Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born in Carthage, Illinois. He began serving in the U.S. Air Force in 2008. Franklin earned a high school diploma from Keokuk High School and a bachelor's degree from the Trident University International in 2020. His career experience includes working as a small business owner and director of operations.[1]

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Video submitted to BallotpediaReleased June 29, 2024

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ben Franklin. I am excited to run for the Wisconsin State Legislature. Growing up in a small town, I learned the value of hard work, service, and commitment at a young age. These attributes have been critical building blocks in my life. Serving in the Air Force provided my family and I with the opportunity to live and experience different parts of the country. Through it all, we have seen the very best that America has to offer. Since moving to De Pere, we discovered northeast Wisconsin is no exception. The people that live and work here are amazing. I am running for the 88th Assembly District for the opportunity to serve you. I want a strong economy for the greater Green Bay area while keeping the community safe for our families. With your support, I promise to work toward that goal and to place the needs of the people of our community first. I want to represent the best that Wisconsin has to offer, and the best is found in the 88th Assembly District!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Helping families and communities prosper. It's critical to support our local economy, create job opportunities, and ensure growth for all residents. Everyone, regardless of financial status, is feeling the burden of inflation. We feel it at the grocery store. We feel it at the gas pump. We feel it when we need healthcare issues addressed. The list goes on and we need to get this under control. Helping folks deal with rising costs and improving quality of life are top priorities.We need to make sure the government is held accountable and make sure they are working for the people. Defending our constitutional rights, fighting for the rights of parents to decide what's best for their children, and making sure government is working for the people.Safe communities and secure border. We need to keep our streets safe by holding criminals accountable, securing our southern border, and combat the flow of drugs and human trafficking. I will be our voice in the Assembly and put people first.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I feel like social issues will be major issues that needs addressed going forward. There are many aspects to this, but I feel there are three main issues that primarily affect social challenges. Those are ensuring quality education, addressing affordable healthcare, and formulating viable solutions to address the rising cost of housing.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I really like Ronald Reagan. He was a gifted speaker and had a way or relating to people. When he spoke, he was up-front about the issues we were facing. He shared stats and stories to help paint the picture of what was going on. Then he would tell what others have tried to address the issues. He would capstone the discussion with common sense solutions. The solutions were not usually complicated, and they were rooted into good, wholesome American values. The solutions were not always easy. In fact, I would say rarely easy. But they were affective and we saw results under his leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I bring hard work, integrity and honesty to the table. I know people will not always see eye to eye with me, but that's to be expected. That doesn't change the fact that we need someone who will fight for the people and work hard while doing it. And when the going gets tough, that's where integrity is so vital, to keep striving to do what is right, even when you think no one else is watching or notices. Again I will draw on military experience. The Air Force Core Values are deeply engrained in me. Those core values are Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All You Do. I plan to bring these qualities and values to the State Legislature.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be remembered as a servant leader.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Gulf War. I was about 8 years old. I remember watching the war on TV and I remember that was a time where tensions were high in the Middle East. Fast forward to 9-11, I was in college and that really hit me because this time it was happening on US soil. That propelled by desire to join the Air Force.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman. He stands for everything good. Truth, justice and the American way!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature is one of partnership and collaboration, guided by mutual respect and effective communication. The multiple layers of Government have safeguards built into them and they also bring needed accountability. When executive orders become regular and when we stop going through our checks and balances, we lose accountability. This allows personal agendas and corruption to infiltrate our government. The relationship between the governor and the state legislature is essential for creating and implementing policies that meet the needs of the state's residents and for ensuring a stable and responsive government.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe one of the challenges the State of Wisconsin will face over the next decade will be social challenges. There are many aspects to this, but I feel there are three main issues that primarily affect social challenges. Those are ensuring quality education, addressing affordable healthcare, and formulating viable solutions to address the rising cost of housing.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe it is beneficial for State Legislatures to have previous experience in government or politics. However, I also believe it is beneficial to have legislatures that are not career politicians. As I think about myself, I am not career politician. But I bring valuable insight of real things that are going on in my community, I deal with roughly 200 employees that are all fighting the rising inflation, I control a budget for our business, and I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I believe all this experience will benefit the state legislature. Just like anything in life, there is a learning curve when you are new at it. This is why I believe previous experience and no experience are both beneficial.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. It is beneficial to build relationships with other legislatures, and I believe it is necessary to build those relationships on both sides of the isle. It is difficult to get things done if any one side is disengaged with the other and refuses to work together. I believe these relationships should be professional in nature. If things become too personal, then that can hinder the flow of discussing and passing legislation.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No. I just want to do the best I can to represent the people of the 88th District. When people start trying to be something they are not, then it takes away from who you are and why people voted for you.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

My focus right now is becoming a successful and helpful representative for the residents of the 88th Assembly District.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There are many stories and issues that have come to my attention over the last several months as I have been knocking on doors. But the biggest commonality I hear from people is the struggle dealing with rising prices, affordable and accessible healthcare, and the concerns of the housing, streets and crime as the 88th District continues to grow in population. I plan to articulate these concerns on behalf of the 88th District when I arrive in Madison, and fight for common sense solutions that deliver results in these critical areas of concern.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Governors need the ability to react quickly in actual emergencies such as war, disease, riots and destruction, and other conditions. That being said, I believe the legislature needs to ensure this authority is not abused, and this can be achieved through passing laws and making sure we have systems in place that allow for continuous review and allocation of resources. Legislatures need to ensure there are limits on the deployment of emergency executive power to ensure this power is not abused.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A healthy economy drives a community. A report was recently released that stated the Wisconsin economy ranks 30th in overall economic health. The biggest area for improvement based on this report is the growth of our economy (ranked 39th) out of the 50 states. The top 5 in economic growth are as follows: Idaho, Florida, Montana, Tennessee, and Texas. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin These states all have a tourism plan complete with National Parks and lower taxes that allows their growth to continue to be at the top of this list year after year. Following this model allows more money to flow into our economy through tourism while giving Wisconsin citizens tax breaks they desperately need. This allows locals to put more of their hard-earned dollars back into our local economy or invest in more start-up businesses instead of being strapped down by high taxes. I would introduce a bill that attacks these issues head on by advertising the unique wonders that Wisconsin can offer through tourism, and tax breaks for start-up businesses to include no taxes for the first $50,000 in sales. Only 67.7% of small businesses survive the first 2 years with that number plummeting to 48.9% survival after 5 years. Most companies fail in the early going due to a lack of capital funding amongst other things. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120815/4-most-common-reasons-small-business-fails.asp This would allow more small businesses to get through the critical beginning stages of running a business, and in turn creates more jobs, and opportunities for Wisconsinites.

What committees interest you?

Veterans and Military Affairs

Jobs, Economy and Small Business Development

Ways and Means

Task Force on Human Trafficking