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Davis re-elected to Assembly

For the first time in three elections, Republican Brett Davis won Rock County as voters re-elected him to the Assembly.

He beat Democrat John Waelti.

“It’s very humbling that we were successful in this campaign given all the circumstances surrounding the difficult environment for Republicans across the board,” Davis said. “It is very humbling.”

He attributed the win to the work he and his campaign did for the people he represents.

“We focused on issues that really matter to people, trying to keep the economy moving, lowering health care costs, fighting for seniors, strengthening education,” he said. “I think it resonated with people and that’s how we were able to win.”

Waelti, a retired economist, said it was a tough but good race.

“We ran a good race; (it’s) tough against a two-term incumbent. That’s always tough. … We just did the best we could and ran a clean race,” he said.

His campaign received a lot of comments on how well it handled the race given all the negativity thrown at it from third parties, he said.

Waelti said he always would have wondered, “What if?” if he hadn’t run. He said he has no aspirations to run again, but the experience has given him ideas on how to improve the system, which he will write about in newspaper columns.

The field of candidates for state office narrows when they have to campaign for 12 to 18 months, he said.

Davis said he plans to work on the issues he’s been campaigning on before the next session begins.

Among the priorities are focusing on economic development policies and working in a bipartisan fashion, he said.

Solving problems such as the economy can’t be done in a bickering, partisan way, he said, and that happens too often in Washington and Madison.

“I think tonight’s a pretty good reflection that that’s what people want. (They) want people who are going to work together,” he said.

Davis said his constituents don’t care which party has control when it comes to problem solving.

“The people I represent don’t care if it’s a Democrat or Republican or Independent idea. What they care is, ‘Is it a good idea and is it going to help me?’” he said. “That’s the way I look at it.”