Email: hopperforstatesenate@gmail.com
WEDC Board of Director and ACT 10 Stalwart says, “Evers failing Wisconsin families.”
[River Hills, WI…] River Hills resident, Wisconsin small business owner of thirty years and former state Senator Randy Hopper has announced his candidacy for the seat vacated by the resignation of Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills).
Hopper, a former state senator from Fond du Lac, said he has been overwhelmed by how many people reached out to encourage him to run for the seat citing his steadfast support for Act 10 even in the face of recall elections across the state that eventually cost him his seat by a narrow margin.
“The message I’m hearing is that people here want another Senator who will bring the courage of their convictions, a strong work ethic and a laser focus on issues people are facing every day. We need a senator who’s not afraid to lead on the big issues and get things done,” said Hopper. “I’m honored that they see me as someone who can follow in Alberta’s footsteps by working tirelessly to solve problems without being sidetracked. Make no mistake Tony Evers is failing Wisconsin on education, crime, and economic issues. Families are struggling under his utter lack of leadership.”
Hopper is currently serving his second four-year term on the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors (WEDC).
Hopper was elected to the state Senate in 2008 representing the 18th Senate District and helped write the state budget as a member of Wisconsin’s powerful Joint Committee on Finance. There, Hopper and Darling fought to save SeniorCare, Wisconsin’s prescription drug program, from budget cuts proposed by the administration. Their work ensured low-income seniors continue to have access to the medication they need.
Hopper also served on committees focused on Education, Judiciary, and Corrections. Appointed to chair the Economic Development committee after the Doyle Administration had driven Wisconsin’s unemployment rate to 9%, Hopper shepherded through substantive job creation legislation, including the creation of WEDC. Hopper also co-sponsored legislation requiring Voter ID and a supermajority vote in the legislature to increase taxes.
“We’re facing many of the same issues we did when I served over a decade ago, over the past 4 years of the Evers-Barnes administration things have taken a turn for the worse,” said Hopper. “The education system is failing kids and shutting parents out. Our criminal justice system is failing to keep communities safe and releasing too many criminals. Too many people are struggling to make ends meet, too many employers can’t find workers, and the administrations in Madison and DC are not focused on these issues that truly affect the residents of my district.”
Hopper is the parent of five children of which three are grade-school age, and said he and fellow parents are increasingly concerned about public schools as achievement scores plummet and state DPI increasingly prioritizes politics in the classroom over student performance. He said the November elections showed that Wisconsinites care about where candidates stand on the issues and are looking for representatives who will hear them and be able to get something done to improve their lives.
“I am running to represent the people of this senate district, and that means listening to them, understanding their worries and their priorities, and then working tirelessly to get results,” said Hopper.
The district has been represented by Darling for 30 years, and Hopper said the retiring senator has been a mentor to him.
“Alberta’s advice and counsel both personally and professionally have meant the world to me. I am proud to have had her as my senator for these past ten years and my friend for many more than that,” said Hopper. “This senate district has had 30 years of representation by a leader who fought for the people of her district, and I would consider it an honor to be her Senator and yours.”
