September 2026

The Maple Leaf Parade brought thousands of neighbors into the streets, and Chris Muller was there with the candidates and volunteers who made it a memorable day. In this week’s CouleeConservatives.com recap, he shares the energy of Oktoberfest, a personal anniversary, and the moments that reminded him why local involvement matters.

I write to you with an incredibly grateful heart.

As many of you know, not long ago, the plane carrying me home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau.

After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to submerge, the pilot and I exited the aircraft. We eventually swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat.

By the grace of God, we made it out safely with only minor injuries.

Wisconsin’s public school students have now been back in school for nearly a month. For many parents, teachers and students, the start of a new school year means a return to familiar problems.

Academic performance has moved steadily in the wrong direction. Wisconsin students have lost the equivalent of nearly an entire grade level in reading performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, since the state’s recent peak. At the same time, teachers increasingly report classrooms where disruptive and sometimes violent behavior makes it harder simply to teach.

An election asks a question about the kind of country we want to be. This year, I believe that question is especially clear: Will we trust people to direct their own lives, or will we give government more power to make those decisions for them?

Liberty means families can pursue opportunity, speak their minds, practice their faith, and build a future without asking Washington or Madison for permission at every turn. It also means taking responsibility for our neighbors and holding elected leaders accountable when they fall short.