How Stephen Ratzlaff became a Candidate and had Success in Dane County

Last summer, I was at a McDonald's on the corner of  Century Avenue and Allen Boulevard in Middleton. While downing a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, I noticed a tall fellow with a Reagan T-shirt in line to order. I yelled "Nice T-shirt!" to him. 

The man turned around and it was none other than my old friend Stephen Ratzlaff who I had not seen in many years! We had worked together 25 years ago at American TV. We started talking and soon he indicated a desire to run for office. 

I suggested linking up with the local Republican Party and that's what he did.   

He wanted to run for Dane County Executive.  He got some assistance getting his signatures from a few locals including myself and Jim Fortner in the bitter cold winter. Navin Jarugumilli helped him with his website. And I got him posted on https://danecounty.com/ where he still remains. 

So how did it turn out?

In the spring election on April 1, conservative candidate Stephen Ratzlaff got 19% of the vote for Dane County Executive. That may not sound impressive, but it's better than the 18% garnered by high-profile Supreme Court Justice candidate Brad Schimel. The point is that a great local candidate had coat tails and helped pull the whole ticket upward. Stephen is a very friendly guy, and candidates like him can appeal to Dane County voters that don't like Trump.

Stephen isn't done yet. He may run again!

Editor’s Note

This is a great example of how candidates are found and politics are changed at the grassroots level.  See an opportunity, reach out to your friends, and give it a try.