In strong opposition to recently proposed legislation that would allow teachers to carry guns in schools, a second man has entered as a write-in candidate against Rep. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, the proposal's sponsor.

Manitowoc County Board Supervisor Ted Zigmunt, a Democrat, said he was planning to run against Lasee in 2008 for the 2nd Assembly District seat, but Lasee's recent proposal "tipped the scales" for the election this November. Zigmunt added he's optimistic because "the time is right to beat Mr. Lasee."

In opposition to Lasee's legislation, Zigmunt said he supports a school safety bill Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, announced last week. The bill was first proposed in the last legislative session but was never considered. It would allow school districts to spend what it decides necessary on school security measures without breaking state spending caps.

And Lasee's proposal has also spurred Manitowoc County Board Supervisor Robert Dobbs, a Republican write-in candidate, to enter the race last week.

Zigmunt said split votes between the two Republicans could play in his favor if he can attract a significant number of Democratic voters in the four weeks before the election.

As village president of Francis Creek, Zigumunt said name recognition would help his race in Manitowoc County, but added it would be a challenge securing support in Brown County where he is less well-known.

Zigmunt, who has been in local politics since elected to the Manitowoc County Board in 1996, currently sits on the Finance Committee and the Natural Resources and Education Committee.

Yet University of Wisconsin political science professor Charles Franklin said winning an election as a write-in candidate is still tremendously difficult despite split voting. It's possible, Franklin added, that votes could be split between the Republicans or the "anti-Lasee" write-in candidates.

Franklin said entering the election now could help Zigmunt raise his name recognition for 2008 if he decided to run again but that "becoming a known loser is not the best thing in the world."

While the write-in candidates frantically gather endorsements and meet voters in the coming weeks, Lasee said he is not planning to alter his campaign strategy.

"I always stay in touch with my voters," he said.

Lasee also said he does not think the write-in candidates have proved themselves to be serious contenders, calling Zigmunt and Dobbs "opportunistic" because they "ignored the process" of getting their names on the ballot.

"I feel comfortable [about this election] because the voters have elected me in the past, and I haven't changed my views," said Lasee, who was first elected to the state Assembly in 1994 and has since served six consecutive terms.

Even so, Lasee said he's not stressed about possibly losing the election.

"I like my job and working for the people, but there's other productive work for me to do."

In reaction to recent threats of violence and school shootings in Wisconsin and around the country, Lasee's controversial proposed legislation allowing trained teachers and school staff an option to carry concealed weapons has drawn sharp criticism from state and national officials. Lasee has since changed his proposal to involve storing guns in locked boxes in schools rather than allowing teachers to carry weapons.

If re-elected, Lasee plans to introduce the proposal when state lawmakers reconvene Jan. 1, 2007.