David Gorski is the Democratic Party nominee for Wisconsin's 72nd state assembly district race in central Wisconsin.
The race, along with the race featuring Lynn Utesch in Assembly District One in northeastern Wisconsin, is being watched by political insiders and clean water activists as a political compass pointing to the power of citizen action fighting Big Ag and its Republican protectors.
Citizen groups are fighting Big Ag's practice of directing millions of tons of liquid and aerilized cow manure into the environment, while Confined Agricultural Feeding Operations, (CAFOs), deplete groundwater using industrial, high capacity water well.
Waterwarriors spoke with Gorski who is already known in Central Wisconsin as an environmentalist and retired mental health worker in a local school district.
Gorski is meeting today with members of Protect Wood County and Its Neighbors, who are working to stop the operation of massive CAFO in Wood and northern Adams counties.
This is Gorski's first run for elected office.
"I love the doors. People ask me, 'are you doing doors?' When this campaign is all said and done, meeting people in my community who are literally fighting for our community, is what I take with me whether that is public office or another means of continuing the fight," said Gorski. "This is a practical community. And the bottom line is tearing out the heart of our region which now is tourism and recreation, this is insane. People come here to retire and to recreate, we need to protect this."
Gorski is a decades-long resident of Wisconsin Rapids, and is a native of the near-south side of Milwaukee where Gorski was a wrestling champion at 112 pounds in high school.
He points to ecological and environmental living legends as inspirations, people whom Gorski calls friends.
"Dave Gorski is not afraid to fight for clean water, clean air and clean resources for Wisconsin citizens and future generations. Dave will put our local communities and people ahead of foreign and out-of-state corporations who have seized local control out of our hands with the help of a handful of politicians that put campaign donations and dollars ahead of the citizens of the State of Wisconsin," said Paul DeMain, a Native American living up north, reached through Facebook social media.
But it is the residents of Adams and Wood counties who define this race, as longtime citizens say the incumbent Republican, State Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa), has betrayed the community whom he was elected to represent in the statehouse. Gorski said clean water activist in Adams and Wood counties have been "local heroes" for years.
The plain truth is citizen action has been so successful in alerting popular opinion that Krug now presents himself as an opponent to the proposed Wysocki Golden Sands CAFO in Saratoga, and as an environmentalist.
In 2014, Krug announced he opposed the Wysocki CAFO, after first telling a local clean water activist two years earlier to "quit your bitching." The Krug flip-flop does not appear to be fooling too many anymore.
"Krug is a resident of this district and he has completely sold out the people while pretending to environmental concerns. Krug was elected in 2010 and has done absolutely nothing to stop the Wysocki CAFO, and has done absolutely nothing to fight for clean water. Scott Krug is a fraud, and that's why I'm supporting Dave," said an Adams County resident, who wanted to speak on background because of concerns pertaining to the business world.
Said Gorski, "Everyone I talk to wants to know what I'll do. What I stand for. Central Wisconsin is not so very ideological. Folks respect people who are honest. That's what I take with me. So whatever happens I remain true to me and true to people who are considering putting me into office. Step one in staying true is opposing the Wysocki CAFO. As for clean water, my commitment with my community remains unbreakable."
The 72nd assenbly district is considered slightly gerrymandered to favor the incumbent Republican.