Retired banker Jerry O’Connor says he brings the skillset, background and experience to operate in the legislative arena. O’Connor is squaring off in the August 9 Republican primary for the 52nd Assembly District seat. “This is what I’d say…I don’t have to do this,” O’Connor told WFDL news. “I’ve retired from the banking industry. I can go sit on a bench somewhere, but when I look at the chaos around us I’d rather be engaged in this process on the field rather than sitting in the stands.” O’Connor dismisses calls by some to decertify the 2020 presidential election. He says if that action were taken it would ultimately end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. “As it was done with our redistricting plan the U.S Supreme Court is going to go back to the state Supreme Court and say you need to follow your own constitution and if we read our constitution it doesn’t have language to decertify an election.” O’Connor says he’s not surprised that recent surveys show the majority of Wisconsin residents think the state is on the wrong track. He says people he has talked to on the campaign trail are concerned with where America is at. “I think it has to do with pocketbook issues, product shortages. Not only when you go to the grocery store and find things cost 40% percent more. You find shelves that are half empty,” O’Connor said. O’Connor says he is pleased with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down Roe v. Wade. He says the question about Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban is whether there should be exceptions for rape or incest. “”That’s the question that’s on the table. That is a hard question. To me, terminating life is a big concern, but there are also extreme circumstances,” O’Connor said. “I think you look at those but have to put some strong boundaries on the langauge of that legislation.” O’Connor worked in the financial services industry for 40 years serving 15 years as president of the National Bank of Waupun.
