Leon Hebert wins Republican primary for 43rd District Assembly seat
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MILTON—Leon Hebert, 76, won the primary election in the Republican 43rd District Assembly race.
Hebert, Fort Atkinson, inched out a victory over competitor Herschel Brodkey, 19, of Janesville, with a 761-715 vote.
Both Republicans were first-time candidates.
Hebert will face incumbent Andy Jorgensen, D-Milton, in the November election.
Hebert was unwilling to provide comment Tuesday night, saying he wasn’t sure the vote totals were official.
Hebert worked as a lumberjack and spent 32 years with American airlines flying smaller aircraft. After retiring at 60 years old, he took up farming.
Now, his time is better used serving in the political sphere, Herbert told WisconsinEye in a preview interview.
“I saw my friends and family struggling with local issues … I’m going to try to go in there and solve the problems that need solving,” Hebert told WisconsinEye.
One of the major local issues Hebert plans to focus on is education.
He has a wife of 51 years, six children and 16 grandchildren and told WisconsinEye he is concerned for the futures of his grandchildren.
He said in his WisconsinEye interview that he doesn’t know much about school vouchers, but indicated he thinks Wisconsin should withdraw from Common Core standards.
As a first-time candidate, Hebert’s lack of political experience is a concern of his, but he is “thrilled and humbled to perhaps be given this responsibility by the citizens of the 43rd,” he told The Gazette in an earlier interview.
Hebert has lived in the Whitewater area for 43 years. He knows the people and the needs of the area, he told The Gazette.
“I believe my experience and knowledge make me the best candidate for the 43rd Assembly,” he wrote.
Hebert’s competitor, Brodkey, was one of the youngest candidates in the region to appear on a primary ballot this election season.
When asked if he thinks he’s more qualified than Brodkey, Hebert told WisconsinEye he thought Brodkey was “kind of young” and that experience does count.