Sasha Ripley for Wisconsin
Candidate for Wisconsin’s 13th Senate District
Working Class Candidate, Teacher, Life Long Wisconsinite
My name is Sasha Ripley. I am a working-class candidate from a working-class family. I was born in and have lived in the 13th Senate District most of my adult life. My grandparents were small business owners in Marquette County. They owned a small resort and landscaping business on Montello Lake. My father was a mechanic, worked road construction and is a proud Vietnam veteran. I was the first person on my mother’s side of the family to graduate from college.
I am running for Wisconsin State Senate because the people of Wisconsin deserve a representative who works for them. Someone who shows up and fights for the working-class, the middle-class, the small business owners, and the farmers. The representatives in our district have not been working for us. I want to help Wisconsin residents build a better economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest Wisconsinites and the big corporations. The current system doesn’t work for everyday Americans, and we all can step up to make the change and create a system built for everyone. We need new ideas, a new vision, and new opportunities. The same old isn’t working for Wisconsin anymore. I ask you to have the courage to vote for change and to join me in having faith and hope to believe we can provide real change.
About Me
Like many Wisconsinites, I grew up in a low-income household and I have intimate knowledge of what it means to be poor. As a child I spent several years in an impoverished home, and I was lucky enough to be offered a job at the local grocery store while I was in middle school. I walked or rode my bike to work and I was grateful to have the income to buy food and clothing for myself. I was taught and I believed that if I went to college and I worked hard enough I would eventually be able to dig my way out of poverty. Unfortunately, this often isn’t true in today’s world that favors the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us.
I’m a teacher and we all know that people don’t choose to be educators to become rich and powerful. I’ve spent much of my life teaching GED and HSED classes to low-income adults because I truly believe in the value of a great education. I chose to become an educator to help my community and make a difference, which is also why I chose to run for Wisconsin State Senate. I want to help the community that I love and make a positive impact that truly helps people. I saw a need for change and made a decision to do something about it.
I graduated from UW Stevens Point with a bachelor’s degree in broad field social sciences, history, and education. I’ve worked in several local, county, and state positions so I have first-hand knowledge of how government works. I worked at a small, local pharmacy for 8 years while putting myself through college as a single mom and I have a degree in medical coding.
You name a challenge or obstacle, and I’ve likely encountered it or have had a close loved one or family member who has. These challenges and setbacks have made life more difficult for me; however the silver lining is that I understand because I’ve been there. I understand the problem and I understand how to create a realistic solution.
I will work hard to find common-sense policies that will benefit everyone, and work across the aisle to solve the problems our communities face. Let’s be courageous enough to choose change.
Issues
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Too many people in Wisconsin can’t afford their rent or to buy a home of their own. The American dream of owning your own home is quickly disappearing. Many Wisconsinites are paying over 60% of their income on housing. Young people graduating from college or getting married and starting a family can’t afford housing.
I will focus on increasing the supply of housing and bringing down prices. We must build rental housing and single-family homes in rural areas. Rural Wisconsin residents are often forgotten when it comes to housing. Increasing supply results in more competition and less demand which will naturally bring down prices. Building new homes will also create new jobs, boost the economy, and benefit small, local businesses. Working class people and young people are often renters and we need to increase renter protections for them.
I will propose a program to build modest and affordable single-family homes in rural areas to sell to working- class and middle-class families at cost and very low interest rates. I will also propose a program for building quality and attractive apartment buildings in rural areas. We must stop the band-aid approach of throwing money into subsidies and get to the root of the cause of the housing crisis. Wisconsin needs to start using tax money to build, not just subsidize. Grants, vouchers, and down-payment assistance are important tools as long as we also increase housing supply.
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All Wisconsin residents deserve the opportunity to be happy, healthy, prosperous and safe in return for their hard work. When the working-class and middle-class are prosperous and have money to spend on goods and services in the local economy, everyone benefits. Small businesses, small farms, and big corporations will be more successful when everyday Wisconsinites have money to spend on their products.
I am focused on lowering taxes for small businesses, small farms, and the middle-class to combat the hardships they’re facing due to tariffs. I will also work to temporarily expand the earned income tax credit to provide more spending money for lower income people who are working hard but still can’t pay their bills. Right now, small business owners, farmers, and everyday Americans desperately need help dealing with rising costs in groceries, healthcare, prescription medications, housing, and education.
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I’ve worked hard and I’ve remained focused on achieving a better life and being successful. However, like many of you, I’ve been unlucky enough to face significant health problems such as a pituitary tumor which required brain surgery and a meningitis infection which left me unable to work for a long period of time. I learned firsthand how quickly an illness or accident can leave you in financial distress. Most of us are just one illness or accident or a lost job away from being homeless. I am committed to expanding Medicaid and to reducing the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs.
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The government should never interfere with a woman’s right to choose when or how to start a family and should not have authority over a woman’s reproductive healthcare. I will work to ensure Wisconsin women always have the right to choose. I will also fight for the continued presence of Planned Parenthood offices throughout Wisconsin. There were many times in my life that I didn’t have access to health insurance, and I relied on the affordable and quality care provided by Planned Parenthood. Wisconsin women must continue to have access to these services in the future.