Many New Faces in the Wisconsin Legislature


 Nathan Conrad, WRA Director of Advocacy, and Joe Murray, WRA Director of Political & Governmental Affairs  |    January 09, 2023
Legislature

The Wisconsin Legislature has just begun its new session, and state voters have welcomed 31 new faces in the Wisconsin Assembly and Senate.

Seven new Senators began their tenure this year; all seven have filled vacant seats. In the Assembly, 24 newcomers are among the members who were reelected in November.

In the November elections, Republicans gained additional seats in both houses of the Wisconsin Legislature. In the state Senate, Republicans expanded their majority party status to 22-11 by picking up one seat previously occupied by a Democratic Senator. In the Assembly, Republicans picked up three seats and expanded their majority 64-35. In December, however, Republican Sen. Alberta Darling resigned her seat in southeastern Wisconsin, forcing a special election in April to elect her successor. 

The real change, however, will be the background of the newly elected members and the legislative priorities they bring with them. This article introduces the 31 new members in both the state Assembly and Senate who took the oath of office this month.

State Senate

  • Six of the seven new members currently serve or formerly served in the state Assembly: These include Senators Cabral-Guevara, Hesselbein, Hutton, James, Spreitzer and Quinn. Running for the state Senate as a former representative generally provides a big advantage.
  • Four of the seven have a small business background: Cabral-Guevara, Hutton, Quinn and Tomczyk. This is a plus for the business community.
  • All seven were elected with support from the WRA and the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC).
  • Seven new members of the 33-member state Senate make up 21% of the overall Senate body.

State Assembly

  • Ten of the 24 new members have a business background: These include Representatives Bare, Binsfeld, Goeben, Hurd, Joers, Johnson, Nedweski, O’Connor, Sapik and Schmidt. This is a benefit to the business community.
  • Eleven of the 24 new members have previous experience as local elected officials: Anderson, Bare, Bodden, Donovan, Hurd, Jacobson, Michalski, Nedweski, Palmeri, Ratliff and Schmidt. Their local government experience will serve them well in the Assembly.
  • Twenty-four new members of the 99-member state Assembly account for 25% of the Assembly body.
  • Seventeen of the 24 new members were supported by the WRA and RPAC.
Meet the legislators
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