"I think that would be a huge bit of experience I would bring to the table," said Kittel, sitting in his classroom, where notes for his students on how the government is organized were scribbled on an eraser board.

Kittel, a long-time history and government teacher in New Richmond, said Monday that he will run as a Democrat for the 29th District in the Republican-controlled Assembly.

Kittel said he’s expecting there to be a Democratic primary in September because he knows there’s at least one other Democrat out there who plans to run. Republican incumbent Andy Lamb of Menomonie isn’t running for re-election, leaving the nomination on that side up for grabs as well.

The general election is in November.

District 29 is bordered on the east by Menomonie, on the south by Spring Valley and to the north by Deer Park. New Richmond is near its western edge.

Kittel said he’s not sure if there are any teachers serving in the Assembly but if there are he is sure that it’s not many.

According to the State of Wisconsin Blue Book, a fact book about state government, 62 of the 99 Assembly members list their occupations as either full-time lawmakers, attorneys or farmers. The book lists the occupations of the remaining 37 under “other.”

Teaching, he said, has given him a good understanding of how government works.

“I’ve taught about it my whole life,” he said.

At its core, teaching involves planning, knowing when and how to make adjustments, being clear and communicating well. Kittel said that skillset will translate well to lawmaking.

Kittel teaches U.S. history and American government at New Richmond High School. He’s in his 16th year with New Richmond schools; he taught in Amery for 11 years.

Because he’s a teacher, Kittel said education obviously would be a priority.

Kittel said he’s proud of what Wisconsin teachers and schools have accomplished “but we can do better.”

It is important to spend education dollars carefully, he said, “but continue to invest” in schools.

“The money you invest in education always comes back to the community,” he said.

For example, Kittel said businesses that consider moving to a community ask first about the quality of schools.

Kittel said managing western Wisconsin’s population growth and health care would be atop his agenda as well.

Regarding growth, he said the area needs to “manage growth intelligently” and develop plans for infrastructure to support it.

BadgerCare, the state-run health-care program for those who don’t have insurance, works well, he said. But he added that strategies are needed to provide more access to quality health care.

Kittel, 50, was born in Eau Claire but raised in New Richmond. He graduated from New Richmond High School in 1974 then went on to earn a bachelor’s in social studies from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and a master’s in history from UW-River Falls. His wife, Cheri Evjen, works at 3M Co. A 22-year-old daughter, Heather, attends UW-EC, while his 21-year-old son, Alex, attends UW-RF.

For years, Kittel has kicked around the idea of running, he said. Friends and acquaintances finally talked him into it.

Kittel said he would try to bring civility to the sometimes fractious political debate in Madison. “It’s kind of how I was brought up,” he said.

Politicians, he noted, can get caught up in the volume of the debate and lose sight of potential solutions.

If he wins, next year Kittel would continue teaching the first semester and take the second off to serve in the Assembly.