The Assembly Democratic Caucus will enter the next year with 45 members — ten more than last session. Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) speaking at a press conference before an April 25, 2023 floor session. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) said in a year-end interview that the new makeup of the state Legislature is going to have a real impact next legislative session. 

The Assembly Democratic Caucus will enter the next year with 45 members — ten more than last session — after the recent elections under new legislative maps, and the work to prepare for next session has started. 

“The fair maps already started to change the culture of the state Legislature. We saw more bipartisan work last session. I expect that that will only increase as we go forward,” Neubauer told the Wisconsin Examiner. “We’ve got legislators who are going to be looking over their left and their right shoulder — a lot of people in competitive districts who are going to need to listen to their constituents and get things done.” 

Assembly Democrats are looking to get things done, Neubauer said. To prepare, leaders are having one-on-one conversations with members. New lawmakers are participating in a freshman orientation this week and a caucus retreat is scheduled for later this week.

“We are working as a group to identify our top priorities — what it would take for us to vote for the budget, for example — and working to collectively leverage our power.” Neubauer said. She said many of the caucus’ new members have a local government background or have worked in advocacy roles or as a union leader, which is helpful.

Neubauer said she thinks the majority party will need some Democratic support to pass important bills, which could give Assembly Democrats the chance to shape forthcoming legislation. 

“We want to make sure that we are taking advantage of those opportunities to get real wins for our constituents and pass important policy,” Neubauer said. 

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said during a press conference last month that he would still be seeking “consensus” among Republicans before moving forward on issues, even with the new slimmer margins. However, Neubauer said she thinks there will be more opportunities to work together on certain issues as there may be more members of the Republican caucus pushing their leadership to take up certain issues including investment in education, lowering costs, expanding access to health care including by extending postpartum Medicaid coverage, protecting the environment and providing clean drinking water.

“The reality is that he now has a lot of members who are in very close seats, who are going to need to go home and answer for their votes,” Neubauer said. “There’s a lot of really popular issues that Republicans have refused to take significant action on that I anticipate will be getting more air time in the coming session.” 

Neubauer said she hasn’t spoken with Vos about the upcoming session, but hopes to soon.

Budget writing and other legislative priorities

When the Legislature returns to session next year, Gov. Tony Evers and the Legislature will work on writing the next two-year budget. State agencies have delivered their requests to Evers, who will write his own budget proposals. The Legislature will then write and vote on its own version before sending it to Evers, who will have the opportunity to sign or veto the budget. 

“I am hopeful that in this budget, we will be able to lower costs for families in Wisconsin in housing and child care and prescription drugs. I hope that we’re able to make real investments in education and giving every kid the opportunity to succeed in our state,” Neubauer said.

School funding a top priority

Neubauer said education funding will likely be a top priority for the caucus, and that the proposals from the UW System and the Department of Public Instruction are strong. The UW System is requesting an additional $855 million from the state for many priorities, including wage increases, general operations costs, mental health services and extending the Wisconsin Tuition Promise. The Department of Public Instruction has requested an additional $4.3 billion to support schools struggling to meet costs; the request follows a record year for school referendum requests. 

“I really appreciate the ambition and the effort to make the necessary investments to give every student in Wisconsin the ability to succeed,” Neubauer said. “We know that the state Legislature has not been keeping up its end of the bargain in terms of funding for our public schools and the Assembly Republicans have seemingly decided that their role is to attack and undermine the UW system rather than support and uplift it.” 

Neubauer said she hopes they’re able to get a significant increase for education spending given the state’s significant $4 billion surplus, but noted that those priorities need to be balanced with other important priorities. When it comes to specific policies for investment for K-12 education, Neubauer said Democrats will be focused on increasing the reimbursement rate for special education, securing a “significant” increase to per pupil aid and mental health resources. 

“It should not be falling to local communities to raise their property taxes in order to fund their schools, and I think for many of us, you know, we walk into our local schools and we see what’s been cut, and we see where additional resources could really make a difference for kids, and we think this is just wrong.” Neubauer said. She noted that Racine County, where she is from, is one community dealing with financial difficulties, including deficits and budget cuts. “We’re not doing right by them, and so I do think that’ll be a big focus for us in this budget, and then we will see where else we can support families to make ends meet and to have great opportunities in Wisconsin in the years ahead.” 

Republican lawmakers, including leaders and those on the budget committee, have said that “returning the surplus back to taxpayers” will be one of their top priorities. Neubauer said that Democrats would be open to talking about targeted tax cuts that benefit middle class families.

“What we’ve seen from Republicans in the last several years is proposals that primarily benefit the richest Wisconsinites and corporations, and we’re not interested in that,” Neubauer said. “We know that many people are struggling to make ends meet in Wisconsin, but it can’t break the bank, and it needs to be targeted.”

Funding local government

Neubauer said local government funding will likely be another key priority for Democrats this coming session. Even with the shared revenue overhaul last session, she said many Wisconsin communities are still struggling to fund essential services. 

“We did make progress, but we had fallen so far behind,” Neubauer said. “We’ve got red and blue communities that are coming to us and saying with the federal dollars going away here at the end of the year, they’re going to have a very difficult time funding their public health departments, their parks and community centers, their public safety and those are all essential to our community’s well being.”

Prying loose JFC’s grip on the public purse

Neubauer said she hopes with the maps that there will be more accountability for lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee if they decide to withhold funds next session. Lawmakers dedicated money to several issues last session — including $125 million to combat PFAS, $50 million to support new literacy initiatives and $15 million for hospitals in the Chippewa Valley — however, the funds have been withheld by the Republican-led Joint Finance Committee due to policy differences after the funds were allocated. 

Neubauer said she hopes this will happen less in the coming session. She pointed out that Sen. Duey Stroebel, a prominent Republican member of the committee, was ousted from his seat this election cycle by Democrat Sen.-elect. Jodi Habush Sinykin. Sen. Joan Ballweg, another member of the committee, also lost her reelection bid. 

“People of Wisconsin don’t really like that. Those are important priorities to people across the state,” Neubauer said. “I think that having more legislators and competitive seats will mean that the people, I hope, on the Joint Finance Committee are hesitant to do that.” 

Neubauer said that the multiple court cases challenging  JFC’s enhanced authority could also help with the issue. 

“We’ve already seen one decision from the Supreme Court that said that they had overstepped, and there are other cases moving through,” Neubauer said. “I think that’s a good thing, and it makes me hopeful that Republicans on the Joint Finance Committee will no longer be able to act as sort of another Legislature in preventing the implementation of these programs that have already been passed and already been signed.”

Beyond budget priorities, Neubauer said that the caucus is continuing to think about other longer term issues — including legalizing marijuana, addressing gun safety, protecting abortion rights, addressing climate change, ensuring everyone has access to clean drinking water and public safety reforms — but she expects some of those will require a Democratic majority. 

Neubauer said that Democrats are always working towards the majority in the Assembly, and she thinks the last election laid the groundwork for a Democratic takeover in two years. She noted there could be the opportunity for a Democratic trifecta in that election cycle.

“We’ve got strong candidates that ran this cycle, many of whom want to run again. We really built our grassroots infrastructure in communities where we haven’t had competitive districts for quite some time, and I think we learned some things about how to run such a big program with so many candidates under these fair maps,” Neubauer said.

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Wisconsin State Capitol (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

Former state Rep. Betty Jo Nelsen, who died on Oct. 17 at the age of 89, is being honored Monday with flags in Wisconsin being flown at half-staff.

Gov. Tony Evers issued the order last week, calling the former Republican representative “an exceptional example of a dedicated public servant, making history as the first woman to serve as minority leader in the history of our state legislature.”

Nelsen was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1979 after winning a special election to represent  parts of northeastern suburbs of Milwaukee and served for six terms before resigning. During her time in the Legislature, she was elected in 1987 to serve as Assembly minority leader, making her the first woman to serve in the position. She also served on the Joint Finance Committee. 

“In the weeks since her passing, our thoughts are with former Rep. Nelsen’s husband, Jim, her children, grandchildren, and all her loved ones as they mourn her loss and celebrate her incredible legacy,” Evers said in a statement. Funeral services for Nelsen are being held Monday in Milwaukee.

Nelsen resigned from the Assembly in 1990 to take up a position in former President George H.W. Bush’s administration as the administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service inside the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1992, she was nominated to serve as the assistant secretary of agriculture for food and consumer services. 

Following her time in the federal government, Nelsen returned to Wisconsin and was appointed by former Gov. Tommy Thompson to serve on the state Natural Resources Board. In addition to her years in government, Nelsen served her community in leadership positions at other organizations including Future Milwaukee, United Community Services, United Way, Girl Scouts of the USA and Junior League of Milwaukee.

“Known for a passion for public service and devotion to the well-being of her family, Betty Jo was an unapologetic but humble leader and trailblazer, driven by her concern for others and guided by high moral standards not often seen today,” Nelsen’s obituary states. “She always pushed for her own personal excellence and accountability, yet when achieved, she simply refused to discuss her roles, accomplishments, and awards. Instead, she quickly pivoted to a focus on YOU!”

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Assembly chambers. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

On Tuesday, voters across Wisconsin will decide the shape of the Wisconsin State Assembly  under new legislative maps, which were adopted in February after the state Supreme Court ruled the old maps were an unconstitutional gerrymander. 

The new maps have created a different political dynamic this year in Wisconsin placing Republicans on defense as they seek to protect their majority while Democrats go on offense, seeking to make gains and place some new faces in the Assembly. Republicans have held large majorities in both chambers of the Legislature since 2010 under the previous maps, winning 64 of 99 Assembly seats in 2022.

Democrats are likely to pick up some seats in the Assembly, where every seat is up for election this year, but it’s not certain Democrats can win enough seats to take control of the chamber. (In the 33-seat Wisconsin Senate, where not all seats are contested this year, Republicans will likely retain control but see some erosion of their current two-thirds supermajority.) Democrats are running campaigns in 97 of the 99 Assembly districts, while Republicans are running in 84 districts. Representatives serve two-year terms and make a salary of about $57,000 per year.

John Johnson, a fellow with Marquette Law School, said it “remains a long shot” for Democrats to gain majority control in the Assembly. He said it seems both Republicans and Democrats have done what they need to in terms of recruiting serious candidates and funding campaigns in potentially competitive districts.

“[Democrats] almost need to run the table of competitive seats,” Johnson said. “Whereas Republicans only need to win some of them. If Republicans win half of the sort-of competitive seats, then they’ll retain a slim majority.”

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos recently has said retaining the Republican majority will be “challenging,” but “not impossible,” according to the Daily Cardinal. Vos, who is the longest serving Assembly speaker in state history, said a 55-44 Republican majority would be needed for him to remain in the leadership position. 

Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) has said she is confident Democrats can win the majority this year. 

“The question at hand is will Republicans be able to continue using the Legislature to consolidate their own power and serve their own interests, or will we have a Legislature that truly reflects the will of the voters in Wisconsin and passes the policy that people need to thrive?” Neubauer told the Examiner last month. 

Some of the races Marquette’s Johnson is watching include the four Assembly districts won by both  Evers and Ron Johnson in the same year — the 85th AD in Wausau, the 88th AD in Brown County, the 92nd AD near Eau Claire and the 94th AD near La Crosse. 

“Those are interesting, as you know, sort of like truly super-narrowly divided places,” Johnson said. Another race he said he’ll watch is the 21st Assembly District in Milwaukee County

Johnson said Wisconsin’s interesting geographical makeup and the small metro areas that exist around the state are part of what is keeping some of these districts competitive. 

“In contrast to some states that really just have one big city or one big metro, like in Minnesota, Wisconsin has all of these small to medium sized cities that frequently are pretty Democratic, at least in their core, and an Assembly seat needs to be about 60,000 voters,” Johnson said. “You can end up drawing seats that lean Democratic in those places like Sheboygan, even though Sheboygan County is very Republican.”

Many of the close districts feature a Republican incumbent fighting to hold onto a seat. The candidates’ incumbency status could play a role in whether they are able to overcome the new lines. 

A piece that Johnson published in 2023 about results the year prior found that incumbents running for reelection in voting wards that they’ve already represented improved their vote margin by about 4 points over what would have been expected in an open district.

“Incumbency advantage still exists less than it used to be. And I think you can kind of decompose it into two parts,” Johnson said. “Part of it is name recognition, people like you, they’ve seen you show up at events, and then the other part of it is just having more experience running a campaign, maybe being better at fundraising, having more volunteers already, that kind of thing.” 

With less than a week to go before Election Day, the Examiner looked at two Wisconsin Assembly races that are among the most competitive and feature an incumbent running for reelection.

21st Assembly District 

Longtime Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez faces Democrat David Marstellar in the race for the 21st Assembly District, which sits in Milwaukee County. 

Rodriguez has served in the Assembly for more than 10 years, having first been elected during a 2013 special election. She has won all of her elections with 54% or more of the vote, but that was under the old gerrymandered maps in a district that leaned Republican.

The new 21st district includes Oak Creek and a portion of the city of Milwaukee around the Mitchell International Airport. It has a 54% Democratic lean, according to the Marquette Law School analysis. Rodriguez’s opponent, Marstellar, is a health care advocate who told the Examiner he first considered running because of the new district lines. His goals, if elected, include making health care more accessible and addressing public safety issues by allocating additional money to police departments and police training.

Marstellar received a heart transplant recipient about five years ago, and said he was only able to receive the care because of the Affordable Care Act. His brother died from a similar heart  congenital condition years earlier because he wasn’t able to afford health care. The ACA didn’t exist at the time. 

“It’s personal to me,” Marstellar said. “In January, I’ll celebrate six years post heart transplant, which was made possible by the Affordable Care Act. In 2003, my younger brother died at age 38 because he couldn’t afford health care.” 

“I’m committed to expanding Medicare, Medicaid and Badgercare in the state — something that my opponent has repeatedly failed to do,” he added. Marstellar said he also wants to work to lower the price of prescription drugs.

Marstellar received encouragement to run from others, and decided he could outwork his opponent’s incumbent advantage.

“What I said to my friends and family and my supporters, people that are helping me all along, I may be a heart transplant recipient, but nobody — nobody will outwork me in the field, and that has been proven,” Marstellar said, adding that he has knocked 25,000 doors in the district.

Rodriguez said in an interview on News/Talk 1130 WISN that she has been working to introduce herself to the new voters who are now part of her district and noted the new spending by Democrats in the race. Rodriguez didn’t respond to interview requests from the Examiner.  

According to Fall Pre-Election campaign finance reports, Marstellar has raised $1,497,924 and spent $1,438,780 over the year. Meanwhile, Rodriguez has raised $865,528 and spent $819,921 in the same time period. 

“This election is being bought out by people out of state, not people from Wisconsin,” Rodriguez said. Marstellar, for his part, said this was a “talking point” and that he and his supporters have worked hard on bringing in donations. 

In her reelection campaign, Rodriguez has focused on economic issues, saying the economy is the issue voters bring up the most. She has been a proponent of cutting taxes, including for middle class families and retirees. Rodriguez currently serves on the powerful Joint Finance Committee which plays a lead role in crafting the state budget every two years.

“These are things that we can use to help people right now, when everything’s more expensive,” Rodriguez said of proposed tax cuts. 

Rodriguez said in an interview with WisEye that consolidating the state’s four school voucher programs, which allow students in Wisconsin to attend private schools using public funds, into one will be one of her top priorities if reelected. Before she was elected to the Assembly, Rodriguez served as outreach coordinator for Hispanics for School Choice and she has continued to be an outspoken advocate for expanding private school choice in Wisconsin. 

Abortion and reproductive health care have also become an issue in the race with Rodriguez saying her stance on reproductive health issues has been misrepresented. She said she supports IVF and contraception access as well as restrictions on abortion that make exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. 

“We should help women who are having a hard time conceiving. We should support them in using these types of treatments and access to contraceptives,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez voted in favor of a 14-week abortion ban bill, which would require the approval of voters, in 2023. She also supported a bill that would update an 1849 law, which at the time had halted all abortion care in Wisconsin following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, to include exceptions in the case of rape or incest. Rodriguez has also supported bills that would extend postpartum Medicaid coverage to 12 months and that would allow pharmacists to prescribe birth control.

Marstellar, who is endorsed by Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, said Rodriguez is just “painting herself as a moderate.” He pointed to her votes in support of keeping the 1849 law in place. He said he trusts women and doctors to “make their own decisions” and that politicians “do not belong in examination rooms with patients.” 

61st Assembly District

Republican Rep. Bob Donovan and Democrat LuAnn Bird are competing to represent  Assembly District 61, which covers Greendale and Hales Corner in Milwaukee County. The race is a rematch for the candidates after they faced each other in 2022 for the seat Donovan currently holds. 

The new district is a 50.8% Republican lean, according to the Marquette Law School analysis. CN Analysis rates it as “Tilt D.”

Donovan was drawn out of the district with the new maps, but said he would move to remain in the district. He said in an interview on News/Talk 1130 WISN that he wants to keep representing the district and work to improve public safety, including addressing reckless driving, and push Milwaukee local leadership to address other issues. Donovan didn’t respond to interview requests from the Examiner.

“We’ve given Milwaukee the tools, whether it’s strengthening some of the laws relating to public safety, the financial tools we’ve given them,” Donovan said, referring to the shared revenue deal that allowed Milwaukee to increase its sales tax. “Now, it’s time that they start delivering. Most of these issues revolve around local leadership and sadly, in my opinion, that’s not occurring to the level it needs to occur. We need the local officials to step up,” Donovan said. Prior to serving in the Legislature, Donovan served on the Milwaukee Common Council from 2000 to 2020.

Bird told the Examiner that she decided to run again because the issues that she ran on last time are still urgent. She lost the race by 525 votes in 2022. Since then, she has continued to advocate for some of the issues she ran on, including supporting the state’s child care industry.

“Now the maps are fair, and it feels so good to not have to go out there and defend the governor’s veto, which is what we were doing last time,” Bird said. She was one of a handful of candidates in tight races who received support from the Women Save the Veto PAC — a group launched to prevent Republicans from gaining supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, which would have given them the ability to override vetoes by Democratic Gov. Evers. 

“Now it’s just about… let’s see if we can flip the Assembly and actually represent the values of the people in our community,” Bird said, “like women’s rights and gun safety and public education and the high cost of living.”

According to fall pre-election campaign finance reports, Bird has raised $1,673,838 this calendar year and spent $1,659,311. Donovan has raised $792,697 and spent $813,745.

Donovan and Republicans have centered culture war issues in the campaign against Bird. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Bird is one Democratic candidate dealing with anti-transgender ads targeting her. 

“She comes across at the doors as everyone’s favorite grandma, in reality, she’s pretty far left,” Donovan said in the News/Talk 1130 WISN interview.

“She is pushing for a far left agenda in our schools that will allow men in girls’ locker rooms and dividing our kids by racial lines. That’s not good, and what people expect from their schools is getting a good education, teaching the reading and writing and math and history.” 

During his first term in the Assembly, Donovan voted in favor of a bill that would ban transgender girls from participating on girls’ athletic teams and a bill that would ban gender-affirming medical care for minors.

Bird said the comments were “disappointing,” and the focus on the culture war issues is “part of the Republican playbook to paint all Democrats as out of touch.” 

“It’s disappointing to see the lack of respect for human dignity,” Bird said. “These are people that need our support, and they’re figuring out who they are, and they need to have the freedom to be who they are. They don’t need government interference in their private lives.” 

Bird said that she’s having to combat the messaging from the ads with person-to-person conversations. She said she recently had a beer with a friend of hers who had become unsure about voting for her. She emphasized that she wants to help bring “civility” back to the political process. 

“I’m just kind of that person who wants to solve problems, and I can’t sit back when you see problems, and that’s why I’m in this race,” Bird said.

Other Assembly races to watch next week include:

• Republican first-term Rep. Amy Binsfeld faces Democrat Joe Sheehan, former superintendent of the Sheboygan Area School District and executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, in the race for Assembly District 26. The district is located on the coast of Lake Michigan and includes the city of Sheboygan and the village of Wilson. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 52.1% Democratic lean. 
• Republican Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, who has served in the Assembly since 2016, and Democrat Alison Page are running in the 30th Assembly District, which is in western Wisconsin covering the cities of Hudson and River Falls as well as the towns of Troy and St. Joseph. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 52.6% Republican lean. 
• Republican Dean Kaufert, a business owner and former Assembly representative, and Democrat Duane Shukoski, a Neenah retiree, are running for Assembly District 53 in the Fox Valley, which includes the cities of Neenah, Menasha and part of Appleton. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 53.4% Democratic lean. 
• Republican Rep. Patrick Snyder, who has served in the Assembly since 2016, faces Democrat Yee Leng Xiong, executive director at the Hmong American Center and a member of the Marathon County Board in the race for the 85th Assembly District. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 52.6% Democratic lean
• Democrat Christy Welch, chair of the Brown County Democratic Party, and Republican Benjamin Franklin, a small business owner, are running for Assembly District 88, which covers De Pere, Allouez and Bellevue. It has a 52.1% Republican lean. 
• Democrat Ryan Spaude, a criminal prosecutor, and Republican Patrick Buckley, who serves as the Brown County Board chairman, are running for Assembly District 89 covering parts of Brown County including Ashwaubenon and Green Bay. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 50.8% Republican lean. 
• Republican Rep. Clint Moses, who has served in the Assembly since 2020, is running against Democrat Joe Plouff, in the race for Assembly District 92, which covers Menomonie and Chippewa Falls. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 52.4% Republican lean. 
• Democratic Rep. Steve Doyle, who has served in the Assembly since 2011, is running against Republican Ryan Huebsch, the executive director of Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum and son of former Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, for Assembly District 94. It covers parts of La Crosse and Trempealeau counties, including La Crosse, Onalaska, West Salem, Holland, Caledonia and Ettrick. According to the Marquette Law School analysis, it has a 53.6% Republican lean.

Democratic candidate Sarah Keyeski, a mental health professional from Lodi, answering questions at a forum hosted by Main Street Alliance, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and Wisconsin Early Education. Her opponent, Sen. Joan Ballweg didn’t attend. Organizers set up a vacant chair in the Yahara River Learning Center classroom next to Keyeski. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

Christy Updike, a farmer and full-time health care professional from Plain, Wisconsin, said she’s been avoiding the television and news this election cycle — she doesn’t necessarily trust the information being shared this way. She said she’d rather hear from candidates directly. 

One of Updike’s top concerns is bringing more resources to rural communities, especially mental health support. 

Updike also works with the Farmer Angel Network, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health for rural communities in Wisconsin. She said that she is open to hearing from candidates across the political spectrum.

“I am not straight down ever. I look at individual people and if they happen to be a politician already, I look at their history,” Updike said. 

With Wisconsin’s new, more competitive legislative maps changing the dynamics of state-level races this year, rural voters like Updike will play a decisive role in shaping the state Legislature. Democrats, seeking to pick up additional seats in the state Assembly and Senate, are looking to win them over in November by meeting voters where they are. 

Wisconsin’s 14th Senate District sits north of Madison, covering parts of Dane, Columbia, Sauk and Richland counties, including the cities of Deforest, Reedsburg, Baraboo, Lodi, Columbus, Portage, Richland Center and Wisconsin Dells. It is one of Democrats’ top targets this year as they look to lay the groundwork for flipping the state Senate in future election cycles.

Democrat Sarah Keyeski, a political newcomer, and Republican Sen. Joan Ballweg, who is seeking her second term in the Senate, are vying for the seat. Updike attended a candidate forum last week focused on rural and small business issues hoping to hear from both candidates.

Ballweg didn’t attend the forum, however, which was hosted by Main Street Alliance, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and Wisconsin Early Childhood Association. Organizers set up a vacant chair in the Yahara River Learning Center classroom next to Keyeski. 

Keyeski, a mental health professional from Lodi, told attendees her work has mostly focused on helping people when they were “drowning.” In the state Legislature, she would want to go “upstream” to “keep people from falling in.” She expressed support for increasing the minimum wage, making health care more accessible by expanding Badgercare and for increasing funding for public schools. She also emphasized her rural roots — she grew up on a small dairy farm in Cashton.

While Updike said it’s not a done deal, she left the forum leaning toward voting for the Democrat in November.

“The Republicans aren’t at the table discussing the things that are important to me,” Updike said.

Democratic newcomers seeking to connect with rural voters

To succeed in rural parts of the state, “what it boils down to is that we have to engage with people in rural communities, and we have to listen to them,” said Wayde Lawler, chair of the Vernon County Democratic Party.

Lawler described the county, which is in the Driftless region in western Wisconsin, as a “swing county in a swing region in a swing state.” He said the county, which continues to have a strong family farm presence, is no different than the rest of rural America in that it has been trending red for the last decade.

The county voted for Gov. Tony Evers in 2022, and liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz in 2023. But the county also voted in 2022 for Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson over Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden over Democratic state Sen. Brad Pfaff. In the state Legislature, the county is currently represented by Pfaff in the Senate, but hasn’t been represented by a Democrat in the state Assembly in decades.

Lawler said he believes there is an “underlying truth” to the idea that the Democratic Party has become more of a party of urban centers, of college educated folks, of suburban areas, and has, to some extent, stopped paying attention to rural and working class voters. He said the dynamic can change, but it takes a commitment of time and resources.

“Political campaign operations are always a question of how best to use a set amount of resources, and what that translates to generally is people focusing on denser, more urban areas, and even out here in a rural county, you know, that looks like door knocking in Viroqua or Westby or some of the villages, rather than going out into the rural areas,” Lawler said. 

As a result, he said many rural voters are only exposed to candidates via ads and social media. 

“That is not a great way to learn about a candidate. It’s not in depth. It’s not nuanced. It’s not real. It’s a caricature based on what opponents want to say or what that candidate wants to say,” Lawler said. “If you make that commitment to go talk to people most of the time, you can find some common ground, and that’s another thing we’re focusing on.”

Breaking the trend

Under the new maps, Vernon County is included in Assembly District 96, which also covers part of La Crosse and leans Democratic. The race also represents a test of Democrats’ commitment to reaching some of those rural communities.

Rep. Loren Oldenburg (R-Viroqua), who was first elected to the Assembly in 2018, faces Democrat Tara Johnson, a former La Crosse County Board member. 

Lawler said a win in the district is not a given, and Democrats are focusing on making the commitment to go down the “gravel roads” and talk to voters. 

“We have had decades and decades of various kinds of maps and not had a Democrat in the State Assembly,” Lawler said. “This time around I think many of us are hopeful that we will break that 70-year trend in the State Assembly and elect a Democrat there, but that wouldn’t be able to happen without a solid candidate who is willing to put in the work.” 

Johnson said she thinks some voters in the rural parts of the county “feel neglected.” She said she had one conversation with a voter whose door hadn’t been knocked since former President Bill Clinton ran for office. 

“It isn’t just Democrats, it is any politician doing that kind of outreach, and I mean, to me, that’s just kind of human nature, right?” Johnson said. “You want somebody to come and introduce themselves and tell you what they stand for and answer your questions and ask for your vote. … I think a lot of rural doors have not been knocked on in a long time by anybody.” 

Johnson decided to enter the race for the district because of the new maps, the potential for Democrats to win a majority in the Assembly and because she wanted to help “get sh*t done.” During the primary Johnson’s opponent questioned how well her progressive positions would play in rural Vernon County, though she won the Democratic primary handily, including with about 60% of the Vernon County votes.

Johnson, who described herself as a “radical pragmatist,” was critical of the idea that the term “progressive” was being used in a negative way. She said many progressive ideas are popular throughout the rural areas where she is speaking with voters.

Rural communities “care about clean air and clean water,” she said, “and the way that clean air and clean water happens is that there are expectations and standards put into place.”  

She also hears from a lot of voters “that comprehensive health care, including reproductive care, including dental and vision and mental health care, is something that everybody has a right to,” Johnson added. “That’s a progressive idea that is very popular.”

“This state was built on progressive ideals, and when I talk to voters at doors, when I talk to voters at events, when I hear from people, they are supportive of those very common sense, very progressive, all-boats-rise ideas,” Johnson continued.

In August, Lawler recalled door knocking at a house with a Trump sign in the yard. The person, he learned, was a supporter of Bernie Sanders two election cycles ago and this year is likely to vote for former President Donald Trump. He said the voter expressed concerns about women’s ability to access abortion and protecting the environment.

“I would imagine that [Johnson] would find a lot of common ground with that person, and maybe even earn their vote even if they still voted for Trump at the top of the ticket,” Lawler said. “That’s the kind of approach that we’re adopting — listening to people, searching for that common ground.” 

Former Boys and Girls Club exec comes out of retirement

Karen DeSanto, the Democratic candidate for Assembly District 40, is taking a similar approach throughout the district — leaning on her ability to converse and connect with people. DeSanto faces Sauk County Republican Party Chair Jerry Helmer in November for the seat that represents parts of Sauk and Columbia counties, including Spring Green, Portage and Baraboo. 

On a Monday afternoon in downtown Baraboo in mid-August, a woman yelled from her car at DeSanto, who was explaining to the Examiner how she decided to go to clown college in her 20s.

“Karen! Good luck with everything,” the woman said.

“Thank you,” DeSanto yelled back. The woman quipped that she would vote for her as mayor of the town as well if she could. DeSanto laughed. It was not the only time throughout the day that DeSanto, who is depicted in a mural on one of the buildings downtown, was stopped by people in town. 

When asked about the interaction, DeSanto said that she has met a lot of people through her work in the Boys and Girls Club of West Central Wisconsin. DeSanto retired as CEO last year after 12 years with the organization and in her retirement, Rep. Dave Considine (D-Baraboo), who decided he wouldn’t run for reelection this year, approached DeSanto about running for the seat.

“I said ‘Get out of my house, Dave. I’m retired,’ ” DeSanto said. Then, she said, she did some soul-searching. 

“Here’s what I discovered is — I believe in peace and I believe strong communities make great places to live and our schools are better and our kids and families are better,” DeSanto said. Those values brought her to the decision to run, she said. 

DeSanto said her conversations at the doors were a major part of her success and she’s continuing that in the general election. She said she thinks her values and understanding of issues resonated with voters. Through her work with the Boys and Girls Club, she said she saw the hurdles that families in rural parts of the state face, including having access to broadband internet access, food disparities, and she’d like to see some of those issues addressed in the Assembly.

“I love looking at states that provide lunches to every kid. Food is a real disparity for many, many, many families in Wisconsin,” DeSanto said. 

One sitting Democratic lawmaker tries to expand her reach

Experienced lawmakers running for reelection are also being pushed into rural parts of the state in a way they haven’t been in previous years.

When Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) was first elected in 2018, the 91st Assembly District covered only the city of Eau Claire. The new 91st district includes part of Eau Claire as well as smaller cities, towns and villages including Altoona, Seymour, Fall Creek, Ludington, Bridge Creek and Otter Creek. 

While Emerson won in her prior general elections with more than 60% of the vote, the new district has only a slight Democratic lean. Emerson will face Republican Michele Magadance Skinner, an Eau Claire County Board supervisor, in the race for the seat in November. 

“It’s a very tight district now, but it should be,” Emerson said.

Rural voters in new parts of the district could play a key role in whether Emerson retains the seat. She said she’s been knocking on a lot of rural doors this year, which means a change in logistics “Doing doors is a big piece of how we, as Democrats, do things for an election,” Emerson said. “Last weekend, I was in an area where it was like, ‘OK, go knock out a door, get back in the car, drive a half mile to the next door.” 

Emerson said there has been a “learning curve” with the new district. She said she’s been taking the time to meet new voters and to learn more about issues, including rural broadband, the way that townships interact with cities and counties and looking at school issues from a new perspective. Her old district included just one school district, while the new one includes all or part of eight.

Despite the shift, Emerson said, “I think at the same time we all have the same Wisconsin values of hard work and wanting our communities to be better. And that doesn’t change, no matter whether you’re in a city or in a rural area.”

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The RSLC announced a slate of ads Wednesday that it will be launching in Wisconsin to target three Democratic candidates running for the state Assembly. Republicans currently hold a 64-seat majority. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

The Republican State Leadership Committee is investing funds and launching ads in Wisconsin in an effort to help protect Republicans’ long held majorities in the state Assembly and Senate.

Wisconsin’s state legislative races are in the spotlight this election cycle as new legislative maps adopted this year have created the opportunity for a shift in power for the first time in over 10 years. The RSLC has identified Wisconsin as one of the states where Republican majorities need to be defended and said in early September that it and its affiliated PACs have invested over $34 million this cycle across 21 states with a focus on Wisconsin, Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. The announcement comes as the group’s Democratic counterpart is boosting Wisconsin Democratic state legislative candidates. 

As a part of the effort, the RSLC announced a slate of ads Wednesday it will launch in Wisconsin to target three Democratic candidates running for the state Assembly. Republicans currently hold a 64-seat majority.

RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a statement that the organization’s “top priority these next few weeks is to defend our GOP majorities in battleground states and the best way to play defense is to go directly on offense.”

Duncan said the ad campaign will “make an example” of Democratic candidates in Wisconsin by “holding them accountable.” The organization is launching similar ads in Arizona and New Hampshire.

“We will continue to invest the necessary resources needed through Election Day to defend our majorities across the country and hold the line against extremist Democrats running up-and-down the ballot on November 5th,” Duncan added. 

The organization is running ads targeting three Democratic candidates for their views on Wisconsin’s school voucher programs, which allows students to attend private schools at taxpayer expense. Each candidate is running in a competitive district to oust a current Republican lawmaker.

The focus on the choice program is notable as the state Legislature plays an influential role in deciding the shape of education funding. In recent legislative cycles in Wisconsin, lawmakers have chosen to make increasing investments into the state’s voucher program, even as public school funding hasn’t kept pace with inflation and schools are increasingly going to referendum to ask voters to pay additional property taxes to fund school costs.

One ad focuses on Democrat David Marstellar, a health care advocate and former businessman, running against Republican Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek), who was first elected to the Assembly, in the race for the 21st Assembly district. The district covers Oak Creek and parts of Milwaukee and Greenfield.

The ad asks “Who should decide where Wisconsin kids should go to school? Parents or Madison politicians?” It then accuses Marstellar of thinking politicians should decide. It includes a written comment from Marstellar included in Vote411, a voter guide funded by the League of Women Voters Education Fund. 

“We need to invest money in our public schools rather than for-profit voucher schools that get to pick their own students. Public education should be guaranteed for every child in our state, and the money should not be diverted to voucher schools,” Marstellar said. “If people want to send their children to private schools, they should pay for it themselves.”

Rodriguez, for her part, has long been an outspoken advocate for Wisconsin’s school voucher program.

Another ad will focus on LuAnn Bird, a former school board member and executive director of Wisconsin’s League of Women Voters, who is running against Rep. Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) in the race for the 61st Assembly District. The toss-up district covers the southwestern Milwaukee villages of Greendale and Hales Corners and parts of Greenfield.

The third ad will target Joe Sheehan, former superintendent of the Sheboygan Area School District and executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation, who is running against Rep. Amy Binsfeld (R-Sheboygan) in the 26th Assembly district, which represents Sheboygan.

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