By Jeni Johnson / May 2006 issue of Socialist Action newspaper
This April, a member of Socialist Action, Adam Ritscher, was elected as the District Six County Board Supervisor for the Douglas County Board in Superior, Wis. Ritscher’s victory is especially remarkable since he was not only the first openly socialist candidate in decades but also the first socialist candidate in over a century to be elected in the area.
Among other things, the Douglas county board is responsible for providing many of the health and social services in the area, conservation, the management of county properties such as county forest and other lands, road maintenance, and community education. Ritscher will be working to add a socialist perspective to all of these issues.
Ritscher started his campaign by going door to door collecting signatures from the constituents of his district. After he received double the necessary amount, campaign supporters did a lit drop that included his platform, a short biography of Ritscher, and also the reasons why people should vote for a socialist candidate. His work paid off when the election came; Ritscher won with a vote of 42 to 0!
There are many issues Ritscher will be working for in his new position. The first is the fight against the construction of the Arrowhead-Weston Transmission line. He will also work towards the full funding of health and social services, increasing conservation and environmental programs, the use of union contractors for county work, and for getting the board to join in fighting the Montgomery bill in the state legislature.
Most important, Ritscher will be working to increase the presence of a working-class voice on the county board.
