Hintz takes seat

Hintz sworn in as new Oshkosh representative. Gordon Hintz is officially Oshkosh’s new state representative. Hintz, a Democrat, was sworn in to office during a nearly two hour ceremony in the state Capitol that began at 2 p.m.

Surrounded by local political supporters and family members, Hintz called the event exciting and said he was honored to be able to represent the city in the state Assembly. “You can’t really prepare yourself for walking into the Capitol and walking into your office. It’s an absolute honor to be here,” Hintz said.

Hintz will gather with supporters later this afternoon in his new office on the fourth floor of the Capitol building. He began moving into the office yesterday. Hintz defeated Republican candidate Julie Pung Leschke in November to become the first Democrat to represent Oshkosh in the state Assembly since 1982 when now-state Sen. Carol Roessler defeated Richard Flintrop. Rep. Gregg Underheim, a Republican who had held the seat since 1987 chose not to run again.Earlier in the day, Gov. Jim Doyle and other state elected officials were sworn into office in a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda.

Doyle, in his inaugural speech, called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to make health care affordable for all people."Too many of our citizens simply cannot afford care," Doyle said at the inaugural ceremony in the Capitol rotunda. "Too many of our families live in fear that one illness could cause them to lose everything they worked so hard for."

Image borrowed from the Oshkosh Northwestern PIC, photo from Northwestern website.

Posted January 3, 2007 on the Northwestern Website