Agriculture

Pfaff running for Shilling Senate seat

Published

5 years ago

April 27, 2020

FILE - Brad Pfaff (left) and US Congressman Ron Kind. Pfaff announced Monday he's running for state Senate in the 32nd District.

Who’s going to run for the Democratic nomination for State Senate in La Crosse, now that incumbent Democrat Jennifer Shilling is retiring?

Former Wisconsin agriculture secretary Brad Pfaff says he will.

Pfaff has announced as a candidate against former Senator Dan Kapanke, who defeated him in a race for the 32nd District seat in 2004.

Pfaff served as Wisconsin agriculture secretary for most of 2019, until the Republican-controlled Senate turned down his appointment in November.

GOP Senate leaders were upset with Pfaff for criticizing their policies toward Wisconsin farmers.

He said they weren’t moving fast enough to release $200,000 to fund mental health services for farmers.

Kapanke defeated Pfaff in 2004 to win the Senate seat in the 32nd before losing the post in a 2011 recall to Shilling, who’s not running for re-election.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.