On April 7, Sen. Paul Farrow was elected as County Executive for Waukesha County. In July, Farrow will resign his state Senate seat, and a special election will be held to fill the vacant 33rd Senate District.

The special election in the 33rd Senate District will take place with a June 23 primary and July 21 general election. Located in Waukesha County, the 33rd State Senate District includes the towns of Lisbon and Merton; villages of Lannon, Merton, Pewaukee and Sussex; and the city of Pewaukee. The 33rd District is solidly GOP.

The WRA supports Rep. Chris Kapenga in this important election

Kapenga was first elected to the Assembly in 2010 and re-elected in 2012. He also ran for the 33rd Senate District seat in the November 2012 special election, narrowly losing to Sen. Paul Farrow.

The RPAC trustees are supporting Kapenga due to his background as a small business owner and his 100 percent record of support on pro-business and pro-REALTOR^® issues over the last five years. Chris Kapenga has a proven record as a thoughtful, analytical and forceful proponent on issues that matter to homeowners and property owners in Wisconsin.

Brian Dorow

• Residence: Hartland
• Age: 46
• Status: Married, 2 children
• Background: Associate Dean of Criminal Justice at Waukesha County Technical College; former policeman.

Chris Kapenga

• Residence: Delafied
• Age: 43
• Status: Married, 3 children
• Background: Current Wisconsin GOP Representative in Assembly; CPA and small business owner.

While Kapenga’s record on WRA issues merits our support in this open seat contest, several political factors will make this a very interesting race:

• This is not the first time Kapenga and Dorow have faced off. Kapenga narrowly edged Dorow in a 2010 primary election in the 99th Assembly District, 5,253 to 4,541. Kapenga’s slim 712-vote victory in the primary five years ago is likely one reason Dorow decided to run for the 33rd Senate seat in 2015.
• Kapenga starts out with a significant name identification advantage. His two successful state Assembly elections, along with his narrow loss to Paul Farrow in the state Senate special election in 2012, should provide Kapenga with the early advantage in the June 23 primary election. 
• Kapenga’s narrow loss to Paul Farrow in the special election three years ago could be the difference in this 2015 special election. Farrow edged Kapenga by a 3,006-vote margin, 31,843 to 28,837. Kapenga’s hard work three years ago should be helpful in the June primary election.
• Both Kapenga and Dorow have highly regarded veteran campaign consultants to lead their campaigns. Brian Dorow hired Brian Fraley of Edge Messaging, and Chris Kapenga hired Brian Nemoir of Full Impact Communications. Fraley was a key strategist with J.B. Van Hollen’s first election for Attorney General in 2006, while Nemoir advised former Gov. Tommy Thompson’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2012, among others. Getting their message out to highly targeted voters will be one of the keys to success for both candidates, and Kapenga and Dorow have hired two of the best consultants in the business.
• Note: As this magazine goes to print, two additional candidates may enter the race: M.D. Langner (R–Waukesha) and Sherryll Shaddock (D–Nashotah). Both candidates are late entries who are not expected to have a significant impact on this election.

This should be a very interesting and competitive election. Watch for more information on this race from the WRA.

Joe Murray is Director of Political and Governmental Affairs for the WRA.