Andre Jacque for Assembly 2010 letter

Received this from Andre Jacque who is running for the Wisconsin State Assembly 2nd District seat in 2010.

Dear Friend,

I am excited to announce my candidacy to become the State Representative for Wisconsin’s 2nd Assembly District, covering portions of Brown, Manitowoc and Kewaunee Counties, and I humbly ask for your support in this effort.

This news may not come as a surprise, as many of you have long encouraged me to take this step when the right opportunity came along- that time has arrived.

I am proud to have the strong support of my family in undertaking this new adventure, and I am ecstatic about the overwhelming response I’ve received from the elected officials, candidates, volunteers and fellow Republicans I’ve had the honor to work with and for over previous campaigns.

While I have greatly enjoyed my past political involvement and continued career in public service, I am energized by the challenge of running for office myself. While the election will not take place until next November, it is critical for me to begin organizing and fundraising now to ensure the campaign’s success next year.

This is a very winnable race. The 2nd District is a fundamentally conservative district that voted 55% for George W. Bush in 2004, and 55.5% for J.B. Van Hollen in 2006, and gave solid majorities to U.S. Senate candidate Tim Michels and esteemed former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Green. By the numbers, this is the most Republican assembly district of the eight that fall wholly or partially within the borders of Brown County, and it ranks as the most conservative Wisconsin assembly district currently held by a Democrat (and a very liberal Democrat at that).

Being actively involved in civic and political issues since high school, when I spent many hours volunteering for Mark Green’s first congressional campaign, I have sought to create positive, effective change for my community, state and country within government. I have worked for local candidates with the hope of giving Wisconsinites a choice for candidates I believe in. My family and I now feel that the time has come for me to offer myself as a servant in the public arena in a new way. I am hopeful that with a lot of hard work I can bring our common values and common sense ideas straight from people like you to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

I have immensely enjoyed being involved in creating change in the community through my work with the Mayor’s Office and Brown County, past campaigns, and the wide variety of causes and valuable community organizations I have had the pleasure to work with. When I made the decision in college to bypass a career in medicine to pursue a vocation in public affairs, it was because of my belief that it presented the most effectual way to use my talents to help as many people as possible while staying true to my personal convictions. My hope is to bring taxpayer concerns and pro-family policy to the forefront of the public arena.

I believe there are workable solutions available that will improve our government’s efficiency and level of service without creating a hardship for taxpayers. I would like to see Wisconsin government rein in spending and return to a respect for all human life rather than job-killing taxes and liberal social agendas. We are taxing our best natural resources right out of this state…our people. Young families must be able to do more than survive financially; they must be given the chance to prosper. It is my goal to see the Wisconsin economy once again setting the standard for success, not struggling to catch up.

As you can see, I am passionate about the possibility of serving the people of this great state. But before I can serve, I must conduct a very aggressive campaign. My first –term Democrat opponent, Ted Zigmunt, is being carefully tended to by his party leadership in Madison. He will be well-funded and once again receive extraordinary financial backing from liberal special interests, including WEAC and the National Abortion Rights Action League– as thanks for his consistent liberal platform of income, property, business and sales tax increases, opposition to government spending limits, and support for abortion on demand. Following last November’s election, my opponent even told the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter that he wanted to focus on “restructuring the tax system” , rather remarkably adding, “I don’t know if anyone is paying more than they ought to.”

I see no need for my campaign to engage in “gutter politics”, as the simple philosophical differences between my opponent and I (and between my opponent and a strong majority of the district) can be made crystal clear through a positive campaign.

My opponent will be determined to prove that the perfect storm of conditions which narrowly and unexpectedly swept him into office at the end of last year is not a fluke. He will begin his own fundraising operation soon. He has not previously run the kind of aggressive, door-to-door campaign I will make the cornerstone of my efforts, however he will have ample opportunity to gain visibility through his elected office. For these reasons, I strongly feel that I must step forward now to grow the kind of grassroots and financial organization it will take to win the 2nd district.

To win this race it will take a very strong and dedicated grassroots volunteer organization. I am counting on you, my friends and family, to step forward. Whether it’s helping to knock on doors, place yard signs, participate in parades, make get-out-the-vote calls or use whatever additional special talents you may have, I’d love to have you on the team. With thousands of brochures and yard signs to purchase, scores of radio ads to place, and three counties to cover, I will need help. I am turning to the people who have known me the longest, who know me best, and am humbly inviting you to get involved in my campaign and make a difference.

Your early contribution, made payable to “ Jacque for Assembly”, will give our race a tremendous boost right out of the starting block. I firmly believe that we can raise the needed funds to keep pace with my opponent and get our winning message out. I know these are difficult times, and I hate to ask friends for money, but I can assure you that every contribution will be spent wisely and for maximum effect. Those who have worked with me on campaigns can testify to my ability to stretch a dollar. Your gift of up to $500 per person, or even $25, will help me raise the vital “early seed money” I need to successfully launch this campaign. Every contribution is greatly appreciated.

Our goal is to raise $12,000 by the end of the first campaign finance report deadline in June, and I humbly ask for your support in helping us rise to this great challenge.

There is a self-addressed, stamped envelope and a reply card enclosed that I hope you will use to return your personal check and help me in my journey to restore common values and common sense to the Wisconsin Assembly. Please feel free to reach me at any time on my cell phone at 920-819-8066 or via email at andre.jacque@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your encouragement, generous support, and prayers. Renée and I are both grateful for your friendship and wish you many blessings throughout this Easter Season!

Sincerely,

André Jacque
Republican Candidate for the Wisconsin’s 2nd State Assembly District

Authorized and Paid for by Jacque for Assembly, Robert Atwell, Treasurer

That says it all. Good day.