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Beloit pair look to challenge Benedict in 45th

Photo

James A. Reseburg

BELOIT — Two former Beloit School Board members have announced they will run for an Assembly seat held by a Democrat.

Jim Reseburg, 2726 Sharon Drive, Beloit, and Jeff Klett, 1980 Boulder Lane, Beloit, are vying for the seat in the 45th Assembly District.

Both are Republicans.

The position is held by Democrat Chuck Benedict, a former physician, who was re-elected to a third term in November 2008. Benedict has told WCLO radio that he will seek re-election, but has not yet filed his declaration of candidacy with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board.

Klett said Beloit residents are tired of the way things are going in Madison.

“I think we need to make some changes in the way we do business in Madison,” Klett wrote in a news release. “People are weary of government taking more while providing less. The answer is not raising taxes again, it’s creating an organizational structure that works and that is accountable to the people of our state.”

Klett is the vice president of TRICOR Insurance, he wrote in a news release. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce, the Beloit Snappers, and Spotlight on Wisconsin.

Klett is a past president of the Beloit Aquatic Team, and the Wisconsin Association of Health Underwriters.

He was on the Beloit School Board from 2005 to 2008. He served as the board president in 2007 and 2008.

Klett is a 1972 graduate of Beloit Memorial High School. In 1976, he graduated from UW-Whitewater, where he earned a degree in safety education

Reseburg said he wants to bring his knowledge of emergency services to state government. The state is in dire need of that knowledge, Reseburg said.

“My expertise and my experience could help state government because I believe state government is in a crisis and should be in disaster mode right now,” Reseburg said.

Reseburg retired in 2003 as the fire chief in the city of Beloit.

He served on the Beloit School board from 1997 to 2003. He also served on boards for Southern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois Family Services, Riverfest and the Beloit Memorial High School Booster Club, he said.

Reseburg graduated from Beloit Memorial High School and earned an associate degree in fire science from Blackhawk Technical College.

In 1993, he graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officers Program.

Reseburg works as a consultant and disaster-planning trainer for municipalities and universities. He owns Emergency Planning Solutions consulting firm. He has done adjunct faculty work for the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 1993.