Prestin Has 'Never Run From' 1994 Domestic Battery Sentence

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 12/08/2025) More than 30 years ago, Rep. Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) – a 2026 state Senate candidate – pleaded guilty to domestic battery against his then-fiancé, Kimber'y Lanute in DuPage County, Illinois. Prestin says it's an incident he's never run from.

"I deeply regret this incident, but it was a profound learning experience. I'm a different man today, shaped by decades of growth and commitment to family and community – including 25 years of marriage to my beautiful wife, Kathie, during which we have raised our beloved daughter, Mattie," Prestin said to MIRS over the weekend.

In a file provided to MIRS, court supervision in Illinois ended in September 1994 after Prestin pleaded guilty to domestic battery. Living with his previous fiancé, Lanute, Prestin reportedly pushed her to the ground, causing her to hit her face on a door and scrape her left knee.

Ahead of the hearings, a temporary restraining order was served for Prestin to return Lanute's 1995 Dodge Stratus vehicle with a full tank of gas and $200 reimbursing her rental vehicle expenses to her parents' home following the incident.

Lanute and Prestin participated in court-ordered therapy, with 24 visits from September 1993 to September 1994. According to the social worker, Ellen Walter, the couple started seeing her in June 1993, experiencing a problem of continually engaging in verbal and physical battering of one another.

Walter said that Lanute would be locked out of the apartment they shared without her personal belongings, often leaving her without transportation and clothes for work.

"David has learned to be observant of his feelings and needs and is able to communicate them directly and much earlier. Additionally, he is practicing H.A.L.T., a self-care philosophy that encourages him to lead a balanced life versus focusing primarily on work," wrote Walter in a filing with the court at the time. "Because he is much more insightful and communicative with his partner, this negates the possibility of misunderstandings, anger and violence."

Prestin explained that he married Lanute, but they parted ways a year later.

He said it would be disappointing for an opponent on the campaign trail to dredge up an incident from more than three decades ago, "one that's been raised before, and one that I've never run from."

"I'm honored to have the support of the entire U.P. legislative team, as well as Diane Casperson, wife of the late Sen. Tom Casperson. These endorsements reflect years of hard work on behalf of our peninsula. I encourage my opponents to join me in focusing on real issues impacting the U.P. rather than a regrettable choice that I made as a young man 32 years ago," Prestin said.

A week ago, polling was released for the 38th Senate district in the Upper Peninsula with a 363-person sample of "likely, regular Republican voters." It found that on Nov. 25, former Rep. Beau LaFave, the Iron Mountain conservative, would defeat Prestin in a head-to-head matchup 59.78 percent to 40.22 percent.