GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Democratic race for the 90th Assembly District’s seat may be one of the most heated contests in the whole state.
Green Bay School Board member Kristina Shelton quit her full-time job to focus on going head to head with one-term incumbent State Rep. Staush Gruszynski.
“Our representation is on the line. Our current representative is unable to fully do his job because he sexually harassed a worker last fall,” Shelton said. “When he sexually harassed her they removed him from his ability to caucus with the assembly Democrats and to participate in committees.”
“I wouldn’t be able to caucus with the Democrats, but I fully expect my committees to be reinstated this next term,” Gruszynski said.
A capitol staffer says Gruszynski sexually harassed her verbally during a night of heavy drinking last October.
She recently told a Madison newspaper that if Gruszynski wins reelection, she may leave her job, because of the anxiety of working near him.
“It was quite breathtaking, I mean the behavior by Mr. Gruszynski was nothing short of disgusting,” Shelton said.
“We are four days out of this election, right, and I don’t think it’s a surprise that we’re seeing that article run four days before a Tuesday primary,” Gruszynski said.
Shelton says she was once friends with Gruszynski, and donated to support him. But now…
“I’m embarrassed that that’s our current representative,” Shelton said.
Democratic party leaders once called for Gruszynski to resign. Instead, he’s running for re-election. He says he’s never stopped working hard for the people in his district.
“I fully apologized for that complaint publicly, I followed HR… all of the remedial steps, I went through harassment training,” Gruszynski said. “After the October incident I’ve been nine months sober moving forward.”
A majority of top area Democrats have endorsed the challenger, rather than the incumbent.
Both Shelton and Gruszynski feel confident about their chances on Tuesday.
The winner will face Republican Drew Kirsteatter in the November general election.
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