Townships in the NW corner of the county in new state Assembly district
On Aug. 13, local voters will have the opportunity to decide on which Republican candidate for the 87th Assembly District will face off against Democrat William Switalla.
Further below you will find many questions asked of the candidates and their written responses. If a candidate did not submit a response, this article indicated “No position”.
Immediately below is information directly from each candidate’s website, Facebook page, and other media.
Brent Jacobson
“I’ve taken on tough battles and won on behalf of the residents of Marathon County and the City of Mosinee. We must be diligent against those who want to grow government while diminishing the freedom and prosperity of Wisconsin’s working families. I’ll continue to fight for conservative values and common-sense solutions as your next State Representative.”
Born in the heart of Central Wisconsin, Brent resides in the same community where he was raised – Mosinee. Brent was brought up with solid values and a strong work ethic. His father was a mill worker and local mayor; his mother was a small business manager. He is an attorney.
Education and prior political experience: Law Degree, West Virginia University, B.S. Business Management, St. Cloud State University; Mayor, City of Mosinee (2015-present); and Marathon County Supervisor (2020-22, 2024-present).
Guided by the value of hard work, Brent worked his way through business school and law school. Returning to his roots, Brent purchased his first home in Mosinee where he still resides today with his wife Tessa, and their first daughter, Aria.
Brent is tested, proven, and ready to continue to fight for the residents of Central and Northern Wisconsin in Madison. During his tenure as Mayor of Mosinee, the city has experienced population growth that outpaced Marathon County and Wisconsin. The local economy has made historic strides under his leadership with multiple business additions and expansions. Even in tough economic times, Brent was instrumental in securing a new hotel project in the heart of downtown Mosinee.
Guided by his fiscally conservative values, Brent has worked to keep property taxes for businesses and residents low while still investing in much-needed infrastructure and public safety improvements. Brent has consistently delivered city budgets that have controlled expenses to levels that have rewarded his community with expenditure restraint aid from the State of Wisconsin.
Representing his community on the Marathon County Board, Brent was often viewed as the voice of reason. As a member of the Board, Brent fought against radically left agendas, government overreach, and wasteful spending. On the Public Safety Committee, he fought to increase resources for the District Attorney’s Office and took liberal efforts to lower penalties for drug offenses to task.
Platform: Lead the fight for clean and fair elections. Work to reduce and eliminate the state income tax. Demand the elimination of woke ideologies in our schools, and call for a Parents’ Bill of Rights to ensure transparency when it comes to their child’s education. Back the badge, defend the 2nd Amendment, and protect the unborn. Safeguard our communities from the influx of illegal immigrants who are pouring over our borders. Make Wisconsin economically competitive by phasing out the income tax and creating tax credits for businesses relocating to the state.
Corey Sillars
“I’m a no-nonsense, blue-collar, get my hands dirty each day – just like you do – hard worker.”
My biggest why is wanting to be a true advocate for my constituents. I believe in strong conservative values, and we need a strong legislator who will stand up for their beliefs in Madison.
Who am I? I am a blue-collar, hard-working, regular guy who is ready to advocate for the people of the 87th Assembly District. I am not looking to be a career politician but to be a voice for the 87th Assembly. I will listen to your concerns and put them into action to the best of my ability.
In June my family business, Dan Sillars General Contractors, was honored for 50 years in business at the Wisconsin Builders Association meeting. I am honored to continue providing updated and new homes to my clients.
Education and prior political experience: Graduated Wausau West High 1990; graduated Northcentral Technical College 1993 Associate’s degree in Architectural/Residential Design; appointed to Wausau School Board September 2022, re-elected April 2023; elected to Village of Rib Mountain Board April 2022; president of the Wisconsin Builders Association in 2022.
Platform: Small limited government. Lower taxes and fees. Clean elections. Unabridged gun rights. Reliable conservative voice. Traditional Christian values. Pro-Life. Pro-law enforcement and veterans. Pro-universal school choice.
Candidates answer questions on Top 10 Statewide Issues
Each candidate submitted written statements on the issues presented.
Economy and Inflation: Rising costs of living and economic uncertainty remain a primary concern for Wisconsin residents, impacting everything from groceries to housing costs.
Jacobson: I agree. Seniors on fixed incomes and struggling families are worried about the future. The costs of food, gas, and home heat are overwhelming. Energy costs drive inflation. We can tackle inflation by becoming an energy-independent nation. While much of that falls on our federally elected officials, at the state level, I intend to be a pro-energy independent legislator when it comes to burdensome state regulation. In addition to tackling inflation, we can put more money in people’s pockets. I intend to support efforts to exempt retirement income from taxation and to flatten and eventually eliminate the state income tax.
Sillars: No matter how we perceive the economy today, we can always improve it. How do I improve it? Simple. Tax less and regulate less. Wisconsin business owners are smart. They just want government out of their way.
Healthcare Access and Affordability: Ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare continues to be a significant issue, with residents expressing concerns over insurance premiums and the availability of services.
Jacobson: I agree. This is why I oppose efforts to further expand Medicaid programs like Badger Care and support Former Governor Scott Walker’s decision to not accept federal money to expand the program. The reimbursement rates to providers are a fraction of the true cost of service. This drives the cost of health insurance in the private sector on hard-working middle-class families and small business owners struggling to provide benefits to attract qualified workers.
Sillars: Transparency and competition can help. Enacting a law that would allow Licensed nurse practitioners to have their own clinics without a doctor having to oversee them for an additional fee, would create small, local medical access in rural areas and drop the cost of basic care services dramatically.
Education: Funding for public schools, teacher salaries, and the quality of education are critical issues. There is also a focus on higher education affordability.
Jacobson: This is true, but we need to look at where the money is going. Wisconsin has made significant investments in K-12 education both during the Walker and Evers administrations. However, enrollment continues to decline as families are dissatisfied with the quality of the product. We need to focus more on merit-based, achievement-based pay for teacher salaries. We also need to focus far more on programs like woods, metals, and apprenticeships – to ensure and encourage a future quality workforce in the trades for those who do not desire a four-year college path. In terms of higher education, the UW system could drastically tighten its belt and reduce tuition costs by cutting a number of nonsense programs, starting with mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion classes.
Sillars: Transparency and competition can help this topic as well. Universal school vouchers push districts to do better in multiple areas to keep and attract students.
Climate Change and Environmental Protection: Residents are increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability, including the protection of the Great Lakes and addressing climate change impacts.
Jacobson: We all enjoy the environment and desire a healthy climate. However, there comes a point where government regulation is absurd. No citizen should be forced to purchase an electric car, abandon their gas stove, or find a source of heat other than a gas furnace. Further, municipalities are being crushed by ridiculous PFAS water quality standards that may soon approach 3 parts per trillion. If implemented, small municipalities will literally not be able to afford delivering water to residents. Canada and nations in Europe are in the hundreds of parts per trillion for safe water drinking standards.
Sillars: Interesting that the question is asked about climate change. The climate is always changing. So, what you should be asking is if I am concerned about global cooling or global warming, because I have lived through both claims about the climate now. Whether we assume the world is cooling or the world is warming, it is doubtful that man can affect either. The course that the government is on now with the electrification of everything is wrong-headed. Electricity is a conduit, not a power source itself. Solar, wind, and hydro don’t create enough electricity to move away from coal or natural gas. Maybe nuclear should be invested in instead. Plus, China and India continue to build coal and gas-fired power plants to sustain their industrial growth. They don’t follow our same rules, so whatever we are forced to do and pay more for, will never make up for all the negative environmental practices they are doing every day.
Crime and Public Safety: Addressing crime rates, improving policing, and enhancing community safety are high priorities.
Jacobson: They are, which is why I have doubled down on public safety investments as Mayor of Mosinee, recently budgeting to expand our police force and update equipment and training. One of the main drivers of crime in all communities is drugs. This is why as a county supervisor I stopped efforts by liberal board members to lower penalties for drug offenses.
Sillars: No position.
Infrastructure Improvement: There is a need for better roads, bridges, and public transportation systems to support growing communities.
Jacobson: Yes, our roads take a beating in Wisconsin. At the same time, the cost of road and bridge infrastructure has grown significantly. The general transportation funding formula for local municipalities is outdated and counterintuitive. Further, the Wisconsin DOT is severely mismanaged. For example, if the DOT receives one bid knowing that is going to be the case in a particular area dominated by one asphalt company, DOT still goes out to bid a second time, further delaying road projects while costs continue to rise.
Sillars: No position.
Democracy and Voting Rights: Ensuring the integrity of elections and protecting voting rights are pressing issues amid national conversations about election laws.
Jacobson: This is why I support the election reform bills passed by the Legislature but vetoed by Governor Evers. This is why I also support the recent proposed constitutional amendments to limit the infiltration of outside money from private groups into our publicly run elections. If the governor continues to refuse to sign sensible election reform legislation, the Legislature needs to continue going the constitutional amendment route.
Sillars: Only legal U.S. citizens are allowed by the Constitution to vote. Voter ID should be a requirement. Illegals or Migrants can only have an ID for identification purposes. Not for voting!! It should state that directly on the ID they are issued as well.
Immigration: Immigration policies and the state’s role in accommodating refugees and immigrants are debated topics, reflecting national trends.
Jacobson: We do not have immigration policy under the Biden Administration, aside from open and unchecked borders. Drugs and criminals pour into our country daily and no community is immune from the effects in 2024. Until we have a President who is serious about addressing the crisis at the southern border, we will continue to suffer the consequences. When it comes to refugee resettlements, another topic, communities need to have a say in relocation. Small communities lack the resources in healthcare, education, and public safety to be forced by the federal government to accept refugees.
Sillars: Immigration is Federal issue that the states are stuck dealing with putting the burden on all local resources. Build the Wall and control who is entering our country!
Labor and Workforce Development: Issues include job creation, workforce training, and addressing labor shortages in key industries.
Jacobson: Part of this issue starts with the focus of public K-12 education. Too many public schools are focusing on gender identity; pronouns; and diversity, equity, and inclusion at a time when we need to be focusing on increasing quality programs like small business management, woods, metals, and a variety of quality apprenticeship programs. Welfare is also out of control. Some make a full-time job out of not having a job. Welfare is intended to help someone for a limited period of time get through unexpected job loss. It has, however, become a dependence program for far too many.
Sillars: Investing in our high school tech ed programs to expand opportunities for 6-12th grade would be an initiative of mine in the legislature.
Mental Health Services: There is a growing demand for better mental health services and support systems across the state.
Jacobson: I agree, and it is also consuming far too much of local law enforcement’s time. Ask a local police officer what he or she spends the majority of time on, and they will tell you – mental health-driven cases. This is why as a county supervisor I am in discussions with my colleagues to expand crisis response and mental health case management efforts offered through our county in conjunction with North Central Health Care.
Sillars: No position.
Top 5 Issues for Central Wisconsin in 2024
Agriculture and Rural Development: Central Wisconsin’s economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, making farm support and rural economic development top priorities.
Jacobson: I agree. This is why I support continuing and expanding the manufacturing and agriculture tax credit. It is also why I oppose efforts to further infringe on rural property rights through mandated expanded public access. Finally, as a county supervisor, it is why I oppose efforts to use land in farmland preservation for things like wind and solar farms so we can preserve valuable, crop-producing land.
Sillars: Getting out of the way of our Wisconsin farmers, with less regulation, would be a good start to increasing their potential.
Healthcare Accessibility: Ensuring rural communities have access to quality healthcare services, including hospitals and clinics, is critical.
Jacobson: I agree, and it begins with attracting qualified providers to rural areas. I support efforts to expand the care that a nurse practitioner can deliver for instance. An NP is often as knowledgeable as a medical doctor. We can deliver high-quality, less costly services by expanding the services an NP can deliver. We can also deliver basic services at a lower cost by expanding access to telehealth.
Sillars: Transparency and competition can help. Enacting a law that would allow Licensed Nurse Practitioners to have their own clinics without a doctor having to oversee them for an additional fee, would create small, local medical access in rural areas and drop the cost of basic care services dramatically.
Broadband Internet Access: Expanding high-speed internet access to rural areas to support education, business, and telehealth services is a key issue.
Jacobson: I agree, which is why as a county supervisor I was supportive of efforts to expand broadband in Marathon County. At the same time, we need to be mindful of the tax dollars we are placing at risk when partnering with private entities, which is why I recently opposed efforts to issue a 30-year conduit bond to a private entity proposing to expand broadband. We have little security when the only security should the company default could be obsolete infrastructure and equipment.
Sillars: Using millions of dollars of taxpayer money to create infrastructure for private companies to charge customers for, is a government subsidy to a specific industry. If there is a high enough demand, the free market will fix the issue on its own.
Education Funding: Similar to statewide concerns, ensuring adequate funding for rural schools and educational resources is a significant issue.
Jacobson: I agree, which is why I support efforts to increase sparsity aid for our rural community schools that lack the tax base to adequately support themselves. We have to stop focusing so much on a one-size-fits-all approach to K-12 funding, such as simply increasing per-pupil aid statewide. This is true particularly when large school systems, like the Milwaukee Public School system, are performing at an abysmal level.
Sillars: Transparency and competition can help this topic as well. Universal school vouchers push districts to do better in multiple areas to keep and attract students. The taxpayers do not wish to put additional money into a system that isn’t always giving a better product.
Local Economic Development: Efforts to stimulate local economies, including support for small businesses and job creation, are crucial for the region’s growth.
Jacobson: Very true, and I have a record of success in doing so as Mayor of Mosinee. By partnering with local businesses to leverage development dollars, we rebuilt our downtown business district, added multiple new businesses in our industrial park, and saw multiple others expand. These expansions and new developments have added jobs and new residents to our growing community. That is reflected in our rate of population growth, which has outpaced Marathon County and Wisconsin as a whole.
Sillars: No matter how we perceive the economy today, we can always improve it. How do I improve it? Simple. Tax less and regulate less. Wisconsin business owners are smart. They just want government out of their way.
Other issues
Candidates had the option to make a statement on these issues.
Reducing gun violence and promoting responsible gun ownership.
Jacobson: When we look at communities and states with overbearing gun regulations, we do not see acorrelating reduction in gun violence. Many crimes are actually prevented by responsible gun owners. Our Second Amendment rights should never be infringed on by the government. My stance on gun rights has earned me the highest rating available for a candidate not previously elected to state office.
Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.
Jacobson: These are valuable endeavors. This is why I support starting with expanding programsfocused on innovation and entrepreneurship in the public K-12 system. Further, in my service on the Marathon County Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, I supported the expansion of an entrepreneur center in Marathon County to aid new and aspiring entrepreneurs in our community. As Mayor, I have also worked with first-time business owners to achieve their dreams, including the owner of the now very successful Mosinee Brewing Company.
Funding our public schools fully.
Jacobson: Our rural public schools need more assistance in the form of aid designed for their size asopposed to a one-size-fits-all approach. I support expanding sparsity aid for rural K-12 systems. However, our public school system as a whole in Wisconsin needs to justify repeated increases in per-pupil aid when enrollment at many is on the decline. Our local school boards in many districts also need to start operating in reality. Too many referendums are the result of mismanagement at the local level.
Prioritizing the affordability of post-secondary education.
Jacobson: We can make post-secondary education more affordable but focus on reducing the time it takes to get a degree. Many college courses are forced upon students with no interest in the subject that have no relevance to their degree course of study. Further, mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion courses are another example of taxpayer and student-funded initiatives that should be a choice.
Ending the prohibition of marijuana.
Jacobson: I do disagree on this topic. While perhaps not true for all, for some, marijuana is a gatewaydrug. Further, the marijuana of today is not the marijuana of decades ago. Finally, legalizing marijuana only makes it far easier for dealers to sell the product at a loss on the street while lacing it with more addictive drugs in hopes of pushing far more serious and illegal drugs on unsuspecting purchasers.
Protecting our state’s natural resources & environment.
Jacobson: As I mentioned above, we all enjoy the environment and desire a healthy climate. However,there comes a point where government regulation is absurd. We must strive for policy that strikes an appropriate balance between protection and overreach that is breaking the backs of everyday people and small, local governments.
Abortion in Wisconsin.
Jacobson: I believe life starts at conception, it is precious at every stage, and should always beprotected. This is why I am proud to be, and am the only candidate in this primary, endorsed by Pro-Life Wisconsin. From personal experience, there are plenty of people who would make fantastic parents but for whatever reason are unable to conceive children of their own. Adoption is a wonderful option for both an expecting mother who feels unprepared to raise a child and a loving couple who wants one more than ever. In the Legislature, I will work to cut the red tape and expense that has put adoption out of reach for far too many wonderful people in hopes of encouraging more expecting mothers to bring life into the world.