Jay Schmelling

The 35^th District

Wisconsin’s 35^th Assembly District is located in the heart of the Northwoods. The district includes all of Lincoln County, and incorporates parts of Langlade, Oneida, and Marathon Counties. Recent voting trends suggest that the district is evenly split along party lines, and may be leaning slightly Democratic.

In 2004, Senator Russ Feingold won re-election with ease, receiving over 55% of the vote in the district. Governor Doyle also made another strong showing in the district by garnering over 53% in his re-election in 2006.

The Race for State Assembly

The race for the seat in the 35^th district is highly anticipated as one of the more competitive contests throughout the state. This race will play a pivotal role as part of the Democratic strategy to win the majority in the Assembly for the first time in over 14 years. In the previous election, incumbent Republican Donald Friske ran unopposed in the district and was elected to his fourth consecutive term. However, the 35^th has proven to be a classic swing district, and Democratic strategists are encouraged by the exceptional performance of recent Democratic candidates within the district. Voters are thrilled to have such a strong candidate running for the Assembly in 2008.

A Labor and Industry Leader

Jay Schmelling currently serves in Business Development for the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association. Jay's construction industry experience in negotiation, leveraging, consensus building and business development give him a unique perspective on what it takes to create job growth. “A middle class economy doesn't just happen. It is developed by nurturing small business just like in the construction industry where the average contractor has 10 employees”, he said. The time Jay has spent working from both sides of the collective bargaining process over his 30-year career gives him the requisite experience to serve the 35^th district by working with everyone in the Assembly, regardless of party. As he simply puts it “A good idea is a good idea, I don’t care where it comes from.”

In his active roll with the Bio-Industry Alliance, Jay has worked tirelessly to promote a strong commitment to renewable energy. He contends that with the ever-increasing cost of fuel and the demand for alternative fuels, North-Central Wisconsin has the opportunity to prosper from its diverse resources, and engage in a relatively untapped renewable fuel market within the energy sector. This will provide the area with new family supporting jobs.

Committed to Family and Community

Jay resides with his wife, Debbie, in the Lincoln County Town of Pine River near the Langlade and Marathon County lines. They have four adult children, and three grandchildren. The couple attend St. John the Baptist Parish in Bloomville where Jay serves on the Maintenance Committee, sings in the choir and is in his seventh year as director of the Parish carnival.

Jay is deeply concerned over the area’s loss of family supporting jobs and access to affordable healthcare throughout the community. He also understands the profound impact this has on small business owners and their families. Jay recognizes that a community is not just a geographic location; “it’s an interrelated group of people whose individual actions influence the lives of everyone in the community.”

What People Are Saying About Jay Schmelling

“I like Jay’s approach to changing the way business is conducted in Madison. He is open to new ideas and understands that the people of the district expect our representatives to focus on the merit of an idea rather than on its party of origin”.

Tom Koth, Retired Republican Lincoln County Sheriff.

“This just demonstrates we have a candidate in Jay Schmelling who will represent all the people of our district. His legislative principles remind me of Representative Tom Ourada who I and many other Langlade County Democrats supported even though he was a Republican.”

Tom Bauknecht, Vice Chair of the Langlade County Democratic Party

“I like Jay’s bipartisan demeanor on issues important to the people of his district. He is very concerned about families unable to get affordable health care coverage and passionate about finding a solution. I think he will become a leader on this issue.”

Herbert “Bert” Grover, Retired Superintendent for the Department of Public Instruction.