print story

Former tourism secretary to seek state Senate seat

Anita Weier  —  5/20/2008 5:33 pm

Former Wisconsin Department of Tourism Secretary Jim Holperin plans to seek election to the state Senate seat being vacated by Roger Breske, Assistant Assembly Minority Leader Jon Richards said Tuesday.

Breske, D-Eland, will leave his Senate seat to become the state's railroad commissioner, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday.

Holperin did not immediately return phone calls for comment Tuesday about his political plans.

Holperin, a Democrat who also formerly served in the Assembly, was Gov. Jim Doyle's tourism secretary from 2003 to January 2007. He resigned because of the travel time required to be with his wife and family at their home in Eagle River in northern Wisconsin.

Holperin took several innovative steps in the tourism office, including redesigning the travelwisconsin.com website and launching a voluntary environmental certification program for tourism businesses called Travel Green Wisconsin.

He is also a former director of Trees for Tomorrow.

Republican Tom Tiffany is also seeking to win Breske's 12th District Senate seat.

Anita Weier  —  5/20/2008 5:33 pm