Rep. Sensenbrenner Declared Winner In District 5 GOP Primary

U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, who was first elected to Congress in 1978, was declared the winner Tuesday in his first primary race in the last 10 years. Jennifer Vipond, a pediatrician from Elm Grove, had challenged the 75-year-old Republican congressman. With all precincts reporting, Sensenbrenner captured 81.2 percent of the vote to Vipond's 18.8 percent in unofficial returns.

The winner will face Democrat Tom Palzewicz of Brookfield in November.

Sensenbrenner touted his experience in Congress and his conservative politics while Vipond, 55, said voters were ready for a change. She described herself as a fiscal conservative who is moderate on social issues.

Vipond focused on health care issues in her campaign. She has said that guidance from physicians is needed for creating health care policy and lawmakers need to reduce health care costs. Vipond has been a pediatrician with Medical Associates/Prohealthcare in Waukesha for 27 years.

Vipond said that as a doctor she has seen the effects of the opioid epidemic "in all of its ugly forms."

Sensenbrenner told the Journal Sentinel that he is working on legislation to provide a "comprehensive response" to the opioid crisis. He said the bill gives the Drug Enforcement Administration more power to intercept imports of opioid "analog" drugs.

"We've got to make that illegal and shut them down," he said. "My bill gives law enforcement more tools to arrest and prosecute people."

The district covers most of Waukesha County, portions of Dodge, Milwaukee and Walworth counties and all of Washington and Jefferson counties.

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