Cliff Taylor.

Rob Summerfield.

Karen Hurd.

Lori Voss.

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The August 13 fall primary is coming up, and when the dust settles voters will know who the final GOP contender is in state assembly districts 68 and 69, as well as the answer on two ballot questions.

Up before voters August 13 in District 69 are competing GOP candidates Lori Voss and Karen Hurd, while in District 68 it’s Rob Summerfield versus Cliff Taylor.

The contests come after Hurd (representing District 68 at present) and Summerfield (representing District 67 currently) were closed out of representing their former districts by new district maps this spring.

Hurd chose to move for a chance to continue representing voters, while Summerfield chose to run in the district as redrawn without relocating.

As for District 68, Summerfield has gained the endorsement of former representative James Edming, who represented District 87 until new maps placed his hometown outside the district.

 “While it was incredibly difficult to decide not to seek re-election to the State Assembly, I know that my constituents who now reside in the new 68th Assembly District will be represented well by Rob,” Edming said. “Together he and I fought successfully to stop the extreme liberal agenda pushed by Governor Evers and Democrats in Madison. We also made sure to get common sense reforms passed to help our families, businesses, and communities. I encourage everyone who has supported me over the years to join me in supporting Rob this fall and send a proven conservative back to Madison.”

Challenging Summerfield, meanwhile, Cliff Taylor is a four-decade resident of Ladysmith and founder of Colonial Nursery, a Ladysmith area nursery and landscaping business. Married to wife Kathy, Taylor is also founder of Heart of the North Brewing Company, a microbrewery and community hub near the nursery greenhouses.

Alongside his business career, Taylor has been active in local governments, serving several terms on the Rusk County Board of Supervisors, advocating for fewer regulations and strong property rights and challenging budget decisions by the board. He professes himself to be a “constitutional conservative” and is committed to addressing both state and national issues with the same energy he has brought to the local area, pledging to be an independent voice in the state legislature who prioritizes the needs and rights of his constituents.

Readers can find more on Taylor at clifftaylorforwi.com, while more on Summerfield is available at https://www.robsummerfield4assembly.org.

As for Assembly District 69, there are two choices for the GOP on the August 13 primary ballot, Lori Voss of Abbotsford and Karen Hurd of rural Withee.

The only candidate for District 69 with a state legislative record thus far, Hurd has served on several committees in Madison, including the Agricultural Committee, Corrections Committee, Energy Committee, Family Law Committee, and Rural Development Committee, among others. As District 68 representative she authored a bill for 100-day Senior which aids seniors and taxpayers by reducing trips to the pharmacy and cutting dispensing fees. She has also authored two other bills, one that would seek to provide 1,200 bed for the severely mentally ill and work at de-stigmatizing mental health, and another called the Mainstreet Housing Bill that created a revolving loan fund for the rehabilitation of mainstream housing.

Hurd has also coauthored a bill on the child and dependent care tax credit as well as one assigning money previously allocated for healthy initiatives but never used and directed this to support Wisconsin agriculture and SNAP benefit recipients. She has been married to her husband Steve for 46 years, with five children and six grandchildren and has served in the United States Army.

As for Voss, she is a retired veteran, small business owner, and has served as mayor and city council member in Abbotsford, among other qualifications. With a 42 year record of public service, she is also an EMT with Central Fire and EMS for the past 14 years and served in the Army National Guard.

“I have always stood for the Stars and Stripes, kneeled for the cross and I will always carry these values forward as our area’s voice in Madison,” Voss shared of her candidacy. “I love rural Wisconsin and have lived here all my life, raised my children here and now am asking for your vote to bring my experience and the values we share to Madison.”

Growing up on a local dairy farm, Voss promises to restore common sense to government and protect the unborn, among others.

“My promise to voters is to work to restore common sense to government by supporting local law enforcement, standing up against woke ideologies, protecting the unborn, closing our open borders, and getting government out of the way of economic development,” Voss said. She faces Hurd in a primary later this year.

Websites and social media have both been set up for Hurd and Voss, with Hurd’s website being www.karenhurdforassembly.com while Voss is on Facebook at Lori Voss for State Assembly.

Also registered for candidacy in District 69 but without a primary challenger are Roger Halls of Stanley (Democrat) and Joshua Kelley (Independent), with more information on Hall’s candidacy at hallsforwi.com.

Also registered in District 68 is Richard Pulcher (Democrat). Pulcher has no primary challenger August 13, his campaign website listed as www.richardpulcher.com at Ballotpedia.

Voters can find their polling place as well as registration information at https://myvotewi.gov, including same day voter registration August 13. A personal ID or piece of mail proving residency are among accepted forms of identification for those in need of voter registration.