A Salem Democrat plans to take on state Rep. Samantha Kerkman, R-Randall, in this fall’s election for the 66th Assembly District.

Steve Brown announced his candidacy Friday, at events in downtown Burlington and outside Chrysler’s Kenosha Engine Plant.

Brown said he will focus his campaign on job creation and Kerkman’s voting record, which he charged has not been in the people’s best interests.

“This is not about Samantha Kerkman or about Steve Brown, as a person,” Brown told a handful of reporters and campaign supporters gathered near the main Chrysler gate on 52nd Street Friday afternoon. “It’s about her voting record.”

Specifically, Brown cited Kerkman’s opposition to a recently adopted bill that prohibits state agencies from contracting with overseas vendors, another that would mandate insurance coverage of autism treatment and a state budget that included a provision to increase local sales of crops grown within the state.

Kerkman countered, stating she has a strong record.

“I voted against the state budget this time around that created $3 billion in tax increases, after we had seen companies like Harley-Davidson cut thousands of jobs,” Kerkman said in a telephone interview. “I think my record does stand on its own merits.”

Kerkman said she supports regulatory reform legislation to help businesses create jobs, and — contrary to statements made by Brown — she favors the CORE Jobs Act, a job-creation bill that has passed the Senate and awaits a vote in the Assembly.

Change of parties

Running on the Democratic ticket represents a political about-face for Brown, who about two years ago explored challenging state Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Pleasant Prairie, as a Republican.

The former Wisconsin president of the Republican Leadership Council, a national group that seeks to recruit moderate GOP election candidates, Brown on Friday called himself “a Democrat all my life.” Characterizing himself as a “slightly right of center Democrat,” Brown said his short break from the party came as GOP Senate leaders were courting him to run against Wirch.

Brown said he ultimately decided he did not fit in with the Republicans.

“I told the Republican Party a word that they know well, and that word was ‘no,’” Brown said.

Challenging race

As a Democrat, Brown faces challenges in the 66th District, which has elected Republicans to the Assembly since the early 1980s. The area includes much of western Kenosha County and Somers, plus the city and town of Burlington; Brown said Assembly Democratic campaign officials say it’s about a 45 percent Democratic district.

Brown, 62, is a professor of educational leadership and school law at Northeastern Illinois University and an executive program producer at Gateway Technical College radio station WGTD in Kenosha. He filled out a term on the Salem School Board from 2003 to April 2004, when he lost an election bid.

Kerkman, 36, was a legislative aide for Rep. Cloyd Porter before she was elected to succeed him in 2000.

The election is Nov. 2. Primaries, needed if others enter the race, would be held Sept. 14.