LETTER TO 38
District 38 is not just a district on a map to me. It is home. It's where I was raised, where my family lives, where I chose to build my life, and where I am raising my children. These communities — many of them rural, all of them filled with hardworking, good-hearted people — shaped who I am. And that is exactly why I am asking for the privilege of representing you.
Now, I want to say something important before we dive in. National politics matters. We should all be paying attention. But sometimes — and I think you know what I mean — national noise can drown out the issues that actually shape our daily lives right here at home. State and local legislation touches everything: our schools, our hospitals, our roads, our safety.
My platform stands on three pillars — and every single one of them hits close to home for the people of District 38.
PILLAR ONE: STRONG PUBLIC EDUCATION
I believe — deeply, fiercely — that education is the great equalizer. It is the one thing that can give every child, regardless of background or circumstance, a genuine shot at a good life. But here is something we must never lose sight of: children don't get to pick their zip codes. They don't choose their school district. They don't choose their circumstances. And they should never be punished for it.
Every child in District 38 deserves the same opportunities — full stop. But that promise is slipping away. Right now, Wisconsin is funding two parallel education systems: our constitutionally mandated public schools, and an ever-expanding private voucher program that started in Milwaukee in 1990 and has spread across the entire state since 2011. Our property taxpayers cannot sustain both. Something has to give — and I refuse to let it be our kids.
We also desperately need to modernize the public school funding formula, which has not been meaningfully updated since 1993. Let that sink in. I have spent nearly 12 years on the Jefferson School Board. I have sat across the table from legislators, year after year, fighting for our schools. I know this system inside and out — and I know it needs to change.
And we cannot talk about education without talking about Artificial Intelligence. AI is not going away. Our students are already using it. The question is not whether it will shape their futures — it's how. We owe it to them to make sure they understand it, use it responsibly, and are protected from its most dangerous misuses. That means smart guardrails and real legislation. Preparing our kids for the world they are actually entering — not the world of 1993 — is one of the most urgent things we can do right now.
PILLAR TWO: COST OF LIVING
Let me be direct: working families in this district are struggling. And we have to stop tiptoeing around it.
As a registered nurse for 20 years, I have seen what great healthcare does for people when they have access to it — and I have watched families choose cheaper, less effective care because they simply could not afford their deductible, or had no insurance at all. In District 38, roughly half of our neighbors are 45 and older. If we do not maintain a well-insured population, our rural hospitals and emergency departments will not be able to stay open. These facilities depend on insured patients to survive. By law, they must treat everyone who walks through the door — insured or not.
If our rural hospitals are forced to close, a heart attack or a stroke could mean the nearest emergency care is in Oconomowoc or Madison. Minutes matter. This is not an abstract policy debate. This is life and death for the people of this district. We must increase access and bring down the cost of good health insurance — period.
Affordable housing and child care are just as urgent. If families cannot afford to buy homes or raise children here, they will leave. And when they leave, we lose teachers. We lose nurses. We lose the workforce our communities depend on — especially as our population ages and needs more care, not less.
Here is a number I want you to remember: Jefferson County has a 10.5% poverty rate. Dodge County sits at 8.1%. Many families in this district fall into a category called ALICE — Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.
Asset Limited — they don't own their homes. They are paying rent and building no equity. Income Constrained — they are living with little to no savings. One emergency room visit away from bankruptcy. Employed — they are working full time and still cannot get above water.
These are not people who are failing. These are people the system is failing. They work hard, they play by the rules, and they still cannot afford the basics: housing, childcare, food, transportation, healthcare. That demands serious change — and it demands leadership that refuses to look the other way.
PILLAR THREE: SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
I want to fight for communities where every single person — no matter where they live — has access to safety, health, and support.
Let me say this clearly: mental health is health. It is time we treated it that way. We need a stronger mental health infrastructure in rural Wisconsin. We need to create real incentives to attract mental health professionals to communities that desperately need them. And we need to fund accessible remote mental health options for those who want or need them.
I want to say something about suicide, because I think it needs to be said out loud. Death by suicide is preventable. One loss is too many. We cannot keep losing people to something we have the tools to address. This matters to me personally, and it will matter in my work in Madison.
Reliable, robust funding for EMS, fire, and police is not negotiable. Emergencies happen every single day in every community. Your safety should never depend on your address.
Education. Affordability. Safe and healthy communities. Those are my commitments to you —the real work I am prepared to do every single day.
Strong schools, affordable healthcare, safe communities — these things help everyone. Children who can't vote. Seniors on fixed incomes. Families who feel left behind by political division. This campaign is for all of them.
I remind myself every day of two truths that guide everything I do: "High tides lift all boats" — and "We ALL do better when we ALL do better."
Today is just the beginning. In the days ahead, I will need your ideas, your energy, and your voice. If you can contribute financially, every dollar genuinely makes a difference. And if giving money isn't possible right now, that is okay. I understand — and I still need you. Canvassing, phone calls, hosting an event, putting up a yard sign, or simply talking to your friends and neighbors about what's at stake — that is how we win this thing together.
Talk to people. Tell them about District 38. Tell them to reach out. Tell them Terri Wenkman is listening.
Thank you so much for being apart of this great adventure. Now let's get to work.