MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis (WRJN) – If someone is looking to take credit for what’s happening in Mount Pleasant, the village board president since 2017 might lay some of that claim.  As President Joe Biden prepares for a visit to Racine County Wednesday, to reportedly talk about Microsoft and what they’re doing with the land formerly owned by Foxconn, Mount Pleasant Village Board President David DeGroot has announced intentions for a higher office.  DeGroot has put out a statement saying he’s running to represent the 66th Assembly District.

In his campaign announcement, he specifically takes on incumbent representative Greta Neubauer. “The partisan gridlock in Madison is holding the state back and Representative Greta Neubauer is at the center of it. The people of Racine County deserve a representative that is focused on getting work done, not playing politics”, said DeGroot in a statement.  Neubauer went to Madison to represent the district in 2018, and became state House minority leader in 2022.  

WisPolitics has DeGroot running as a Republican, there’s no indication of his political party in the announcement.  There’s already one other announced GOP candidate for the position, Christian Kuether.

After redistricting, the 66th now includes part of the city of Racine, Elmwood Park, Sturtevant, and most of Mount Pleasant. 

In 2017, DeGroot stood alongside former President Donald Trump, former Gov. Scott Walker, and other Republicans in the village of Mount Pleasant to break ground on the Foxconn project. The project was hailed as the “8th Wonder of the World”.  The main aspects of the plan, 13,000 jobs, fell through, but the village continued on and started conversations with other companies on how the land could still be used.  That led to Microsoft coming to save the day, with their purchase of nearly 1,500 acres of property from Foxconn, plans for massive data centers, and partnerships made with Gateway Technical College to introduce a new educational programs.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports President Biden will be talking about Microsoft and its local impact during his Racine County remarks tomorrow.  It’s expected he’ll talk about the tech company’s further Mount Pleasant expansion, announcing more jobs and investments in the project.

In Wisconsin, the filing deadline for candidates is June 3rd. The primary elections are scheduled for August 13th, and the general election will be held on November 5th.