Posted on 11/04/2002 9:20:14 AM PST by Darkshadow
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Republican James Reeves is challenging longtime Democratic Rep. Dave Travis, D-Madison, in the 81st Assembly District.
Both candidates live in north Madison, which is part of a district that includes the villages of Waunakee and Black Earth and the towns of Westport, Springfield and Berry and part of the town of Black Earth.
Travis, 54, was first elected to the Assembly in 1978 and is a former majority leader. He says he has the experience to help solve the state's huge budget and ethics problems.
"I have been working diligently to fight against the scandals that have engulfed the Capitol - scandals ranging from irresponsible fiscal mismanagement resulting in a $1.3 billion deficit to the ethical and moral scandals involving the misuse of state employees," Travis said.
He has co-authored a bill to explicitly prohibit legislators from trading votes for campaign contributions, and authored campaign finance reform legislation that was enforced by the reform groups Common Cause in Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.
Travis has a master's degree from the La Follette Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an instructor at Edgewood College.
Reeves, 29, said he is the same age Travis was when Travis was first elected, implying it may be time for a change.
"As local homeowners, my wife and I have been disturbed by the growing percentage of our household income going toward taxes. That is why I am running as a Republican for the state Assembly," Reeves said.
He has an accounting degree from UW-Whitewater and is a certified public accountant who formerly worked for the Legislative Audit Bureau and now works for a bank.
"We need to change how things are done in the Capitol," Reeves said. "The bottom line is that state government has not been paying attention to its own bottom line."
Published: 10:08 AM 11/01/02
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