the needs of the 35th Assembly District first and noted that his experiences have shaped his values and will help him encourage the more positive and productive debate in Madison that people want.
“As a small business owner, I know that if we are going to turn our state around, it is absolutely vital that we support locally-owned businesses,” said Van Stippen. “Local businesses will be the engine of our state’s return to success, and they have been all but ignored by the agenda coming out of Madison.
“We need elected officials that are willing to speak up for what is good for the 35th Assembly District. Serving on a city council and numerous boards showed me firsthand how the policies coming out of Madison have made it difficult for local governments to function. Instead of working with local governments, the legislation pushed out of Madison has devastated local education and road budgets.”
Van Stippen graduated from Mid-State Technical College in 1999 before pursing his Bachelor’s degree at Tarleton State University in Texas. He then obtained his law degree from the University of North Dakota. During law school Van Stippen worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Geneva Institute on Indigenous Peoples Law in Geneva, Switzerland.
“After these experiences, I came back to Wisconsin with the desire to serve and the skills to understand and navigate the difficult financial and political issues that our state faces,” said Van Stippen. “My experience working with federal, state and county governments helped me understand how important it is for our area to have a voice in Madison who listens to the concerns of our community. I’m determined to return the focus back to the needs and interests of the 35th Assembly District.”
Van Stippen is currently an attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation and lives in Deerbrook.
Bryan can be reached at [email protected] or 715-201-8990.