Ginger Murray

Better Together.....

Ginger Murray has lifelong connections to Wisconsin's Northwoods which shaped her values — family, work ethic, community connection, and common sense solutions. From her career forming involvement in the Wabeno Mock Trial, growing up playing and working in the woods, and launching her small business in Crandon, she truly understands the daily struggles and realities families and small towns navigate. Those early experiences led her to a career grounded in giving back to the community.

Ginger was born in Eau Claire, WI on her mother's 20th birthday. Both her parents (graduates from D.C. Everest High School in Schofield) put themselves through college. Her father landed a good paying job at the papermill in Rhinelander while her mother worked at the Post Office. They lived in the little blue house across the street from the park: a house the family continues to own. Her dad then took a leap of faith, leaving his job to volunteer at the Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center. The family moved to Trump Lake, where their housing was obtained through her mom's work for the landlord's law office. Her father's gutsy move paid off and he was hired (the start of his lifelong career dedicated to serving troubled youth), which caused the family to move to the trailer court at his workplace in Blackwell, WI. Her dad joined the Wabeno Lion's Club. His work/community service made a lasting impression on Ginger, as did her mother's commitment to being available for her and her brother, even during the years she returned to complete her college degree.

Ginger thrived in the small classrooms in the schools in Wabeno. She served as class president, student council representative, and most notably as a lawyer on the Wabeno Mock Trial team (which sparked her drive at age 16 to become an attorney). Judge Kinney, who judged her performance and encouraged her to go to law school, would later be one of three judges that offered her work as Family Court Commissioner in both Forest and Oneida Counties. Ginger took note of how that one act of encouragement of Judge Kinney would have such a profound impact on her life, and she vowed to have that type of impact on others during her career. This experience also helped form her belief in "Better Together".

Ginger went on to obtain a B.A. in Behavioral Science & Law, with a Certificate in Criminal Law at U.W. Madison. Her studies in Behavioral Science & Law and work needed to earn a Certificate in Criminal Law at UW–Madison included hands-on work with the WI public defender (adult and juvenile), courts, and group/foster homes for children. With the support of UW faculty, court officials, and many others, Ginger went on to write a thesis on the likelihood of children who were placed out of the home, because parents did not/could not care for them, ultimately engaging in the behavior of their roommates who were in the juvenile court system due to breaking the law. This drew the attention of local juvenile prosecutors, juvenile judges and the juvenile detention centers/placements for juveniles. These moments shaped the leader she is today — grounded, pragmatic, curious, and committed to doing the work, research, and seeking the help of those with the power to help solve problems. That is what she will bring to northern Wisconsin families if elected to represent US in D.C..

She then left WI to attend law school in Mississippi, where she was able to work with incredibly dedicated and talented attorneys (private and government) on capital murder cases, served as President of the Environmental Law Club, earned a scholarship which included attendance at a national Environmental Law conference in D.C., and earned a call back for a John Grisham Movie "A Time to Kill".

Upon her return from law school, her prior Wabeno teachers asked her to run for D.A. It is noteworthy that this is another example of the impact of meaningful and authentic connections having lifelong implications. At the time she was approached, she did not yet have her WI bar exam results, so the timing issue caused the campaign to be as a write-in candidate (Ginger Jazdzewski: not an easy name to write in). Although her grassroots campaign largely led by her prior teachers and several local friends (bowling, softball and volleyball teammate) resulted in sufficient votes being cast to get her name on the ballot for the fall election, due to technical issues, not all the votes were counted. (Newpaper article on this is posted on FB.) While she did not win the election, she won the trust of her soon-to-be clients, and never had to advertise her law services in Forest County.

Forest County Judge Robert Kennedy, Sr. began assigning her to the majority of the guardian ad litem work in the county which allowed her to have the rewarding role of serving the "best interest of the child" in cases. Judge Kennedy was the first judge to appoint her as the Circuit and Family Court Commissioner in 1999. Through her work as Commissioner she learned how to obtain federal funding for the counties she served. She also served as a contracted public defender and appointed special prosecutor in both Forest and Florence Counties. She was appointed and then re-elected as the City Attorney for Crandon, where she was integral in developing a TIF district, helped local law enforcement create new ordinances (creating more revenue for the city), and worked with the mayor and city council to improve main street businesses. She was able to secure the assistance of Senator Roger Breske/staff to obtain FEMA funds to help with the damage to the library construction caused by flooding. She served in all those capacities, as well Town Attorney for Laona, while also running her own law practice in which she represented clients including former Potawatomi appointed officials, federal government employees, property developers, and was even approached by but declined to pursue employment with those who attempted to develop a mine in the area. When she needed a little extra spending money for the holiday (while paying back those soul crushing student loans), and wanted a break from the legal work, she would gather Christmas tree boughs up at her family's cabin in Vilas County.

As a small business owner and longtime legal professional, she used her skills to lead local (Oneida-Forest-Vilas County Bar) and state legal associations, and to provide support for worthy causes: supporting survivors through Judicare and Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, veterans and first responders through Wounded Warriors and Back to Basics Training, strengthening Wisconsin’s family court systems, coaching local students, and giving back to her hometown through the Crandon Lions Club.

While Ginger entered the world of politics early in her career, due to the nastiness she endured in her last campaign, she and her husband decided that politics would not be an option until after their kids were on their own. Their daughters are now out of the house, with Genna having obtained a degree in Environmental Sciences from UW Madison, and Jaeli obtaining a scholarship to study International Business at the Darla Moore Business School at the University of South Carolina-Columbia. The time is ripe for this return to politics, and "for better or worse" Ginger's experience presiding over and advocating within divorces has taught her how to deal with all sorts of nastiness.

Ginger is running for Congress because she’s tired of the division and performative politics that leave families and small businesses, "US", behind. She believes in collaboration over chaos, clarity over noise, and well reasoned solutions that provide real results for the lives they impact over grandstanding on political positions. Ginger reached out to the known fellow democrat candidates, as a professional courtesy, to inform them of her upcoming campaign and to assure them that she would not be engaging in any negative campaign tactics: a promise which was reciprocated. Her “Better Together” approach reflects a lifetime of listening, learning, and leading with purpose — and a commitment to bring logical, results-focused leadership to Wisconsin’s 7th District.

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