Despite a shot at winning a legislative majority for the first time in 14 years, a wave of Democrats will leave the state Assembly early next year, with several retiring and a handful of others running for different offices.
In just one Madison-area Senate district all three Democratic representatives are vying for the new, open and reliably blue seat. The race will feature a crowded primary in August — a signal that even a path to a majority in the Assembly is not enough to fend off intra-party grappling over a position that offers greater resources and influence.
The Madison primary so far includes Reps. Jimmy Anderson of Fitchburg, Samba Baldeh of Madison and Melissa Ratcliff of Cottage Grove. All three, if they stay in the race, will vacate their heavily Democratic Assembly districts, regardless of who wins the Aug. 13 primary.
The district, which encompasses portions of Dane, Jefferson and Dodge counties, is one of several redrawn districts that could eventually lead to a blue cornerstone for Democrats in the state Senate — with Democratic-leaning districts now encompassing all of southwestern Wisconsin, stretching from La Crosse to Madison to Beloit back to the Iowa border, according to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis.
Gov. Tony Evers drew the new districts as part of a lawsuit challenging the old, gerrymandered boundaries. They were ultimately passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Currently represented by Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, the new 16th Senate district has no incumbent. Agard, who was drawn out of the district, is not seeking reelection anyway, instead opting to run for Dane County executive.
The candidates
The three candidates have policy platforms that are largely the same, according to interviews with Wisconsin Watch and campaign speeches, including longtime Democratic priorities like Medicaid expansion and codifying abortion rights. That leaves Anderson, Baldeh and Ratcliff having to lean on their connections with voters and endorsements from other officials to try to distinguish themselves in the race.
The three all also have similar reasons for wanting to leave the Assembly for the Senate: an office with greater resources representing more people. The Senate seat comes with a four-year term, more staff and the ability for the incumbent to run for statewide office in between Senate elections without having to give up the seat.
Anderson, Baldeh and Ratcliff all cited their experience as policymakers as the thing that sets them apart from one another. But despite their commonalities, all three candidates told Wisconsin Watch that they will hold up their unique backgrounds when talking to voters.
Anderson, who is paralyzed from the chest down and uses a wheelchair, said his effectiveness in the Legislature is what sets him apart from the pack. He noted that, after a months-long campaign, he was able to get his Republican colleagues to change Assembly rules to accommodate his medical-related needs.
“I don’t know if there’s another Democrat out there that can say that they got (Assembly Speaker) Robin Vos to do something he didn’t want to do,” Anderson said.
Born in Gambia and immigrating to the United States in 2000, Baldeh said his background as a Black, Muslim immigrant gives him perspective that is otherwise hard to come by among current legislators. He said that he wants to serve in the Senate to show others of similar backgrounds that they can also be involved in the political process.
For Baldeh, “the biggest thing is serving others at a bigger platform and a bigger possibility than I am doing right now.” He announced his bid last week while acknowledging he could safely stay in the Assembly for years.
Ratcliff, who has a trans son, said she will highlight her advocacy for the LGBTQ community and the work she did this session “to push back against the hateful anti-trans bills that come forward” while talking to voters.
“My ability to be out in the community and understand the different needs at all the different levels (of government) with my experience is what sets me apart,” she said.
Anderson, a lawyer, has served in the Assembly since 2017. Baldeh, who has served in the Assembly since 2021, served on the Madison City Council for six years, including a stint as council president. Ratcliff, who is in her first term in the Assembly, also serves on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. From 2018 to 2022, she served on the Cottage Grove Board of Trustees.
Endorsements from other local officials could also prove to be critical. Andrew Whitley, executive director of the State Senate Democratic Committee, Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, told Wisconsin Watch the group will not endorse candidates in primary races. He noted, though, that individual members are free to endorse in the race if they choose to do so.
Exodus of Assembly Dems
Anderson, Baldeh and Ratcliff are just three of a wave of Assembly Democrats who are leaving the chamber. Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, is running for Milwaukee city attorney and won’t seek reelection in the fall. Rep. Marisabel Cabrera, D-Milwaukee, is running for a Milwaukee County judgeship and would have to resign her seat before taking the bench if elected.
Reps. LaKeshia Myers, D-Milwaukee, and Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, are both running in a special election for an open Senate seat, meaning one of them will be leaving the Assembly. Rep. Katrina Shankland is running for the 3rd Congressional District to try to unseat Republican Derrick Van Orden.
Reps. Tod Ohnstad, D-Kenosha; Sue Conley, D-Janesville; Dave Considine, D-Baraboo; and Kristina Shelton, D-Green Bay, are all retiring.
Put together, that represents about a third of existing Democratic members who are retiring or running for another office.
What we’re watching this week
Monday
🍎 The state Department of Public Instruction is holding a virtual hearing starting at 9:30 a.m. on a proposed rule that would allow more Wisconsin schools to start the school year before Sept. 1. The move is meant to provide districts “additional flexibility to better meet their communities’ needs.”
Tuesday
💻 The Legislature’s Joint Audit Committee will hold a public hearing at 1 p.m. in Capitol Room 411S on a pair of audit reports related to remote work at the Department of Administration and the University of Wisconsin System.
🔈 Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, fresh off the close of the legislative session and a failed recall attempt, will speak at a WisPolitics luncheon at noon at the Madison Club.
Wednesday
👀 The Wisconsin Elections Commission will hold a special meeting at 9 a.m. to consider and potentially take action on a proposed rule for election observers. The rule would “clarify who is able to observe elections, define the rights and limitations of what election observers may do, differentiate election observers from election inspectors, and create a more stream-lined and accessible set of instructions for election observers to follow during the election process,” according to analysis from agency staff.
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