In this update:
- Election Updates
- Administration Updates
- Legislative Updates
Election Updates
Incumbent lawmaker re-election announcements
More lawmakers this week announced their intentions to run for re-election under the new 2023 Act 94 legislative district maps. Listed below are the latest announcements from legislators.
- Rep. Sheila Stubbs (D-Madison) announced her candidacy for the 78th AD. Rep. Stubbs currently represents the 77th AD but was drawn into the 78th under the new maps. She has no other incumbents drawn into the district with her, and the district has an 81.7% Democratic lean.
- Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Cedarburg) will run in the new 8th SD in the 2024 election. Sen. Strobel currently represents the 20th but was drawn into the 8th SD under the new maps with Sen. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown). Sen. Knodl already announced that he will not be running for reelection to the State Senate and will instead run for the 24th Assembly District seat. The new 8th SD has a 49.6% GOP lean.
- Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) announced he will be moving to the 2nd SD to launch his campaign, creating a primary between him and Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay). Sen. Wimberger said moving districts will allow him to live closer to his family business and to help his mom. Sen. Wimberger, Sen. Cowles, and Sen. Andre Jacque (R-DePere) were all drawn into the 30th SD under the new maps. Sen. Cowles already announced his intention to move to the 2nd AD after the maps were signed, and Sen. Jacque announced his bid for the 8th CD. The new 30th SD that they were all drawn into has a 51.5% Democratic lean, and the 2nd SD has a 62.8% GOP lean.
* Partisan Performance was calculated using the election results from the 2022 U.S. Senate election, the 2022 Wisconsin Gubernatorial election, and the 2020 Presidential Election.
Non-incumbent election announcements
- Former state representative Rob Kreibich (R-New Richmond) announced his candidacy for the new 28th AD. Mr. Kreibich is the current New Richmond Chamber President, and his priorities are tax relief for families, regulatory reform, smaller government, and college affordability. Kreibich previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1993 to 2006, when he lost his re-election to Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick) who now represents the 31st SD. The new 28th is an open seat with a 63% GOP lean.
- Blong Yang (R-Appleton) announced his candidacy for the 18th SD. Mr. Yang is the first Hmong Republican to run for state office in Wisconsin. He is local business owner who says he will prioritize economic development for all of Wisconsin, cut taxes, eliminate income and social security taxes, and make government a partner of business. The 18th SD is currently represented by Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac). However, Sen. Feyen was drawn into the 20th SD and will run for re-election in that district. The new 18th SD is therefore an “open seat,” with no incumbent seeking re-election, and is a 54.3% Democratic lean seat. Appleton Alder Kristin Alfheim (D-Appleton) also announced her candidacy for the seat last month.
* Partisan Performance was calculated using the election results from the 2022 U.S. Senate election, the 2022 Wisconsin Gubernatorial election, and the 2020 Presidential Election.
Baldwin launches new TV ad
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison) launched a new TV ad, saying she “fought like hell” to protect pensions for Wisconsin workers. The ad is included in a previously announced seven-figure buy that will run across all Wisconsin markets. The ad refers to a provision in the American Rescue Plan that enabled the U.S. Treasury to provide assistance to failing multiemployer pension plans.
Watch the ad by clicking here.
Opportunity Wisconsin launches ad targeting Steil
Opportunity Wisconsin, a left-leaning issue advocacy organization, launched a new TV ad against U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Janesville). The ad accuses Rep. Steil of siding with drug companies instead of favoring an insulin price cap. The ad launched this week on Milwaukee broadcast TV and is included in a previously announced seven-figure media campaign.
Americas PAC files $222,922 to oppose Baldwin
The conservative group Americas PAC notified the FEC they added $222,922 to its independent expenditures to oppose U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison). The money is for a radio spot that is critical of Sen. Baldwin for “inflation, out-of-control immigration, and insider deals.”
Listen to the spot: AmPAC_WISpring24_BidenWay_Final_60.mp3
DPW and RPW file finance reports
The state Democratic Party brought in $500,473 in late contributions since March 19, according to their latest filing. Former hedge fund manager and philanthropist George Soros contributed $250,000 to the sum while New York investor Clay Kirk contributed $90,000. Since the start of the new year, DPW has raised just under $6 million in its state account and reported having $3.6 million cash on hand in its Spring Pre-Election 2024 campaign finance report. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman was the largest contributor to state Democrats, donating nearly $3.6 million since Jan. 30, roughly the same amount of money the state GOP has raised in total over the past six months.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party of Wisconsin reported a $237,650 donation from ABC Supply owner and chair Diane Hendricks, as well as a $50,000 donation from Fred Young, a retired CEO from Racine, for a total of $287,650 in late contributions since March 19. Since the start of the new year, RPW has raised slightly less than $400,00 in its state account and reported having $646,224 cash on hand in its Spring Pre-Election 2024 campaign finance report.
Active state groups in the spring election must file reports of donations $1,000 or more that were received over the two weeks between the end of the pre-election period and the election. The pre-election reports were due this week.
Bloomberg News/Morning Consult releases new poll
Bloomberg News/Morning Consult released a new Wisconsin Presidential poll showing the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump is within the margin of error. Of registered Wisconsin voters, 46% favored Pres. Biden and 45% favored Trump. In last month’s poll, Trump was ahead of Pres. Biden by 4 points.
The poll surveyed 697 Wisconsin registered voters March 8-14. The data was weighted based on gender, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, homeownership and 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points. FiveThirtyEight rates Morning Consult 1.8 stars out of 3 stars.
See the poll release.
Trump rally next Tuesday in Green Bay
Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in Green Bay Tuesday evening. This will be Trump’s first visit to Wisconsin since August 5, 2022, when he held a rally in Waukesha for the GOP candidate for governor, Tim Michels. The announcement said Trump will begin at 5pm at the Hyatt Regency with the doors opening at 2pm. The event is being held the same day as the Wisconsin spring elections which also includes the state’s presidential preference primary. President Joe Biden campaigned in Milwaukee earlier this month and Vice President Kamala Harris has visited Wisconsin twice in 2024.
Administration Updates
Evers takes action on bills
Governor Tony Evers (D) signed fifty bills and vetoed forty-one bills this week. He signed two bills designating highways, as well as bills focused on community safety. A highlighted bill was AB 573 which establishes a pilot program to provide virtual behavioral health crisis care services for county or municipal law enforcement agency officers. Gov. Evers also vetoed SB 335 that “would have allowed individuals with no license, no education, no training, no experience, no specific skillsets, no qualifications, and no background check to become school district administrators and have direct contact with kids at school.”
Gov. Evers also officially vetoed AB 386, a $3 billion GOP plan that would have reduced the third-highest tax bracket from 5.3% to 4.4% while enabling married couples to subtract $150,000 in payments from qualified retirement plans from their taxable income once they’re 67 or older. Gov. Evers said the bill was fiscally irresponsible and would leave the state “unable to meet its basic obligations to adequately fund education, health care, public safety and aid to local governments.”
For SB 633 Designating the Ho-Chunk World War II Code Talkers Memorial Highway, click here.
For SB 223 Designating the Corporal Benjamin H. Neal Memorial Highway, click here.
For SB 875 which decriminalizes the use of xylazine testing strips, click here.
For SB 829 which allows a tactical emergency medical services (TEMS) professional, who is acting in the line of duty, to carry a firearm, click here.
For the full list of community safety bills, click here.
For the SB 335 and its veto message, click here.
For 17 signed bills and 40 vetoed bills, click here.
DOR secretary Barca announces he is leaving Evers’ administration
Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca announced he will be leaving Governor Tony Evers’ administration after more than five years of service. “Peter has been with our administration since Day One, and I knew from the beginning that he would be a dedicated, enthusiastic, and effective leader for the Department of Revenue,” said Gov. Evers. “We’ve accomplished much together over the past five years on behalf of the people of Wisconsin, including ensuring Wisconsin taxpayers will see $1.5 billion in tax relief annually through income tax cuts I’ve signed into law. I thank Peter for service and wish him and his family all the best.”
Sec. Barca is reportedly considering a run for the 1st Congressional District, a seat he held thirty years ago. Sec. Barca won a 1993 special election to fill the vacancy created by Wisconsin Congressman Les Aspin’s appointment to be US Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton. Barca won the special election over Republican Mark Neumann by just 675 votes. Barca lost his re-election in 1994 in a re-match with Neumann by 1,120 votes. Prior to serving in Congress, Barca served in the state legislature for eight years. In 2008, Barca returned to the State Assembly and served in that body for another 10 years before being one of Governor Tony Evers first cabinet appointments. Racine County Emergency Management coordinator and Navy Reserve intelligence officer Lorenzo Santos and healthcare professional Diane Anderson have announced plans to run for the Democratic nomination for the seat.
Legislative Updates
Vos on ‘Upfront’
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) appeared on WISN’s ‘Upfront’ this week. On the show, Speaker Vos discussed his recall challenge and hiring Michael Gableman. Other topics discussed included:
- Donald Trump
- Recent RNC hires
- Monday processing bill
