Aug11
Primary Election Day
Polls open 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Find your polling place at MyVote.WI.gov
Wisconsin Senate District 1
Hard-Working American Running for State Senate
Jake's running for one reason: to show up for the people of Northeast Wisconsin — making life more affordable, fixing what's broken, and keeping government honest.
Combat Veteran
Farmer
Business Owner
About the Candidate
Meet Jake
Jake came home from deployment and put down roots — literally. He started farming, founded DC Farm for Vets to help fellow veterans heal through agriculture, and built a life in the same Northeast Wisconsin soil his neighbors call home.
Now he's asking to serve again — this time in Madison, standing up for the families, farmers, and workers who make this district what it is.
Wisconsin Senate District 1 is home to some of the most hardworking, community-minded people in this state — from the fishermen and hospitality workers of Door County to the manufacturers and farmers of Kewaunee, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Brown County. These communities deserve a senator who shows up, listens, and delivers on the issues that actually affect daily life. That is what this campaign is about.
— Jake VandenPlas
The Fight Ahead
The Issues
Supporting Veterans & Mental Health
As a combat veteran who returned home with injuries and PTSD, Jake understands the challenges service members face.
- 1Address the veteran suicide crisis through proactive outreach and expanded community-based resources.
- 2Expand access to mental-health care and support for veterans and first responders navigating PTSD and reintegration.
- 3Fund and strengthen programs such as therapeutic agriculture and peer-support networks that help veterans heal outside traditional clinical settings.
- 4Reduce barriers to VA healthcare and state veteran benefits so Wisconsin keeps its promises to those who served.
- 5Support the families of veterans who carry the weight of service-related challenges every day.
Relief & Protection for Wisconsin Farmers
Family farms built District 1. As a farmer himself, Jake will fight to protect rural communities from policies that favor large developers and foreign interests over local voices.
- 1Protect prime farmland from corporate giveaways, industrial data centers, and large-scale solar/wind projects that permanently remove Class 1 and 2 soils from food production.
- 2End state subsidies and tax credits that incentivize converting productive agricultural land into industrial or energy projects.
- 3Support local-control legislation giving towns and counties veto power over projects that override community interests.
- 4Draw a hard line against foreign-adversary (including Chinese) ownership of Wisconsin farmland — no more acres under adversarial control near our food supply, military bases, or Great Lakes ports.
- 5Advocate for energy and land-use policies that lower utility bills while preserving the rural character and agricultural businesses in Door, Kewaunee, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Brown counties.
Standing with Hunters & Rural Sportsmen
Wisconsin hunters and farmers are living with a wolf crisis that state and federal policy has failed to resolve. Livestock losses, attacks on hunting dogs, and impacts on deer herds affect rural families across the district.
- 1Push for science-based management and the delisting of Wisconsin's wolves so the state can responsibly control a population that currently exceeds 1,000 wolves in more than 300 packs.
- 2Work across the aisle to give hunters, farmers, and rural communities practical tools to protect livestock, hunting dogs, and healthy deer herds.
- 3Ensure rural voices — not bureaucrats — shape wildlife policy that affects daily life in Northeast Wisconsin.
Lowering Everyday Costs & the Tax Burden
Groceries, childcare, health care, housing, and energy bills should not break working families. Jake is focused on policies that help people get ahead, not just get by.
- 1Fight to reduce the overall tax burden on Wisconsin families and small businesses.
- 2Support policies that keep grocery prices, housing costs, and everyday essentials in check.
- 3Advocate for energy policies that lower utility bills for homeowners and businesses.
- 4Oppose taxpayer-funded subsidies and special deals that raise costs for ordinary citizens while benefiting large developers or out-of-state interests.
- 5Prioritize fiscal responsibility and accountability in Madison so government lives within its means and returns value to the people who pay the bills.
Election Integrity
Everyone deserves to trust that their vote counts. Free, fair, and secure elections — no shortcuts, no games.
- 1Support free, fair, and secure elections with common-sense safeguards that protect every legal vote.
- 2Back transparency in election administration so results are trusted by voters across the political spectrum.
Independent of PACs, NGOs & Special Interests
Jake's campaign is deliberately structured to remain independent of the influence of political action committees, large non-governmental organizations, and special-interest money.
- 1Contributions fund the practical work of campaigning — gas, yard signs, town halls — rather than national consultants or outside agendas.
- 2By refusing PAC and NGO money, Jake remains accountable only to the voters of Northeast Wisconsin, free from the financial pressures that often shape legislation in Madison.
- 3The campaign runs on grassroots support from veterans, farmers, small-business owners, and local residents who want a senator who answers to them — not to distant organizations.
Powered by People
Support Jake's Campaign
This campaign runs on neighbors, not big donors. Your contribution pays for gas, yard signs, and town halls — the real work of meeting voters where they are.
You'll be securely redirected to WinRed to complete your donation.
Paid for by Jake for Wisconsin. Contributions are not tax deductible.
Growing Support
Endorsements
Support is growing from the people who know Jake best — neighbors, veterans, farmers, and small business owners who want someone in Madison who actually picks up the phone.
Local Farmers & Ag LeadersStanding with District 1 agriculture
Northeast Wisconsin Veterans GroupsBacking one of their own
Small Business OwnersAcross all of District 1
Volunteer
Get Involved
Got an hour to knock doors? A kitchen table for a neighborhood conversation? An idea worth hearing? There's a place for you on this team.
Say Hello
Contact Jake
Need a yard sign, want to get involved, or are you press? Fill out the form and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Follow Along
Latest from the Campaign
Live updates straight from Jake's Facebook page.