Mike Van Someren
Attorney
Democrat
Delafield
Elected Experience
None
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
Voters who want a government focused on affordability, transparency, accountability, and enforcing the rules evenly should vote for me. I believe government should work like a fair referee: making sure families can afford a decent life, powerful interests play by the same rules as everyone else, and taxpayers know where their money is going. I’m not running to just talk about problems or wait for the perfect solution while families keep falling behind. I’m running to do something: to bring practical, accountable leadership to Madison, make progress where we can, and fight for working families who feel like the system is no longer built with them in mind.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
The top issue is affordability. That includes groceries and gas, but it goes well beyond that. It’s property taxes, utility rates, housing, and most importantly, wages not keeping up with the cost of living. The first step is getting the market working again. That means reinvigorating antitrust enforcement so powerful companies cannot squeeze families, workers, and small businesses. It means limiting noncompete agreements to narrow situations where they are truly needed, not letting them trap workers in lower-wage jobs. It also means funding our priorities responsibly, instead of pushing costs onto local property taxpayers. And when we as taxpayers invest in private companies, those companies must perform. If they don’t, taxpayers should get their money back.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
Wisconsin government should operate with more transparency, accountability, and focus that it had in the past. Too often, Madison debates slogans while families deal with the consequences including rising costs, underfunded priorities, and rules that apply differently depending on how much power somebody has. Government needs to be more practical. It should identify problems, set clear goals, measure whether policies are working, and be honest when they aren’t. It needs to stop pushing costs down to local communities and then blaming them for rising property taxes. It should also make sure that when taxpayer dollars are used to partner with private companies, the public gets a return on that investment. I don't believe government needs to be bigger or smaller. It just needs to work.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's football field, Camp Randall, was actually a Civil War training grounds which was previously the state fair. Now it's a 76,000+ seat stadium.