With incumbent Andy Jorgensen (D-Milton) electing to not run again for his seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Allison Hetz, a UW-Whitewater graduate last spring, is the Republican candidate looking to fill the seat come November.

The Royal Purple conducted an interview with Hetz to discuss her motivations to run for the 43rd District,  and the issues she’s centered her campaign on. Hetz responded to interview questions via email.

Royal Purple: What was the biggest motivation for you to join the race for the 43rd District?

Allison Hetz: There are many reasons why I joined the race for the 43rd Assembly seat but there are two that are the most important to me.  The first is that I have had experiences in my life that have been difficult and taught me some harsh lessons early on and I want to see that these experiences don’t continue to negatively impact the people in our community.  While one person can’t make the changes alone, I feel that the State Assembly is the best place to start making a difference and positive change.  Another reason is because I have dedicated myself to preserving the personal rights and liberties of the people of Wisconsin and a seat in the Assembly is the best way to ensure that.

RP: How do you feel your mix of experience, seeing you worked at places such as ice cream parlors and dairy farms, helps you during the campaign?

AH: These, along with many other experiences in my life, help me to relate and connect with many people in the district.  It helps me to have a better, in-depth understanding of what people go through on a day to day basis and what changes need to be made to help them and their families in their daily lives.  The other part about being a good candidate however is that while I may have a broad range of experiences, I continue to meet with people from the area to further address their concerns about things I may not be as experienced in.

RP: What has your outreach towards constituents been like?

AH: My outreach to my constituents has consisted of knocking doors around the district, having meet and greets in different locations, attending local events, parades, and city councils, and soon we will be e-mailing out monthly newsletters to those who wish to subscribe.  We also have been keeping constituents updated via our various social media sources which include our website, ‘Allisonhetz.com’, Facebook, ‘Allison Hetz for the 43rd Assembly’, Instagram, ‘Hetzforthe43rdwi’, and our Twitter, ‘Allison Hetz’.

RP: How does being a recent college student from a university in the district allow you to connect with constituents?

  AH: Being a recent college student from the district allows me to speak knowledgeably about the recent budget cuts, student debt and also other topics that relate to over 180 thousand students in the state of Wisconsin.  Last year while being the Student Body President of over 12,000 students, I had the amazing opportunity to fight for sexual assault prevention and education, financial literacy and better options for student employees especially when it came to healthcare.  I also got to work with various groups on campus about inclusion, veteran support and supporting a campus that fits everyone’s needs. These help me to be a strong advocate for every person in our district and to serve their needs on a more personal level.

RP: You have seven issues you’ve decided to focus your campaign on. Which do you feel most passionate about?

AH: All of the issues facing our state and district are incredibly important to me, but the one that I feel I am most passionate about it is fixing our education system.  I’ve been talking with a lot of people from around the district and often their concerns come back to education in one way or another.  I’d first like to make sure our K-12 schools are being funded adequately because these kids are the next generation and they should have the education they need in order to become productive members of our society.  My next focus within education would be on technical schools.  I myself am a first generation college student and will never deter anyone from going into higher education; however, Wisconsin has thousands of open positions and job opportunities for people with technical skills such as nursing, welding, manufacturing and many others.  These technical colleges offer a solution to young adults who don’t necessarily see a four-year college in their future, yet want the real world skills needed to get a job that pays well and won’t put them into such mass amounts of debt.

RP: From that one issue, what kind of legislation would you propose, or like to see passed?

AH: I would like to see a piece of legislation that helps keep K-12 schools strong and perhaps something that helps students pursuing a degree to not be put into so much debt.  To start, I am in favor of continuing the tuition freeze we have in Wisconsin because it helps students and their families to afford continuing education.  I’d also like to see something that does address the growing debt problem in Wisconsin.

RP: The last time a tuition freeze was lifted off the UW System during former Gov. Jim Doyle’s tenure, tuition for students jumped by almost 20 percent. How would you, as a potential lawmaker, work to minimize or eliminate that possibility [altogether]?

AH: I will vote for the tuition freeze to continue.  We need to make higher education more affordable and the students and their families in Wisconsin are very appreciative of this being in place.

RP: One concern with a tuition freeze is that out-of-state students who live and vote in the district see raises in their tuition. How would you seek to protect those students?

Editor’s note: Hetz did not provide a response to this question.

— Kimberly Wethal