Buhr focuses on infrastructure, future of rural life in run for Wisconsin Assembly seat

It’s been a Republican district for decades.

That, however, isn’t stopping Democrat and Viroqua farmer Paul Buhr from taking a shot at soon-to-be-open Assembly seat in the 96th district in Wisconsin.

Buhr thinks his focus on the need to improve the crumbling infrastructure there could help send him to Madison after the election in November.

He’s focused on roads and broadband when thinking about how to make the area attractive to the next generation.

“We have to move forward if we intend to have young people live in this district,” he said.

Burh, who is vying to replace the retiring Republican Lee Nerison, sees investments in infrastructure as a way to keep young people interested in living in an area dominated by farm life.

“I just want to be a champion for this area because it’s the most beautiful area in the state,” Buhr said. “We’ve got a lot of good, hard-working people here.

“We should be able to attract industry here but we need to keep our infrastructure up, so we can attract new businesses, new manufacturing. Whatever we can get here.”

Republican Loren Oldenburg, another Viroqua area dairy farmer, also announced a plan to run for the assembly seat. Nerison has held the seat since 2004.