Special Election Senate Distrct 8 Candidates on Pot

WisPolitics.com conducted interviews with all four Senate District 8 candidates.

Republican Primary is Feb 21, 2023

General Election is Tuesday April 4th, 2023

Republicans

Thiensville Village President Van Mobley, R
Age: 54
Occupation: Economics professor
Campaign website: https://www.vanmobleyforwisconsin.com/

Mobley also said the Legislature should look at legalizing medical marijuana for those with a doctor’s prescription. 

I tired to contact him and talk to him about the issue in more depth before he gave his public opinion. After several attempts I began to comment on his campaign posts on social media and I finally got this comment back from him: I am open to legalizing medical marijuana if it is done the right way. I am not interested in legalization for recreational use.

Rep. Dan Knodl, R-Germantown – Winner of the Republican Primary
Elected to Assembly District 24 since 2008
Age: 64
Occupation: Resort owner
Campaign website: https://www.danknodl.org/

Knodl also said he has “always” supported legalizing medical marijuana, as long as a measure to legalize comes with a provision requiring a doctor’s prescription. He emphatically opposes recreational marijuana though.

My notes from the 2022 election coverage say Dan Knodl was a past committee member and not very vocal about the issue, but in 2021 he finally co-sponsored the Republican version of medical marijuana. Since he has been around since 2008 and the last time we had a public hearing in the Assembly was in 2009, I do not really believe he has “always” supported medical marijuana. He certainly was not labeled as the first Republican to publicly support the issue and we can find no information he supported any legislation prior to the 2021 session. We are glad is now aboard with some sort of reform.

Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menomonee Falls
Elected to Assembly District 22 since 2014
Age: 56
Occupation: Marketing agency owner
Campaign website: https://www.janelforsenate.com/

Brandtjen also said she’s not sure whether legalizing medical marijuana is the right move, adding “I have not seen anything from the medical professionals about value of medical marijuana.”

Brandtjen was labeled a prohibitionist during the 2022 Election Coverage.

Democrat

Jodi Habush Sinykin, D-Whitefish Bay
Age: 55
Occupation: Attorney
Campaign website: https://www.jodiforsenate.com/

Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodi4senate

In all fairness, the WisPolitics Interviewer did only ask the candidates about medical marijuana and not recreational. Here is her answer to if she supports medical marijuana.

She also supports legalizing medical marijuana because she says it could help those with chronic pain, arthritis, cancer, and children with seizures, among others.  You can listen to her whole interview with the marijuana question/answer at about the 3:31 mark.

We have reached out to her campaign, but as of the March 19th, 2023 primary date we have received no response.

If you are in the 8th Senate District you may want to apply some voter pressure to this candidate for clarification on her stance on cannabis. Her interview, which begins at the 16:25 mark is worth the listen. Personally, I think she should have taken some time to research this subject before she answered, or didn’t answer.

Newsmakers: Campaign 2023 Interview with 8th Senate District Candidate Jodi Habush Sinykin