A longtime dairy farmer whose career has also included positions as a social worker on the Menominee Reservation and in customer service at Xcel Energy, Jeff Foster is the Democratic candidate for the open seat in Wisconsin’s 67th District.
He says an important focus of his candidacy is to protect basic freedoms, including voting access and women’s health.
Foster, of Grant Township, faces Dave Armstrong of Rice Lake, who currently represents the 75th District, but after redistricting now finds his home in the new 67th.
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Foster was co-founder and the first president of the Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Cooperative. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as an MBA from UW-Oshkosh.
He and his wife, Sharon, have two grown children and five grandchildren. He spoke with WPR’s Robin Washington on “Morning Edition” about his candidacy.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Robin Washington: What’s the single biggest issue facing the district and how can the Legislature address it?
Jeff Foster: There are several issues facing our district. My campaign is based on the rural values of freedom, family and community.
Some of our freedoms are under attack right now. Women should have the freedom to control their own bodies. Citizens should have the freedom to vote in the least restrictive manner. Our children should be free from gun violence.
We all support the family value of caring for our children, and they deserve high-quality child care. A well-funded public education system is another value that cannot be shortchanged.
Another common value is family security. If a family gets seriously ill, the bills don’t stop. A medical emergency could become a financial family disaster.
RW: The wolf hunt has gotten much attention in the region and taken up much of the Department of Natural Resources’ time. The area saw a wolf killed by a young man just last month. Your district has farmers who may be concerned about their livestock as well as environmentalists concerned about protecting the wolf. Is there room for compromise here?
JF: I believe there’s always room for compromise. I put great stock in the assistance of the DNR in determining wolf numbers and I look to the state to provide farmers with assistance if there is predation.
RW: Route 53 is a lifeline for the district and the region. Part of the stretch is a limited-access freeway with no cross traffic, similar to an interstate. Part of it has everything from ATVs to tractors crossing the road. We just had a fatal accident recently. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has reconfigured some intersections to minimize conflicts. Is this enough?
JF: I think safety is the top priority and if that requires reconfiguring an intersection, making it an overpass or underpass, even if that involves a lot of resources, that probably is the answer.
RW: Is there any Republican-backed initiative in the Legislature that you can get behind? That’s keeping in mind we don’t know which party will be in control in the next term.
JF: One area where I do see some movement has been on shared revenue. I applaud the Legislature for having increased the amount of shared revenue and I hope we can continue to work along those lines, especially with the surplus that the state now enjoys.
