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Tricia Zunker
Tricia Zunker was an at-large member of the Wausau School District school board in Wisconsin. She assumed office in 2018.
Zunker (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Zunker also ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District. She lost in the special general election on May 12, 2020.
Biography
Zunker received a B.A. in French, political science, and international relations from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. As of her 2020 campaign, Zunker practiced and taught law and served on the board of directors of the ACLU of Wisconsin.[1][2][3]
Elections
2020
Regular election
See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 11 Democratic primary)
Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (August 11 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Incumbent Tom Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker in the general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Tiffany (R) | 60.7 | 252,048 |
 | Tricia Zunker (D) | 39.2 | 162,741 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 218 | ||
| Total votes: 415,007 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ken Driessen (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Tricia Zunker advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tricia Zunker | 99.9 | 51,139 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 50 | ||
| Total votes: 51,189 | |||
| = 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 U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Incumbent Tom Tiffany advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on August 11, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Tiffany | 99.7 | 62,142 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 176 | ||
| Total votes: 62,318 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Special election
See also: Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District special election, 2020
Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District special election (February 18, 2020 Republican primary)
Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District special election (February 18, 2020 Democratic primary)
General election
Special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Tom Tiffany defeated Tricia Zunker in the special general election for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on May 12, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Tiffany (R) | 57.1 | 109,498 |
| Tricia Zunker (D) | 42.9 | 82,135 | |
| Total votes: 191,633 | |||
| = 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
- Robert Schuck (Independent)
- Dennis Frank Paulaha (Independent in the Middle Party)
- Douglas Lindee (Constitution Party)
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Tricia Zunker defeated Lawrence Dale in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on February 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tricia Zunker | 88.9 | 35,577 |
 | Lawrence Dale | 11.0 | 4,388 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 34 | ||
| Total votes: 39,999 | |||
| = 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
Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7
Tom Tiffany defeated Jason Church and Michael Opela Sr. in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 on February 18, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Tiffany | 57.4 | 43,714 |
 | Jason Church | 42.5 | 32,339 | |
| Michael Opela Sr. (Write-in) | 0.0 | 18 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 29 | ||
| Total votes: 76,100 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Candidate profile
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: Wausau School Board (Assumed office: 2018) Ho-Chunk Supreme Court (Assumed office: 2013)
Biography: Tricia Zunker received a B.A. in French, political science, and international relations from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. As of her 2020 campaign, Zunker practiced and taught law and served on the board of directors of the ACLU of Wisconsin.
Show sources
Sources: Tricia Zunker 2020 Campaign Website, "Issues," accessed December 17, 2019 Facebook, “Tricia Zunker for Wisconsin,” November 8, 2019; Tricia Zunker 2020 Campaign Website, “Tricia Zunker, a Voice for the People,” accessed December 8, 2019 LinkedIn, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 8, 2019 ACLU Wisconsin, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 20, 2019
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Wisconsin District 7 in 2020.
2018
- See also: Wausau School District elections (2018)
Three of the nine seats on the Wausau School District Board of Education in Wisconsin were up for at-large general election on April 3, 2018. Incumbents Beth Martin and Patrick McKee and newcomer Tricia Zunker defeated incumbent Kathi Whalen-Geiger and candidate Amy Reif.[4]
Results
General election
General election for Wausau School District school board At-large (3 seats)
Incumbent Patrick McKee, incumbent Beth Martin, and Tricia Zunker defeated incumbent Kathi Whalen-Geiger and Amy Reif in the general election for Wausau School District school board At-large on April 3, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Patrick McKee (Nonpartisan) | 21.4 | 3,847 |
| ✔ |  | Beth Martin (Nonpartisan) | 21.4 | 3,842 |
| ✔ | | Tricia Zunker (Nonpartisan) | 20.1 | 3,605 |
 | Kathi Whalen-Geiger (Nonpartisan) | 19.2 | 3,453 | |
| Amy Reif (Nonpartisan) | 17.8 | 3,195 | ||
| Total votes: 17,942 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tricia Zunker did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Zunker's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Issues Healthcare Healthcare is a right. No one should die because they can’t afford to go to the doctor; people should not go bankrupt because they can’t afford their medication. We need to ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable health insurance and we must empower people to make their own health decisions. I am in favor of Medicare for All for those who want it in the form of a robust public option, and I support measures to increase healthcare coverage. On the campaign trail, I have met many people here in Northern Wisconsin who want to keep their private insurance, including hard-working members of our unions who have fought hard for their health insurance. I will also fight to protect coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. We need to ensure any healthcare reform does not reduce their coverage and control costs. And we need to legalize medical marijuana because no one should be forced to suffer from a health condition or side effect that can be relieved through its use. Corporate special interests and Washington politicians allowed the costs of prescription drugs to skyrocket out of control. We need to take on Big Pharma and lower the costs of prescription drugs. If a medication only costs $3 to make, they should not be able to sell it for $1000. That is just plain wrong. I am also a fierce defender of a woman’s right to choose and to make her own health decisions. And when we talk about health care, we must also include accessible mental health care. We need to remove the stigma surrounding mental health issues and make sure people can seek the treatment they need. Here in the 7th District, we need to make sure that we fund our hospitals and medical services, especially to serve rural communities and to ensure access to critical medical needs, including maternal healthcare and emergency healthcare. Finally, we need to make sure that we continue to be taking care of our veterans. The United States has an obligation to support our veterans and that includes having efficient, accessible medical services. We need to reform the VA and ensure that our service members have the support they have earned and deserve. Farm Crisis Here in Wisconsin and in the 7th District, our farmers are at the core of our communities and have worked tirelessly to move the economy forward. Right now, they are facing a farm crisis. As the granddaughter of a dairy farmer, I saw firsthand the hard work our family farmers do. I am a vocal supporter of our small family farms here in Northern Wisconsin. Our rural communities are enduring hardship and stress at alarming rates. We must fight for them to have the support they need. We must also fight for fair, competitive markets and to enforce our trade agreements. The current trade war is hitting our farmers in Wisconsin hard and harming their livelihood. We need to support our family farms, including providing access to timely loans and ending predatory lending practices. It is also important to me that we combat the mental health crisis facing many of our farmers and must also ensure accessible mental health assistance for them. We must invest in our family farms and encourage innovation to preserve the Wisconsin family farms for generations to come. Education & Children I am a first generation college graduate. My Ho-Chunk grandma once told me “Education is the one thing they can never take away from you” and she spoke from personal experience. We must adequately fund our public schools and make early childhood education a reality for all students. We must ensure that students do not go hungry – hungry students cannot learn. Students must be given a fair shot at success through equitable practices and ensuring opportunity. Children are our future and we must give them opportunities for a healthy, successful future. Higher education must be made accessible and affordable. We need to begin to tackle the growing student debt crisis. We need to continue to encourage affordable community colleges and trade schools. We should also be promoting jobs in the skilled trades and technical field. Our children are entitled to safety, whether that is in school or in society generally. As a mother and school board president, I see our students participate in active shooter drills. This is not the environment we want our students to be learning in. The epidemic of school shootings must end. We need common sense gun legislation to protect our children. I fully support the Second Amendment. People should certainly be permitted to defend themselves in their homes and, of course, they should be permitted to hunt with appropriate firearms. We need to keep guns out of the hands of people who will use them to hurt others. We have a duty to provide safe schools and safe communities for our children and we are failing right now without common sense gun reform. We also must make sure that our educators are treated with the respect they deserve and valued for the important work they do. This must be reflected in the pay they receive and the conditions in which they work. Children who were brought here by their parents deserve these same rights. This is their home and our DREAMers should be able to receive an education and be provided a pathway to citizenship. Standing up for Working People & Protecting Equality The people of Northern Wisconsin wake up every day and go to work, but because of politicians who cater to corporate interests and rig the system against them, working-class Americans have been left behind. In Congress, I will fight to create good-paying union jobs here in Wisconsin and oppose proposed laws that hurt workers. I will also defend not only equal rights, but equal opportunity. That means access to quality schools, equitable education and employment opportunities, quality and affordable healthcare, and end to discrimination. I will fight for women to ensure that they get equal pay for equal work, proper, legal treatment in the workplace and I will fight for paid family leave. I will also stand up for a women’s healthcare. I am a strong advocate for our LGBTQ+ community and will ensure they receive equal rights and opportunities. In Congress, I will also be a voice for our minority and underrepresented communities and give everyone in Wisconsin the opportunity to succeed. I will stand up for our marginalized communities and fight hard against policies of continued oppression. And I will be a strong defender of tribal sovereignty, ensuring that we not only protect sovereignty, but strengthen it. We are in this together. The Economy & Infrastructure In order for Northern Wisconsin to thrive, it is critical that we invest to build a diverse and energetic regional economy that strengthens the middle class by focusing on manufacturing, small business owners, our farmers, education and career training. Government should bring together our businesses, educators and community leaders to develop and find solutions. All across the district, consumers and our local communities are struggling to pay the bills. We need to increase the money in people’s pockets by increasing the minimum wage and creating good-paying jobs here in Northern Wisconsin. We also need to end unfair tax giveaways to big corporations and push for smart tax policies that will allow us to implement a real infrastructure plan to fix our aging and broken roads, bridges, and water systems. We also need to increase access to affordable childcare. As a single mother, I know the reality of not being able to secure childcare while still needing to support my household. We must make sure that there are childcare opportunities for our working parents. The 7th District needs an advocate that is committed to fighting for resources for our underserved communities. Environment I believe we have an obligation and a duty to protect the environment for generations to come. Growing up, my family didn’t have money for vacations and expensive outings – we enjoyed the free, beautiful outdoors at places like the Dells of the Eau Claire Park. That’s why it was important to me to launch my campaign there. We must ensure clean air and clean water and we must ensure that our beautiful lands stay protected. We cannot let corporate mining interests destroy our beautiful lands. We cannot let corporations and CAFOs contaminate our water and lands with unchecked practices. In addition to fighting for our environment, we must also begin to tackle emissions and climate change to protect the environment for our children and grandchildren. Campaign Finance Reform I’m running to be a voice for the people of Wisconsin, not special interests and corporate lobbyists. Because of Citizens United, campaigns are becoming more expensive, and citizens who would make strong representatives are finding it harder and harder to run for office as a result. In order for our government to become more representative, and accountable to their constituents, we need serious campaign finance reform. Unlike my Republican opponents, I refuse to accept a dime in corporate PAC money. We’re going to deliver a fair deal to the people of Wisconsin and end special deals for corporations and special interests. Criminal Justice Reform A few years ago, I published an academic article in a legal journal regarding human rights and prisoners. A society is judged by how it treats its prisoners and we have a serious public health crisis occurring with the spread of communicable diseases first in jails and prisons, then out into our communities. One thing I learned in my research is the large majority of affected individuals are nonviolent drug offenders. Let’s get them out of the prisons and give them a future. We need to address the disproportionate rate of incarceration of minority communities. We must end the epidemic of crimeless revocations and invest in communities, not in prisons. Jails and prisons house more mentally ill individuals than hospitals. We need to get them the help they need. We need to treat people humanely wherever they are detained. Separating families at the border is inhumane and does not reflect who we are as a society. Recreational marijuana in appropriate amounts should be legalized. We have too many people who are being treated as if they are threats to society for marijuana. Our jails and prisons are overcrowded as a result and there is a surge in for-profit prisons. Criminal justice should never be about profit, ever. Where we can see the revenue stream that benefits society is through marijuana taxation. Instead, we must seriously address the opioid crisis, reducing violence (including domestic violence and gun violence) and we need to seriously address the murdered and missing indigenous women crisis. We can reduce our prison population and focus efforts on serious crimes when we legalize marijuana. And we can allow people to have a future instead of a record.[5] |
” |
| —Tricia Zunker[6] | ||
2018
Zunker included the following statement on her campaign page:[7]
| “ | I am Tricia Zunker and Wausau is my hometown. I am a product of the Wausau School District having attended and graduated from Wausau West High School. I earned my Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple major from University of Wisconsin-Madison. I earned my Juris Doctorate (law degree) from UCLA School of Law. I worked as an attorney for many years and am currently a judge for my tribe, Ho-Chunk Nation. I also teach at two universities and one law school. I have a young child who is a first grader in the district. I took last year to examine our district policies and procedures and, upon serious reflection, realized that a lot of changes need to be made. I have met with teachers, staff, parents, administrators and community members about our school policies. I also have a vested interest having a young child in elementary school here, but we should all have a vested interest because what is good for our students is good for our community.
A few areas for improvement: First, we need to improve working conditions for our teachers. Wausau is a beautiful community and an excellent place to grow up – why are our rankings so low? We have teachers coming in and out of this district and this affects the stability for our students – in the last few years, our teacher force is declining. Nearby districts are “poaching” our teachers because, very simply, they treat the teachers better. Wouldn’t you leave too? As the parent of a first grader, I'd like to see long-term teachers in this district- and notably, this issue affects some schools in the district more than others. We are not a destination district currently and a few things can change that. First, the current compensation structure needs to be revamped or remodeled completely. I’ve reviewed it in detail and I am horrified by it – the teachers have to jump through hoops to receive very minimal compensation changes. We need to ensure a competitive salary to attract quality teachers that appropriately takes into account their education and experience. The current structure does not do this. Second, we need to treat our teachers like the professionals that they are. There needs to be more respect given to our teachers and acknowledgement for the work they do. Third, we need to encourage participation in cultural events and allow that participation to count towards their required continuing education hours. Finally, we need to ensure there are more aides available to assist our teachers as they try to provide instruction to highly populated classrooms. Next, we need to have policies in place that emphasize mental health access and awareness for all our students but with an increased focus for our younger students. We need to identify students with mental health issues in earlier grades so that we can make sure the student and family has the resources it needs to deal with the issues. By identifying at-risk students at much younger ages, we improve their chances for optimal success. Additionally, the Wausau School Board needs to recognize that child poverty exists in our schools, some more than others, and needs to take community measures to help level the playing field for these students. Very bluntly, let’s feed the kids in our community. To assist our students who suffer from food insecurity, food pantries should be established in each school in the district. I personally have volunteered on this effort and continue to volunteer my efforts to this cause. Hungry kids cannot learn and it is not their fault that they are hungry - let’s work together to equalize the playing field for these kids. When our students succeed, our community succeeds. Moreoever, safety procedures need to be reviewed for our entire district. Just a couple weeks ago, one of our most rural schools, Maine Elementary, had two individuals gain access to the school who should not have been there. That’s not acceptable. We need to be proactive about safety, not reactive. All safety measures need to be reevaluated and updated, where necessary. Further, the dignity of our students needs to be maintained. I am staunch advocate in preserving equal rights, dignity and privacy protections for all our students. Finally, there needs to be better communication between the teachers, administration and School Board. A monthly meeting between delegated individuals where concerns can be raised and addressed should occur. Communication is a critical component to success and these different parties need to improve their level of engagement with one another. Why me? My legal background makes me an ideal candidate because of my ability to understand and apply the relevant law and policy without regard to emotion (or the misplaced fear we sometimes see infiltrate important decision-making). I have experience working with budgets in other jurisdictions. I’m also an active volunteer parent in this district, a concerned citizen of the community and a native of Wausau. I’m a teamplayer who can collaborate to accomplish objectives while respecting diverse points of view, but I am also not afraid to speak up when I need to, even, and especially, if that means standing alone. I value public education and want to see all our children receive the best public education they can. The entire community wins when our children succeed in school. This means having the necessary resources for student and teacher in place for success. But enough about me. I’d like to hear concerns from the community. If you are able to meet in person, speak by phone or communicate by e-mail, I welcome the dialogue. Please send me an e-mail to: tricia.zunker@gmail.com and we can go from there. Each concern matters! Thank you for your consideration. Warmly, Tricia Zunker, Esq.[5] |
” |
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Tricia Zunker 2020 campaign website, “Tricia Zunker, a Voice for the People,” accessed December 8, 2019
- ↑ LinkedIn, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 8, 2019
- ↑ ACLU Wisconsin, “Tricia Zunker,” accessed December 20, 2019
- ↑ Abbey Smith, "Email communication with district clerk," January 3, 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Tricia Zunker 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed March 26, 2020
- ↑ Vote Tricia Zunker for Wausau School Board on April 3, 2018
