For Ben Gruber, working as a conservation warden in Wisconsin is more than just a job. It’s a commitment to serve the public.
He works hard to protect rural communities across Southwest Wisconsin.
“Unlike traditional law enforcement, my role as a conservation warden is to catch polluters and poachers, and protect our natural resources,” Gruber explained.
“We also do a lot of law enforcement work and provide rescue services within our state park system.”
Building communities with strong public services
Serving as a community law enforcement officer gives him a unique perspective on the challenges people are facing. Affordability is the top concern for working families like his.
“Everybody’s fighting tooth and nail,” he said. “It's really difficult to watch working families struggle to put food on the table and gas in the car while we see billionaires continue to profit off of the work that everyday people are doing.”
Now, Gruber is running for the state assembly. He is laser-focused on making life more affordable for working families and strengthening essential services people rely on.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is properly funding our communities and our public schools,” he said. “That is something that I believe we need to fix. There are solutions available.”
Public safety cuts hurt communities
He’s seen first-hand how cutting essential services makes our communities less safe.
Gruber spoke about how he helped save someone’s life in 2024 after getting an emergency call about a woman who had stopped breathing. He performed CPR for more than 20 minutes while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The woman survived thanks to his quick response. He and a village police officer were later honored for their courageous work.
“We received our awards the very night that our village board had to close our police department because they had to choose between water to flush the toilets and public safety,” Gruber recalled.
Now, there are even fewer first responders in the area. This has put more strain on officers like Gruber and left residents more vulnerable in emergency situations.
A fighter for working families
Gruber is the former president of his union, AFSCME Local 1215, and he currently serves on the AFSCME Council 32 executive board. His experience in the union showed him that workers are powerful when we stand together.
“As a union leader, my job is to fight for the people in my union,” he said. “And as a state legislator, my job will be to fight for the people in my district and people across the state.”
He is pushing for stronger union rights as a lead plaintiff in the court case to overturn Act 10.
If elected to office, Gruber said he will be a strong voice for workers and families who feel forgotten by their state government.
“That really is why I'm running, because I've been there. I've been the person who showed up when your grandma fell. I've been there to deliver your babies. I've come to your kids’ funerals after I was there and tried to save them,” he said. “I have shown up my entire life to serve.”
Public safety professionals are turning to AFSCME to build power at work, and advocate for safety on the job, better wages, good health care and a secure retirement. AFSCME members in corrections, law enforcement and emergency response defend our freedoms and our communities.
Visit the AFSCME Public Safety website to get involved and learn more.