Nate Kieso, rank-and-file union member and mental health social worker, announces campaign for Wisconsin State Assembly District 14

WEST ALLIS, WI — Nate Kieso, mental health social worker and rank-and-file, union worker, announced his campaign for Wisconsin State Assembly District . District 14 was redrawn when Gov. Tony Evers signed Act 94, legislation which created fair electoral maps in Wisconsin. The new Assembly District 14 consists of most of West Allis with portions of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa.

“In Wisconsin we have an incredible moment to shape the state’s future. As the 14th District’s representative I will champion the working families of Milwaukee County through a bold, progressive agenda,” Nate said. “I will fight for quality long-term care for our aging and dependent adults, expanding access to BadgerCare, building sustainable infrastructure, defending public education, and restoring Wisconsin workers’ rights.”

Nate has worked in the healthcare field his entire career, starting as a direct care worker in group homes for people with disabilities and completing his masters of social work degree in 2016. His studies focused on systems-level public policy with a focus on disability. In his career Nate worked to help aging Wisconsinites get the care and services they need to stay in their homes, as well as providing mental health treatment to members of our community.

He is a rank-and-file union worker activist and executive board member of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council. Nate organized workers in campaigns to raise local minimum wages, to join together at their workplaces, and to fight against racial disparities in worker pay. He learned the importance of unions at a young age; Nate’s mother, a single-parent and nursing assistant, was able to support Nate and his sister because she had a good, family-supporting union job.

Nate serves on the City of West Allis Capital Improvement Committee, where he reviews city budgets and recommends significant purchases made by the city. He is faced with complex, difficult decisions in this role, but his experience with public policy and working family-centered values guide him in the process.

He first heeded the call to public service as part of the disaster response and recovery efforts during the 2008 Iowa Floods. Nate built sandbag walls, gutted ruined homes, and worked to restart the operations of the Johnson County Food Bank.

Nate is running a campaign with a bold, progressive agenda, “My priorities in the Assembly will focus on four key areas which are integral to the future of Wisconsin’s economy: healthcare, workers rights, sustainable infrastructure, and public education. A strong economy needs healthy, well-paid, highly-skilled workers, and an infrastructure that brings goods and services to market. I am an idealist and a pragmatist; fighting for a better world and making grounded, rational decisions for our community.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.