Problems don't get solved by talking louder. They get solved by doing the work.

Rachael Dowling is running to represent Wisconsin’s 53rd Assembly District because our community deserves leaders who protect affordability, demand accountability, value transparency, and put people first.

"I’m not running to protect a political party. I’m running to protect the people who live here."
-Dowling

For too long, families have watched the cost of everyday life rise while too many government decisions happen without enough public input, accountability, or common sense.

I believe government should listen first, act responsibly, and reflect who it serves.

That means standing up for working families, seniors, homeowners, small businesses, and everyone trying to build a stable life in our community.

My Platform

PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES AND
RATEPAYERS

As data centers and other large-scale developments expand, we must ask serious questions before moving forward:

How much water will they use?

How much electricity will they consume?

Who pays when demand increases?

What safeguards are in place to protect residents from higher utility bills?

Growth should not come at the expense of local families, small businesses, or our natural resources.

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission should remain an impartial regulator. Public servants shouldn't be lobbying against us.

Transparency Around technology and surveilience

TRANSPARENCY AROUND TECHNOLOGY AND SURVEILLANCE

Technology is changing quickly, and government must not move faster than the public’s ability to understand and weigh in on the decisions being made.

The use of surveillance technology, including Flock cameras installed in our communities, raises serious questions about privacy, oversight, and accountability.

These systems may be presented as public safety tools, but public safety should never become an excuse for unchecked monitoring.

Before surveillance technology is used in our communities, residents deserve clear answers:

Who has access to the data?
How long is it stored?
How is it being used?
What oversight exists?
And what protections are in place to prevent misuse?

Transparency should not be optional. It should be required.

ALL BILLS SHOULD BE SINGLE ISSUE BILLS

Wisconsin government should operate with more transparency by making single-issue bills the standard.

The failed $1.8 billion tax relief and school funding proposal is a good example. It combined school aid, special education funding, rebate checks, property tax cuts, and tax changes for tips and overtime into one package.

Those issues deserved separate votes.

When too much is bundled together, legislators are forced into all-or-nothing decisions, and voters lose clarity.

Clean bills create clear votes, stronger accountability, and better government.

Dowling is committed to lowering costs for families

LOWERING COSTS FOR EVERYDAY FAMILIES

Families need a way to live affordably.With rising fuel costs and continued uncertainty overseas, we need practical solutions that put money back into people’s pockets.

That includes eliminating Wisconsin’s minimum markup requirement on gasoline so families can see real relief at the pump.

Everyday affordability matters.

Gas.

Groceries.

Housing.

Utilities.

Insurance.

Healthcare.

When the cost of simple living rises, government has a responsibility to stop making it worse.

Proven Record

Dowling Has A Proven Record of

Standing Up for Residents

Here are a few of Rachael Dowling's political accomplishments:

STOPPED SALES TAX INCREASE

I have already established a proven record of standing against policies that make life harder for the most vulnerable members of our community.

That includes opposing sales tax proposals that increase the cost of everyday essentials for working families, seniors, and those living on fixed incomes.

When government looks for new revenue, it should not balance its budget on the backs of people already struggling to afford groceries, gas, housing, utilities, and basic needs.

Residents deserve leaders who understand that affordability is not a talking point. It is a daily reality.

FIGHTING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Affordable housing is one of the most urgent issues facing our communities.

I have sounded the alarm to local and state leaders because housing impacts everything: families, workers, seniors, local businesses, schools, and the long-term stability of our neighborhoods.

When people cannot afford to live where they work, raise their children, or retire with dignity, we have a serious problem.

We need practical solutions that make it possible for people to stay rooted in the communities they love.

RETURNING POWER TO THE PEOPLE

President George Washington warned us about the danger of political parties long ago.

In his Farewell Address, he cautioned that political parties could become powerful tools used by ambitious and unprincipled people to take power away from the people.

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, this is the time to remember that warning.

We need leaders who are willing to break away from blind loyalty to political parties and return power to the people.

Our communities deserve elected officials who answer to their neighbors first... not party machines, not special interests, and not political pressure.

VIDEO RECORDED MEETINGS

I brought forward Resolution 59-052022, which updated Rule 22.11 to require that County Board meetings - including committee, commission, and board meetings held in county buildings - be conducted in a hybrid format and be live streamed (or digitally broadcast) and recorded.

The goal is simple: transparency.

Important discussions and decisions shouldn’t only be accessible to the people who can attend in person. Recording and streaming meetings gives the public the ability to watch, stay informed, and hold their government accountable.

Experience

I’m Rachael Dowling, a County Board Supervisor in Winnebago County and a community advocate based in Menasha, Wisconsin. I’m also a multi small business owner, with nearly two decades of experience in operations, client service, project management, and communications. In addition, I work professionally as an FAA Part 107 licensed drone pilot, providing aerial documentation and imagery used for inspection, safety, and marketing purposes.

My public service background includes work on local and county committees, including Parks & Recreation and Information Technology, along with additional community leadership roles. I’m committed to practical, transparent government and focused on solutions that improve daily life for the residents I represent.

My husband and I have been married for 18 years, and we homeschool our four boys here in Menasha. We stay involved in our community with our boys playing on the Menasha Football team (Menasha track team in the off season), and by organizing community events in our neighborhood. My husband Joshua works locally at Habitat for Humanity.

Learn more about me on the blog: Click Here

Public Service

Winnebago County Board Supervisor (2022–present)
East Central WI Regional Planning Commission (Appointed 2026)
Winnebago Health & Human Services (Appointed 2026)
Winnebago County IT Committee (2022–2024)
Winnebago County Parks and Recreation Committee (2022–present)
Winnebago County Diversity Affairs Committee (2022–2023)
Menasha Parks and Recreation Board (2020–2023)

Professional Experience

Multi small business owner (2007–present)
FAA Part 107 Licensed Drone Pilot (commercial UAS operations). Aerial photography and videography, documentation for inspections and reporting, and project-based visual communications.

Community Involvement