Criste Greening

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Criste Greening

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

High school

Nekoosa High School

Bachelor's

University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, 1999

Graduate

St. Mary's University of Minnesota, 2001

Personal

Birthplace

Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

Profession

Teacher

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Criste Greening (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent District 72. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Greening completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Criste Greening was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. She obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, in 1999 and a master's degree from Saint Mary's University-Minnesota in 2001. Her professional experience includes working as an online teacher, teaching English to second language learners.

Greening has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• Central Sands Water Action Coalition
• Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network
• Socially Responsible Agricultural project
• Citizens Water Coalition of Wisconsin

Elections

2022

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2022

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Incumbent Scott Krug defeated Criste Greening in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Krug (R)	62.1	16,473
		Criste Greening (D)	37.8	10,027
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	11

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,511
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Criste Greening advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Criste Greening	99.9	3,564
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	4

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,568
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Incumbent Scott Krug advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on August 9, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Krug	99.5	7,294
		Other/Write-in votes	0.5	34

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,328
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2020

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Incumbent Scott Krug defeated Criste Greening in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Krug (R)	60.3	19,208
		Criste Greening (D)	39.6	12,623
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	20

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,851
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Criste Greening advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Criste Greening	99.9	3,909
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	5

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,914
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• David Gorski (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

Incumbent Scott Krug advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 72 on August 11, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Scott Krug	99.8	5,179
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	12

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,191
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Greening's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Criste Greening completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Greening's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Criste Greening, running to represent Wisconsin's 72nd State Assembly District. I was born and raised right here in Central Wisconsin and I'm proud of the life I've built here with my husband and three kids.

I'm a wife, mother, and former public school teacher. I'm a grassroots organizer, a clean water advocate, and a community volunteer. I love good coffee, campfires, gardening, and treasure the rare occasion when I can get all three children home at the same time for a family meal. My family is my rock, they are my biggest supporters and my proudest accomplishment.

I wear many hats throughout my day, but the one thing they all have in common is my focus on creating a better future and a better tomorrow for the citizens of Wisconsin. For years we have watched as party platforms and politics have dominated our state legislature with little regard to the impacts these decisions had on the citizens. This has led to irresponsible and damaging legislation forced upon the citizens of Wisconsin. It is time to bring true representative government back to the citizens of this state.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• People Over Party is my campaign slogan and I stand behind this message wholeheartedly. I am an Independent voter running for office under the Democratic flag and will always put the beliefs and values of our collective communities above all else.
• Citizens deserve representation reflective of their collective communities' beliefs and values. As an elected official it is our duty to listen and communicate regularly with constituents about confusing or contentious legislation to ensure their true voices are being heard and acted upon.
• Wisconsin needs to focus on long term solutions in place of ineffective band-aides. It is time for indepth solutions to the detrimental issues that face our state such as clean water and educational funding.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a former school teacher with 20 years of experience, I can tell you firsthand how the extreme budget cuts over the years have led to a decline in student achievement, teacher morale, and declining growth in our public school system. Overall funding and the priority of funding private voucher and charter school programs first before our public schools has been devastating to districts across our state. Appropriate and equitable funding must be addressed and reinstated. Affordable healthcare is another area I feel very passionate about. Wisconsin continues to be one of only twelve states still refusing Federal funds to expand Medicaid, losing out on billions of dollars in assistance. This is being done simply because of party politics and at the expense of our most vulnerable Wisconsin citizens. It is time for the party political game playing to stop and for our elected officials to start working together to do the job they were hired to do, and represent the people!

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

First and foremost I believe am a responsive leader. I pride myself on always looking to see/hear both sides of an argument before voicing an opinion or determination. Working within the public school system with high school-aged students who displayed emotional and behavioral difficulties, I often had to work toward compromise and partnership in order to be successful in moving a student past a difficult hurdle or disagreement. This skill has also served me well when working with adults in a variety of settings to devise solutions that are tolerable and workable by all parties involved. Building bridges to form compromise is something I do often and I do well. I feel this is my strongest attribute and one that will be needed in the state's current political environment.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I can remember clearly is the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, I was in the 5th grade. It was the first time a school teacher, Christa McAuliffe, would be on a mission into space. Our entire 5th-grade population was packed into one large classroom to sit on the floor and watch the launch live on a single-screen television. Our Science teachers had been talking about the launch for weeks, with many wishing it was them who would be going into space. I remember, for a room of 5th-grade children, the room became incredibly silent as we watched the event unfold. Many of our teachers cried openly in front of us all, to this day I can remember the event clearly.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe it is important for elected officials to have previous experience in government or politics in order to run for political office as long as they have a basic knowledge and understanding of how government works. I believe the longer one is in politics the more they are swayed to follow the majority or suggestions of lobbying groups instead of listening to their constituents. In fact, I believe the direct opposite, real everyday people are the best Representatives of the masses. They bring fresh ideas, and a unique/different perspective, and are not afraid to try new ways of getting the job done.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

As an Independent and individual who believes in a true representative government, I fully support a non-partisan redistricting commission. The people's wishes should always be the leading motivation for enacting new, or revising current, legislation. In the future, I would also like to see a Constitutional Amendment to solidify the mandatory use of a non-partisan commission for all redistricting requirements.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Criste Greening completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Greening's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm Criste Greening, running to represent Wisconsin's 72nd State Assembly District. I was born and raised right here in Central Wisconsin and I'm proud of the life I've built here with my husband and three kids.

I'm a wife, mother, and former public school teacher. I'm a grassroots organizer, a clean water advocate, and a community volunteer. I love good coffee, campfires, gardening, and treasure the rare occasion when I can get all three children home at the same time for a family meal. My family is my rock, they are my biggest supporters and my proudest accomplishment.

I wear many hats throughout my day, but the one thing they all have in common is my focus on creating a better future and a better tomorrow for the citizens of Wisconsin. For years we have watched as party platforms and politics have dominated our state legislature with little regard to the impacts these decisions had on the citizens. This has led to irresponsible and damaging legislation forced upon the citizens of Wisconsin. It is time to bring true representative government back to the citizens of this state.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• People Over Party is my campaign slogan and I stand behind this message wholeheartedly. I am an Independent voter running for office under the Democratic flag and will always put the beliefs and values of our collective communities above all else.
• Citizens deserve representation reflective of their collective communities' beliefs and values.   As an elected official it is our duty to listen and communicate regularly with constituents about confusing or contentious legislation to ensure their true voices are being heard and acted upon.
• Wisconsin needs to focus on long term solutions in place of ineffective band-aides. It is time for indepth solutions to the detrimental issues that face our state such as clean water and educational funding.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I have passions I feel I can articulate well and work on from a solid knowledge base, these being education and clean water/environmental issues. I spent 15 years collectively working within an alternative school system and eventually the public school system as a special education teacher. I have observed both the highs and the lows within our various schools. Designing and advocating for a fair and equitable funding system for our public schools is essential. We can not continue to do more with less and expect the same exceptional outcome Wisconsin families are accustomed to. The school funding formula must change and previous funding from past budget cuts reinstated. My second passion is clean water. I grew up playing on the banks of the Wisconsin River, environmental stewardship has always been at the forefront of my thoughts and actions. Over the past 8 years, I have testified in Madison in front of Senate and Assembly committees on countless occasions opposing bad water legislation of all kinds. Wisconsin's legacy of natural resource conservation has been decimated by previous leadership. It is time to bring our proud heritage of natural resource conservation back to Wisconsin.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

First and foremost I believe am a responsive leader.  I pride myself on always looking to see/hear both sides of an argument before voicing an opinion or determination.  Working within the public school system with high school-aged students who displayed emotional and behavioral difficulties, I often had to work toward compromise and partnership in order to be successful in moving a student past a difficult hurdle or disagreement.  This skill has also served me well when working with adults in a variety of settings to devise solutions that are tolerable and workable by all parties involved.  Building bridges to form compromise is something I do often and I do well.  I feel this is my strongest attribute and one that will be needed in the state's current political environment.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I can remember clearly is the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, I was in the 5th grade. It was the first time a school teacher, Christa McAuliffe, would be on a mission into space. Our entire 5th-grade population was packed into one large classroom to sit on the floor and watch the launch live on a single screen television. Our Science teachers had been talking about the launch for weeks, with many wishing it was them who would be going into space. I remember, for a room of 5th-grade children, the room becoming incredibly silent as we watched the event unfold. Many of our teachers cried openly in front of us all, to this day I can remember the event clearly.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Oh my, what a funny question. Without hesitation, I would want to be Kim Possible! Kim Possible was a cartoon character from when my children were young. Her character is a teenage girl who is always fighting crime while coping with everyday issues of adolescence. She is strong, caring, charismatic, and always lending a hand to the unfortunate. I know have the theme song rolling through my head!

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do not believe it is important for elected officials to have previous experience in government or politics in order to run for political office as long as they have a basic knowledge and understanding of how government works.  I believe the longer one is in politics the more they are swayed to follow the majority or suggestions of lobbying groups instead of listening to their constituents.  In fact, I believe the direct opposite, real everyday people are the best Representatives of the masses.  They bring fresh ideas, a unique/different perspective, and are not afraid to try new ways of getting the job done. 

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe the state's biggest challenge over the next decade is the ability to protect our clean water resources and clean up those resources that have been contaminated.  Big money interests and lobbying efforts have stopped every attempt to protect our natural resources over the past decade, numerous reports of massive contamination of our waterways is proof elected officials and political parties have failed our Wisconsin citizens.  Clean drinking water and the protection of other water resources should not be a partisan issue.  Wisconsin citizens deserve better, their health, safety, and welfare should not be at risk when they turn on their tap.

What process do you favor for redistricting?

As an Independent and individual who believes in a true representative government, I fully support a non-partisan redistricting commission. The people's wishes should always be the leading motivation for enacting new, or revising current, legislation.  In the future, I would also like to see a Constitutional Amendment to solidify the mandatory use of a non-partisan commission for all redistricting requirements.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Wisconsin State Assembly District 72

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Leadership

Minority Leader:Greta Neubauer

Representatives

District 1

Joel Kitchens (R)

District 2

Shae Sortwell (R)

District 3

Ron Tusler (R)

District 4

David Steffen (R)

District 5

Joy Goeben (R)

District 6

Elijah Behnke (R)

District 7

Karen Kirsch (D)

District 8

Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D)

District 9

Priscilla Prado (D)

District 10

Darrin Madison (D)

District 11

Sequanna Taylor (D)

District 12

Russell Goodwin (D)

District 13

Robyn Vining (D)

District 14

Angelito Tenorio (D)

District 15

Adam Neylon (R)

District 16

Kalan Haywood (D)

District 17

Supreme Omokunde (D)

District 18

Margaret Arney (D)

District 19

Ryan Clancy (D)

District 20

Christine Sinicki (D)

District 21

Jessie Rodriguez (R)

District 22

Paul Melotik (R)

District 23

Deb Andraca (D)

District 24

Daniel Knodl (R)

District 25

Paul Tittl (R)

District 26

Joe Sheehan (D)

District 27

Lindee Brill (R)

District 28

Rob Kreibich (R)

District 29

Treig Pronschinske (R)

District 30

Shannon Zimmerman (R)

District 31

Tyler August (R)

District 32

Amanda Nedweski (R)

District 33

Robin Vos (R)

District 34

Rob Swearingen (R)

District 35

Calvin Callahan (R)

District 36

Jeffrey Mursau (R)

District 37

Mark Born (R)

District 38

William Penterman (R)

District 39

Alex Dallman (R)

District 40

Karen DeSanto (D)

District 41

Tony Kurtz (R)

District 42

Maureen McCarville (D)

District 43

Brienne Brown (D)

District 44

Ann Roe (D)

District 45

Clinton Anderson (D)

District 46

Joan Fitzgerald (D)

District 47

Randy Udell (D)

District 48

Andrew Hysell (D)

District 49

Travis Tranel (R)

District 50

Jenna Jacobson (D)

District 51

Todd Novak (R)

District 52

Lee Snodgrass (D)

District 53

Dean Kaufert (R)

District 54

Lori Palmeri (D)

District 55

Nate Gustafson (R)

District 56

Dave Murphy (R)

District 57

Kevin Petersen (R)

District 58

Rick Gundrum (R)

District 59

Robert Brooks (R)

District 60

Jerry O'Connor (R)

District 61

Robert Donovan (R)

District 62

Angelina Cruz (D)

District 63

Robert Wittke (R)

District 64

Tip McGuire (D)

District 65

Ben DeSmidt (D)

District 66

Greta Neubauer (D)

District 67

David Armstrong (R)

District 68

Rob Summerfield (R)

District 69

Karen Hurd (R)

District 70

Nancy VanderMeer (R)

District 71

Vinnie Miresse (D)

District 72

Scott Krug (R)

District 73

Angela Stroud (D)

District 74

Chanz Green (R)

District 75

Duke Tucker (R)

District 76

Francesca Hong (D)

District 77

Renuka Mayadev (D)

District 78

Shelia Stubbs (D)

District 79

Lisa Subeck (D)

District 80

Mike Bare (D)

District 81

Alex Joers (D)

District 82

Scott Allen (R)

District 83

Dave Maxey (R)

District 84

Chuck Wichgers (R)

District 85

Patrick Snyder (R)

District 86

John Spiros (R)

District 87

Brent Jacobson (R)

District 88

Benjamin Franklin (R)

District 89

Ryan Spaude (D)

District 90

Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D)

District 91

Jodi Emerson (D)

District 92

Clint Moses (R)

District 93

Christian Phelps (D)

District 94

Steve Doyle (D)

District 95

Jill Billings (D)

District 96

Tara Johnson (D)

District 97

Cindi Duchow (R)

District 98

Jim Piwowarczyk (R)

District 99

Barbara Dittrich (R)

Republican Party (54)

Democratic Party (45)