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Five vie for 45th District

BELOIT — Two more people have joined what’s getting to be a full race to replace a Beloit Democrat in the 45th District in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Five people—three Republicans and two Democrats—seek to replace Chuck Benedict, who will not seek a fourth term.

The two newest candidates are Democrat Rick Valdez of Beloit and Republican Amy Loudenbeck of Clinton Township.

Valdez is a Beloit native. He is the former director of operations for the Beloit Snappers and is a member of the Riverfest Board of Directors, according to a news release from his campaign.

He recently attended Army National Guard training in Ft. Jackson, S.C., but had to leave the training because of a minor back injury, Valdez’s news release states.

Loudenbeck, 40, is self-employed as a landlord, business coach and regulatory compliance consultant. Prior to that, she worked as the vice president of the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce. She graduated from UW-Madison in 1991 with degrees in political science and international relations.

Loudenbeck lives on a hobby farm in Clinton Township. She said her business experience and rural lifestyle qualify her to understand the diversity of the 45th District.

“There’s a piece of me that understands all the aspects of this district,” Loudenbeck said. “I can go from the conference room to the coffee shop to the cattle show.”

The other candidates in the district include:

-- Democrat Roger B. Anclam, 54, of 7928 S. Butterfly Road in Turtle Township. Anclam is a retired Janesville General Motors worker and the chairman of the Turtle Town Board.

-- Republican Jeffrey Klett, 1980 Boulder Lane, Beloit. Klett is the vice president of Tricor Insurance.

-- Republican Jim Reseburg, 1641 East Ridge Road, Beloit. Reseburg is a former fire chief for the Beloit Fire Department and a former member of the Beloit School Board.

The partisan primary election will be Sept 14. The general election will be Nov. 2.