It’s inevitable that the media’s focus will be on the presidential race this summer and fall as presumptive nominees Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, and Donald Trump, a Republican, make their case to the voters.
But just as important are the more local races on the ballot, the elected offices that have an enormous impact on our daily lives. While the president sets the tone for the nation, members of Congress and state lawmakers have the power to approve budgets, determine school policy, affect reproductive rights and regulate—or not—environmental polluters, among other things.
This year, Wisconsinites will vote in the partisan primaries on Tuesday, Aug. 9, and, along with the rest of the country, will cast ballots in the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Offices on the ballot range from U.S. Senate and House to state lawmakers and local district attorneys.
Here’s a roundup of the candidates on the ballot in Southeastern Wisconsin.
U.S. Senate
Wisconsin’s U.S. Senate race will be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country as Democrats have a real chance of taking the majority this fall. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is seen as one of the most vulnerable senators this year, since roughly a third of Wisconsinites don’t seem to know who he is and this fall’s electorate likely will look nothing like the tea party-heavy crowd that elected him in the November 2010 midterm election. Johnson’s major opponent is former Sen. Russ Feingold, the Democrat who lost to Johnson in that tea party-wave election. Feingold faces Scott Harbach of Kenosha in the Democratic primary in August. Phillip Anderson of Fitchburg will appear on the November ballot as a Libertarian.
U.S. Congress
Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has plenty of trouble in Washington as he’s trying to both embrace and run away from his party’s likely presidential nominee, Donald Trump. But he’s also facing challenges at home as he’s drawn a competitor, Delavan businessman Paul Nehlen, for the August Republican primary election. Democrats Ryan Solen of Mt. Pleasant and Tom Breu of Janesville will vie in August to be their party’s pick. Libertarian Jason Lebeck of Janesville will appear on the November ballot with the Democratic and Republican nominees.
|
|
In Milwaukee’s Congressional District 4, Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Moore faces an August primary challenge from former lawmaker Gary George. The winner will face Libertarian Andy Craig in November.
Further west, longtime Republican Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. in District 5 will avoid a primary but face Democrat Khary Penebaker, a former small business owner, and Libertarian John Arndt in November.
District Attorneys
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm is facing attorney Verona Swanigan in the August Democratic primary. No Republicans have jumped into this race.
Chisholm is almost certainly going to be facing an onslaught of negative campaign ads funded by the Wisconsin Club for Growth and other conservative dark-money groups allied with Gov. Scott Walker. These right-wing groups no doubt want to push Chisholm out of office so that he won’t be able to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision shutting down the John Doe investigations and loosening campaign finance laws. If Chisholm loses his election, his appeal is seriously weakened.
Other notable DAs on the ballot include Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who is working with Chisholm on the John Doe appeal. Ozanne faces prosecutor Bob Jambois on the Aug. 9 Democratic primary ballot. (The third prosecutor appealing the John Doe decision, Iowa County District Attorney Larry Nelson, is running unopposed.) In Kenosha County, DA Bob Zapf is not running for re-election; the only candidate on the ballot is Democrat Mike Graveley. In Racine County, DA Richard Chiapete is not running for re-election. Democrat Thomas C. Binger will face Republican Tricia Hanson in November. Waukesha County Republican DA Susan Opper is running unopposed.
State Senate
Wisconsin’s legislative races are also on the ballot, although voters may not have much of a choice when voting. You can thank the GOP-drawn legislative map, now the subject of a federal lawsuit, which is biased toward the Republican Party and offers few truly competitive swing districts throughout the state. In addition, six of the Senate seats on the ballot—about 38%—have just one candidate, and more than a third of the Assembly’s 99 seats offer unopposed candidates.
Even-numbered Senate districts are on the ballot this fall. In Southeastern Wisconsin, they include:
Senate District 4: Sen. Lena C. Taylor is facing a challenge from her fellow Democrat, state Rep. Mandela Barnes, in the Aug. 9 primary. There is no Republican in the race, so the winner of the primary will take this Senate seat.
Senate District 6: Nikiya Harris-Dodd decided to step down from the Senate, so this is a rare open seat up for grabs. Three Democrats are on the primary ballot in August: Milwaukee Public Schools Board Director Michael Bonds, Lena Taylor’s former chief of staff Thomas Harris and state Rep. LaTonya Johnson. Since no Republican has jumped in, the winning Democrat will take office in January.
Senate District 8: River Hills Republican Sen. Alberta Darling hasn’t drawn a challenger in her bid for her seventh term in the Senate.
Senate District 22: Democratic Sen. Robert Wirch of Kenosha is running unopposed for another four-year term.
Senate District 28: Longtime Republican Sen. Mary Lazich is leaving office. Just one candidate made it on to the ballot—state Rep. Dave Craig.
State Assembly
There are a number of competitive races—most of them in the partisan primaries—for two-year terms in the state Assembly. But a host of incumbents are running unopposed and will return to the Assembly next January. In our area, Democrats David Bowen in District 10, Fred Kessler in District 12, Evan Goyke in District 18, Jonathan Brostoff in District 19, Peter W. Barca in District 64 and Tod Ohnstad in District 65 drew no opponents. Area Republicans Rob Hutton in District 13, Joe Sanfelippo in District 15, Janel Brandtjen in District 22, Jim Ott in District 23, Dan Knodl in District 24, Thomas Weatherston in District 62, Ken Skowronski in District 82, Michael Kuglitsch in District 84, Scott Allen in District 97, Adam Neylon in District 98 and Cindi Duchow in District 99 are running unopposed.
The competitive races in Greater Milwaukee include:
Assembly District 7: State Rep. Daniel Riemer, a Democrat, faces Libertarian Matthew Bughman and Republican Zachary Marshall in November.
Assembly District 8: State Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa once again faces a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Laura Manriquez in August. No Republicans are running.
Assembly District 9: State Rep. Josh Zepnick and attorney Marisabel Cabrera will face off in the Democratic primary in August. Lacking a Republican in the race, the winning Democrat in August will assume office in January.
Assembly District 11: This seat is open because its representative, Mandela Barnes, is running for state Senate. Three Democrats are running—former state Rep. Jason M. Fields, who was defeated by Barnes in 2012; political organizer Darrol D. Gibson; and Brandon V. Jackson, a former aide to Lena Taylor. (As of this writing, Jackson’s ballot status is up in the air.) The winner of the Aug. 9 Democratic primary will take office in January. UPDATE: Jackson was removed from the ballot on June 14.
Assembly District 14: There isn’t a primary for this seat, but Republican Rep. Dale Kooyenga will face Democrat Chris Rockwood of Wauwatosa in November.
Assembly District 16: Four Democrats will be on the Aug. 9 ballot—incumbent Rep. Leon D. Young, public TV production assistant Brandy Bond, nonprofit professional Stephen Jansen and public defender Edgar Lin. No Republicans are running, so the winner of the Democratic primary will represent the district in the next legislative session.
Assembly District 17: This district’s representative, LaTonya Johnson, is running for state Senate. Three Democrats are vying for this open seat—Kim Burns; Sen. Nikiya Harris Dodd’s policy director, David Crowley; and Marcus Hart, a minister. The winner in August will take office in January.
Assembly District 20: State Rep. Christine Sinicki and Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Julie Meyer will appear on the August Democratic primary ballot. No Republicans are running, so the winning Democrat will represent the district in the next legislative session.
Assembly District 21: Two Democrats are on the August primary ballot, Frank Disco Gratke and John Redmond. The winner will take on Rep. Jessie Rodriguez, a Republican, in November.
Assembly District 38: In November, Oconomowoc state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, a Republican, will face the winner of the August Democratic primary—either Chris Gutschenritter or Scott Michalak.
Assembly District 63: Burlington state Rep. Robin J. Vos, the Republican Assembly speaker, will face Democrat Andy Mitchell, a special education teacher, in November.
Assembly District 66: State Rep. Cory Mason, a Democrat, and George Meyers, a Libertarian, will appear on the November ballot.
Assembly District 83: The district’s current state representative, Dave Craig, is running for state Senate, so this is an open seat. Four Republicans will appear on the August Republican primary ballot: Jordan Karweik, Karen L. Schuh, Steven A. Whittow and Chuck Wichgers. No Democrats have jumped in, so the winning Republican in August will take office in January.
