Meet Liz Sumner, Candidate For 23rd State Assembly Seat

FOX POINT, WI — Liz Sumner, a Fox Point resident and member of the Village Board, is running for Wisconsin's 23rd State Assembly, seat which serves residents as far north as Cedarburg and covers municipalities such as Mequon, Bayside, Fox Point and Whitefish Bay.

Patch spoke with her campaign to provide a summary of her experience, political leanings and key issues to help you get to know Sumner a little better and to help you decide who you would like as your next State Rep.

She's running in a crowded Democratic primary, which is Tuesday, August 14, 2018.

Name: Liz Sumner
Age: 43
Hometown: Fox Point, Wisconsin
Occupation: Small business owner and member of the Fox Point Village Board

Please characterize where you fall on the political spectrum (liberal/moderate/conservative, etc.):
I consider myself to be a strong progressive whose values reflect the needs of all Wisconsinites. We all want a strong public education system and feel public dollars belong in public schools; we all want to see health care be truly affordable while at the same time ensuring everyone who needs it has access; and we all want to protect our natural environment and preserve our land, air, and water for generations to come.

Please describe your relevant political experience:
I served a three year term on the Fox Point Village board and was re-elected this past Spring. I'm also proud to be a graduate of Emerge Wisconsin, a statewide network of progressive women who choose to run for public office. Having been involved in our community for so many years, I'm ready to serve the people of the 23rd district the same way I've served the people of Fox Point on our village board: with a forward-thinking approach and an eye toward the future.

Please talk about the top 1 or 2 leading issues in your campaign and how you plan to approach them if elected:
Our campaign has knocked on thousands of doors across the district and we encounter the concern over our environment always being near the top of everyone's list. We need to approach this issue while thinking generationally and ensure that polluters are held accountable. We can't have a state that gives away our natural resources for profit, and we can't allow large corporations to be dumping potentially hazardous materials into our drinking water.

We also have to take on the issue of public education. Our district has fantastic public schools. However, we have to be proactive and ensure that we have a sustainable funding source. We need to end the era of going to referendum to fund our schools while relying solely on property taxes. I feel it is the state's job to make a larger contribution toward funding public education and I will work toward having the state make a 2/3's contribution. We also have to be sure that public dollars go to public schools and resources are not taken away from public education and given to for-profit and/or unaccountable institutions.

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