3 Democrats Square Off To Succeed Tim Cullen In Senate

Three Democrats with varying experience at the state Capitol are vying for a state Senate seat left open by retiring state Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville.

The first to announce their candidacy for the seat was state Rep. Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, who was elected to the Assembly in 2010. Ringhand said she’s a lifelong resident of Rock County with 11 years of local government experience, which she said has given her the chance to know her community.

“I actively listen when people talk to me, so I hear what they’re saying, and then try to find solutions for whatever the situation may be,” said Ringhand.

Ringhand is endorsed by several current and former Democratic legislators, as well as AFSCME and WEAC, among other groups.

Also vying for the seat is Austin Scieszinski, who previously worked as a legislative aide to Cullen and has Cullen’s endorsement. At 24, Scieszinski is the youngest candidate in the primary. He said he could bring new ideas to the Senate.

“If you add up all the legislative experience of the 33 state senators, there’s 570 years there, and they’re not getting it done,” said Scieszinski.

Scieszinski said he’d help grow the state’s economy by lowering taxes for small business start-ups in their first few years.

Seeking to make a political comeback is former Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan, who lost his Assembly seat in 2010.

“I just know that I have a lot of business that is undone and things that I want to accomplish,” said Sheridan.

Sheridan once worked at the Janesville General Motors plant and was, until recently, a lobbyist for the AFL-CIO. He’s taken heat in this campaign from two of his former Democratic colleagues for his actions as speaker, when he dated a payday loan lobbyist and later withdrew his support for a bill that would have regulated the payday loan industry.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary takes on Republican Brian Fitzgerald in the general election.