County board member announces U.S. Senate bid

A member of the Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors has officially announced her candidacy for United States Senate against Senator Tammy Baldwin in the 2024 general election.

According to a press release, Stacey Klein was raised on a dairy farm and graduated from Arcadia High School. She attended Carthage College in Kenosha, double majoring in music and exercise/sports science. She lived in the Milwaukee area for several years before returning to the county. She now resides in Trempealeau with her husband Chad and daughter McKenzie and works in financial services. 

Klein represents Trempealeau County’s Second District on the board of supervisors. She recently served on a committee that recommended the county hire its first county administrator — a measure the board approved unanimously. Klein was elected to the Trempealeau County board in April of 2022, defeating Douglas Winters, 223-164. At that time, Klein said she advocated for limited government and fiscal responsibility and that she would vote in support of the constitution and the Second Amendment. 

Klein has also been a part of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District strategic planning committee and the district’s COVID advisory committee. She spoke at a G-E-T school board meeting in June, recommending the district require parental approval to check out the book “Queer Ducks (and other Animals): The Natural World of Animal Sexuality.” On that topic, she was quoted in the June 21 Edition of the Times saying: 

“What is the school’s role in our children’s education and how far does that extend? So then what is appropriate and necessary to have in our schools? I was part of the strategic planning committees and we believe in including everybody, but we also do have a wide variety of beliefs throughout the school district,” Klein said.

“So to me, I would think that we should default to having the parents decide, and I’m sure there’s books out there that would be more age appropriate that can include everyone, expose them to the different ways that people live so they can find their place.”

The release says Klein “looks forward to a healthy discussion about many issues in her campaign. She plans to visit all corners of Wisconsin to make sure that no voice is left unheard and that everyone will have a United States Senator that is responsive to their concerns and hopes.”

Listed on her campaign website as top issues are federal spending, access to medical care and support for veterans and concerns about the educational system.

“Our educational system has gone backwards in some ways,” it says on the website. “We owe our children knowledge to best prepare them for successful futures in the greatest country in the world.” 

All three of Klein’s siblings have served in the United States Armed Forces, but she was not able to because of congenital heart defects, the press release says. 

Klein filed as a Republican and would first have to win a primary in order to take on Baldwin. Rejani Raveendran, a college student and chair of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point College Republicans has also announced his candidacy. Baldwin, a Democrat, is seeking a third term.