With less than 50 days until Election Day, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the national organization that works to elect Democrats to state legislatures, announced its endorsement of 14 candidates for the Wisconsin State Legislature. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)

With less than 50 days until Election Day, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the national organization that works to elect Democrats to state legislatures, announced its endorsement of 14 candidates for the Wisconsin State Legislature where new maps adopted this year have opened opportunities for Democrats to increase their numbers.

DLCC President Heather Williams said in a statement that “Wisconsin represents one of the most exciting opportunities to shift the balance of power” this election cycle, and said the organization is “proud” to uplift the candidates. 

“For too long, Republicans have weaponized gerrymandered maps to lock themselves into power,” Williams added. “This cycle, with new maps finally in place, there’s a real opportunity for voters to fairly elect their leaders and carve a new future for the state.” 

The organization consulted with Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein and Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer in choosing the candidates. Neubauer said the attention on the races from the DLCC demonstrates the importance of the Wisconsin Assembly at a national scale. 

Currently, Republicans hold 64 seats in the Assembly — a majority that was achieved under gerrymandered maps. New maps adopted by the state Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, after the state Supreme Court threw out the previous maps, has made the state Legislature competitive for the first time in over 10 years. Neubauer told the Examiner she is confident that Democrats can win a majority in the Assembly this year. 

Neubauer said control of the Assembly is “essential for quality of life for people in our state,” and that Republicans have used the Legislature to “change the rules and insulate their own power in Wisconsin.”

“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 said. 

The DLCC is highlighting 10 Assembly candidates, who are running in districts that under the new maps President Joe Biden would have won or lost by about two percentage points. They include: 

• David Marstellar (AD-21) 
• Joe Sheehan (AD-26) 
• Alison Page (AD-30) 
• Duane Shukoski (AD-53)
• LuAnn Bird (AD-61)
• Rep. Jodi Emerson (AD-91) 
• Yee Leng Xiong (AD-85) 
• Christy Welch (AD-88)
• Ryan Spaude (AD-89)
• Rep. Steve Doyle (AD-94)

Five of the candidates are seeking to unseat Republican incumbents. In two races in the Milwaukee area, Marstellar is seeking to unseat longtime Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek), who has served in the Assembly since 2013, and LuAnn Bird is challenging incumbent Rep. Bob Donovan. Sheehan is seeking to oust first-term Rep. Amy Binsfeld in the district representing Sheboygan. Page is challenging Rep. Shannon Zimmerman in a seat representing parts of western Wisconsin, and Xiong is seeking to oust Rep. Patrick Snyder in the race for the 85th district, which includes Wausau.

Neubauer said that the political environment and enthusiasm since Vice President Kamala Harris entered the race for president is important. 

“We are seeing reflected in the polls and hearing at the doors that people are really excited to vote for Kamala Harris and so that, of course, is helpful to our candidates that brings more voters to the polls,” Neubauer said, adding that the competitive races at the state legislative level will also help the top of the ticket. 

Neubauer said Democratic candidates are centering their Assembly campaigns on having direct conversations between candidate and voter with candidates knocking doors every day in the leadup to the election. 

“We know that that is the most persuasive tool that we have in our toolbox, and that is how we are going to win these extremely close races,” Neubauer said. 

The four Senate candidates include Jodi Habush Sinykin, who is running against Sen. Duey Stroebel in the 8th Senate District, Sarah Keyeski who is running against Sen. Joan Ballweg in the 14th Senate District, Kristin Alfheim who is running against Anthony Phillips in the 18th Senate District and Jamie Wall who faces Jim Rafter in the 30th Senate District.

Republicans currently hold a 22-seat supermajority, and with only even-numbered districts up for election, Democrats in the Senate are seeking to win the targeted seats this cycle as well additional seats during the 2026 election cycle, with the goal of taking the majority.

Hesselbein said the “spotlight” candidates are running in areas where Democratic Gov. Tony Evers won in 2022 and President Joe Biden won in 2020. She also noted excitement since Harris has entered the race.

“It is an easy argument to make that we should do well in these districts, and I felt like at the beginning of the cycle, we were going to do well in these districts,” Hesselbein said. “But now, with the enthusiasm level that we are seeing with Kamala Harris being at the top of the ticket, I am extremely enthusiastic about our chances.” 

Hesselbein said she continues to feel the excitement, including after last week’s debate between Harris and Trump, and her job is to “keep the wind at our backs.” She said she is also encouraging candidates to participate in debates as well. 

Hesselbein said debates for each race are important so “voters of the state of Wisconsin see a true contrast between the individuals that are running for State Senate.” She noted that she has experienced and observed challenges in getting Republican candidates to agree to debates. 

With less than seven weeks to go, Hesselbein identified funding as one challenge for Democrats. She said the DLCC helps a “great deal” with funding and messaging, and having the group’s backing is “extremely important.”

“Unfortunately, campaigns are expensive,” Hesselbein said, noting that state Democrats are asking for donations and holding fundraisers. The additional help from the national level is a big boost. “We’re doing a good job,” she said, “but we always have room to improve.”