Jessica King
Name: Jessica King
Address: 1217 Harney Ave., Oshkosh, WI 54901
Age: 45
Occupation and highest education level: Vice president of Clinical Denials at RSource Healthcare
Family: I have a 4-year-old son and a Siberian husky
Relevant experience: I served two terms on the Oshkosh Common Council. I served in the Wisconsin Legislature from 2011 to 2013 representing Senate District 18, including parts of Winnebago, Dodge and Fond du Lac counties.
Why are you running for office?
I’m running for office because I believe my current representative is out of touch with the needs of the people who live in this district. I miss having a representative like Tom Petri, one that wanted to make this district the best it could be and worked across the aisle.
I have lived experience. I’m a working mom, the daughter of disabled parents, who was incredibly grateful for the services provided to me while I was in foster care. I understand the balance between opportunity, hard work and accountability better than most people in Congress. It’s time for change.
What makes you the best candidate in this race?
We need to send an experienced problem-solver to Washington to make informed decisions to ensure we survive this pandemic, economically recover from the recession and build an economy with living wage jobs. I have local and state elected experience, and a track record for collaborating to achieve results.
Wisconsin, in particular, needs federal resources to enhance water quality, complete its broadband infrastructure, attract workforce to stabilize our population decline and diversify our regional food economy to support rural businesses.
More than ever, we need a representative who can advance solutions and build coalitions in the House of Representatives.
What are residents telling you are their most important issues, and how would you address them?
People are facing many complex challenges: the pandemic, recession, unemployment, lack of access to health care, high prescription drug prices, and inability to afford or access child care. The last few months have really exposed the fragility of our federal government’s ability to provide leadership. I believe that now is the time to propose bold solutions to ensure our economic recovery. We need federal investment in our local roads, bridges, transit systems and schools. We need to expand our early childhood education pathways and expand our support of working families. It’s time to build a sustainable economy with living wage jobs.
Looking ahead to 2021, what would be your No. 1 priority in Congress for the benefit of your constituents?
We need a health care system working families and employers can afford. The United States has the third largest population in the world, we should receive a price discount, rather than pay highest prices for medication.
Treatment of pre-existing conditions is a matter of life or death. We cannot go back to a system that discriminates against people. We need to improve the health care system, and not rest until working families can afford their medications and access affordable health care.
If you want affordable medications and access to physicians, you need to vote for an advocate for price negotiation and local access.
Why would you have the best chance of defeating Glenn Grothman in November?
In 2008, I lost a state Senate election by 163 votes out of 83,645, but received 7% support from Republicans and Independents. In 2011, I became the fourth person in Wisconsin’s history to win a recall election. It was my pleasure to serve more than 170,000 Wisconsin residents from Wisconsin’s 18th District. In 2012, in a post Citizens United world, with a new gerrymandered district, I got outspent by millions of dollars by out-state special-interest groups, and only lost by 600 votes out of 85,648 retaining support from Republicans and Independents. People think Rep. Grothman’s views are too extreme.