WCDP – Executive Committee

7th Congressional District

Kathleen Rulka Co-Chair

I have been in Marshfield since 2007. I am a retired Marriage & Family Therapist and Clinical Chaplain and spent my professional career in Palliative Care and Hospice, caring for patients and families in End of Life Care. I am also an artist with clay and glass as my media. I enjoy creating opportunities for people to come together to create public art displays. I became more active in politics when my husband, Brian Ewert, ran for 7th Congressional District in 2018.  Since then, I ran as a write-in candidate for the 69th Assembly seat, and then, in 2020, was elected Co-Chair of the Wood County Democratic Party, beginning January 1, 2021. I love networking with people and organizing for change. If you want to volunteer for the Wood County Democratic Party, there are many ways we can use your gifts and talents!

Chris Stargardt

Vice Co-Chair

I was born in Marshfield and have lived most of my life here. I graduated from Ripon College majoring in Economics and History. After college, I worked in Milwaukee and then Iowa. I returned to Marshfield to work at my family’s car dealership which was later sold. I was hired as a 911 operator and police/fire/EMS dispatcher for the City of Marshfield. When Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids and Wood County combined their dispatch centers, I worked at the combined center for a little over two years before returning to the Marshfield Police Department as a records specialist. I retired from MPD in February 2022 and returned as a temporary part-time employee in July 2023.

I am married and have 2 daughters, 1 son-in-law and 2 grandsons. My family is one of the primary reasons I joined Wood County Democrats. My youngest daughter identifies as lesbian and my two grandsons are biracial. I fear for their futures in a country if Republicans hold power; Republicans who don’t recognize my daughter as a person with the same rights as every other citizen and my grandsons who may be racially profiled and marginalized. If I don’t do all I can to support and promote Democrats and our values, I will feel like I failed them.

In addition to being the Volunteer Coordinator for Wood County Democrats, I volunteer at Soup or Socks Food Pantry and in the office at my church. I like to travel with family and friends. For fun, I like to read historical fiction and murder mystery novels. I also like to play cards, board games, sudoku and Wordle.

Ken Breu

Delegate At Large

I was born in 1951, the fifth of twelve children of William and Dorothy Breu, and was raised in the Marshfield area, where I have spent most of my life. I am a graduate of St. John’s University, Collegeville, MN, with a B.A. in Mathematics, and of Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI, with an M.A. in Education.

After college, I was a volunteer for two years with the Peace Corps, serving at Nsona Mpangu, Zaïre (now Dem. Rep. of the Congo). There I taught high school “mathématiques”. Upon first arriving in Africa, in July 1973, after our plane was refueled at the Entebbe, Uganda airport and had taken off, it was forced to return. One hundred ten Peace Corps Volunteers and I were detained for 2½ days by Uganda’s dictator, Idi Amin, eager to create an international incident. The President of Zaïre, Mobutu Sese Seko, the President of the U.S., Richard Nixon, and the U.S. Embassy at Kampala, Uganda secured our release.

After returning home, I taught high school math at Marshfield schools, until being laid off. I then pursued an 18-year career as a computer programmer/systems analyst at Marshfield Clinic and its Research Foundation (now Institute). During this time, I served as president of the area chapter of Association of Information Technology Professionals; served on Marshfield’s School-to-Work Employment Council for six years, on the Town of Rock’s Zoning Committee where I headed the rewrite of its zoning code, and donated more than five gallons of blood to American Red Cross.

In 1999, I returned to teaching, in Marshfield, and then Bangor, areas. I retired in 2013, though I continue to occasionally work as a substitute teacher. During this time, I served as Grand Knight of Bangor’s Knights of Columbus Council 9438, and as a 4th degree Knight, served on the Honor Guard of La Crosse’s Assembly 1195. Since the start of Marshfield Area Cultural Fair in 2004, I have been an exhibitor every-other year, representing Peace Corps, Dem. Rep. of the Congo, and languages French and Kikongo.

In 1987, all former and current Peace Corps Volunteers, myself included, received the Beyond War Award. I have been listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2005-06 and 2006-07, and Marquis Who’s Who in America 2022. In 2018, I received a hammer drill from my pastor, and two years later, a table saw from my parish, in appreciation for my volunteer work refurbishing the parish rectory. In 2021, I was given a Volunteer Service Award from EAA/AirVenture Oshkosh, and in 2023, I won my age group 70-79 at Loyal’s 5K Spanky’s Run with a time of 27:44.6. I remain active in Corpus Christi Catholic Parish, Bakerville, and enjoy running, woodworking, camping, traveling and astronomy and photography.

I am married, with two sons, and live in the Town of Rock.

Since the campaign of Janet Protasiewicz for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I have been active in the Democratic party. My father was an infantryman under Lt. Gen. George Patton, fighting in four major European campaigns of WWII, including the Battle of the Bulge. He helped save this country from fascism. Today, through the Democratic Party, I feel must try to do the same. (One of the greatest honors of my life was being my father’s “guardian” during his Honor Flight in 2011 to Washington, D.C., to see the WWII memorial.)

Ken was elected Delegate-at-Large for Wood County – 7th Congressional District for 2025-26.

Brian Ewert

Treasurer

I am involved with the Democratic Party because it is the political party that most closely aligns with my values. My aspiration for our community, state and nation is that we all have the opportunity to succeed grounded in societal stability and equity.

I grew up in rural Kansas railroad town, so Wood County felt familiar when our family moved here in 1993. I am a kidney physician and have retired from active patient care. I was drawn to Marshfield due to the Clinic and St. Joseph’s Hospital having the core mission of serving all residents in the service area.

I have appreciated being involved in various community organizations. I was on the founding board for the Marshfield Area Habitat for Humanity in the 1990s. I am currently on the board for the Personal Development Center, Inc. which provides services to victims of domestic violence in northern Wood, Clark, and western Marathon counties. I have also held leadership positions in faith communities in Marshfield.

Following the 2016 election I realized I needed to increase my involvement with political activity. This led me to run for the 7th Congressional District representative oRice in 2018. I did not advance beyond the primary. However, the experience provided an immersion into the processes and personalities of political engagement. Since 2018 I have maintained political involvement through various activities:

• Volunteer work for the Wood County Democratic Party

o Providing the annual financial review
o Designing printed material
o Managing the membership database

• Being treasurer for local and regional candidates

• Canvassing as part of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s coordinated campaigns

I look forward to providing the financial and compliance support to the Wood County Democratic Party so we can continue to promote the values that strengthen our communities, our state, and our nation.

Current Wisconsin Elected Officials

Tony Evers
Governor

Wisconsin Blue –

Together, We Are Stronger!