State Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, is running for Waukesha County executive, joining state Senator Chris Kapenga in the Dec. 15 special election to finish the term of the late Paul Farrow.
Neylon made the announcement Wednesday afternoon on “The Dan O’Donnell Show.” Neylon told listeners he is running because Waukesha County is home. “I love this place,” he said. “I believe our families deserve leadership that puts community first, delivers results, protects taxpayers and preserves the values that make this place so special.” He added that after more than a decade fighting for the county in Madison, he is ready to “bring that experience home” and “keep Waukesha County winning.”
Neylon, 41, has represented Waukesha County in the Assembly since April 2013, when he won the special election for the 98th District. Since 2024, he has represented the 15th District, covering Pewaukee and parts of Brookfield and Waukesha. He is a Carroll University graduate, a former aide to then-Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, and a former Waukesha County field director for the state GOP. He opened a commercial window-cleaning company in 2010 and later co-founded a fitness business. He and his wife, Hannah, are raising three children in Pewaukee.
Neylon has a strong conservative record of supporting measures to relieve property taxes, eliminating taxes on tips and overtime pay, legislative bills aimed at resetting regulations, supporting parental rights in schools, and providing additional funding for prosecutors and law enforcement. Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the American Conservative Union and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce have, on several occasions, rated him as a supporter of business and limited government. He has also received awards from organizations in the energy and health-care sectors for his work on non-compete reform and utility policy.
He said the campaign was not merely about protecting what we already have, but also about building on it. He believed Waukesha County could keep growing, innovating, and taking a leading role in Wisconsin without losing sight of the principles that brought us to this point. He is running for County Executive because he believes our best days are still ahead and that he is ready to do the work needed to achieve them.
Farrow, a Republican who ran the county since 2015, died on July 7 at 61 after a battle with cancer. The County Board set the special election for Dec. 15. Retired corporation counsel Tom Farley was sworn in July 30 as interim executive and will hold the office until the voters choose a successor. A primary will take place if more than two candidates qualify.
