Southeast Wisconsin Primary Winners: Knodl, Boese, Drake, Dittrich, Desmidt, and Donovan

MILWAUKEE, Wis (Civic Media) – The playing field for November is set for some candidates, others have essentially won their seats.  Unofficial results for the 2024 Partisan Primary will likely be made official within the next week for many communities. 

State Senator Dan Knodl secured a decisive victory in the Republican primary for Wisconsin’s 24th Assembly District, winning 65% of the vote against incumbent Representative Janel Brandtjen. Brandtjen had the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.  Knodl’s win positions him for a likely victory in the general election in this safe Republican district, marking his return to the Assembly where he previously served from 2009 to 2023.

In the race for Waukesha County District Attorney, Lesli Boese emerged victorious in a closely contested Republican primary, garnering about 52% of the vote against fellow Deputy District Attorney Mike Thurston. The campaign focused on issues such as alleged crime spillover from Milwaukee County. With no other candidates in the race, Boese is set to become Waukesha County’s next top prosecutor.

Dora Drake won the special primary election for Wisconsin’s 4th Senate District, a seat vacated by Lena Taylor, who resigned to join the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Drake, a Democratic state representative, secured 68% of the vote against fellow representative Lakeshia Myers. 

In the 61st Assembly District, Bob Donovan won the Republican primary with 93% of the vote against Martin Gomez. Donovan is set to face Democrat LuAnn Bird in the November election for this swing seat.

Republican Rep. Barb Dittrich claimed victory in the primary for Wisconsin’s 99th Assembly District, defeating Republican Jeff Pfannerstill with 63% of the vote. The district includes Oconomowoc and parts of Hartford, Chenequa, Hartland, Lac La Belle, Nashotah, and Neosho.

Ryan Clancy retained his position as the representative for Milwaukee’s 19th Assembly District, securing 57% of the vote against Jarrod Anderson.

In the Democratic primary for Wisconsin’s 65th Assembly District, Ben Desmidt won decisively against Kyle Flood. The Kenosha seat was open following longtime incumbent Tod Ohnstad’s decision not to seek reelection after 12 years. Desmidt will face Republican Brian Gonzales in the November general election.

In Waukesha County, 61% of voters participated in the Republican primary, while 39% filled the Democrat box. Approximately 93,000 people voted in the county, with 57% supporting ‘Yes’ in the two referendum questions, despite the ‘No’ vote winning statewide.