In the recent primary elections in Wisconsin, several incumbent lawmakers, including Reps. Janel Brandtjen, Peter Schmidt, Michael Schraa, Donna Rozar, LaKeisha Myers, Samba Baldeh, and Jimmy Anderson, lost their seats. This outcome solidified the contenders as Democrats gear up to attempt to regain control of the Assembly for the first time in nearly 15 years. The state Supreme Court, controlled by liberals, adopted new legislative district boundaries earlier this year.
One of the most prominent ousted incumbents is Brandtjen, who represented Milwaukee’s northwestern suburbs in the Assembly since 2014. Brandtjen was known for her election conspiracy theories, including refusing to accept President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin in 2020. She also accused Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of not adequately investigating the election results. Despite earning an endorsement from President Donald Trump, Vos prohibited her from GOP caucuses.
In another significant development, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Knodl secured a victory in the primary over Brandjten, winning with 65% of the vote. Knodl, viewed as more moderate than Brandtjen, will now face Democrat William Walter in the upcoming November election. Walter serves as the executive director of Our Wisconsin Revolution.
Additionally, incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Feyen defeated former state representative Timothy Ramthun in a race representing the Fox Cities. Ramthun, who had pushed to decertify Biden’s win and received support from Trump, was defeated by Feyen with 64% of the vote. Feyen is set to face Democrat Michael Rapp in November.
The primary elections also saw Rep. Michael Schraa being defeated by freshman Rep. Nate Gustafson in a district encompassing parts of the Fox Cities. Gustafson will go against Democrat Kyle Kehoe in November. Furthermore, Rep. John Spiros emerged victorious over Donna Rozar in a GOP primary, with Spiros set to face former Marathon County Supervisor John Small in the November election.
Moreover, a Republican primary in northern Wisconsin faced uncertainty due to ballot errors, where voters were given ballots for a Democratic primary in a different district, hindering them from voting in the Republican primary between incumbent Rep. Chanz Green and Scott Harbridge. The primary drama sets the stage for November’s contests, where Democrats are eyeing gains in the Assembly following retirements and redistricting. Democrats have a chance to regain the majority with almost 60 of the Assembly’s 99 seats open.