Republican Todd Novak wins 51st Assembly District

WISCONSIN (Civic Media) – Incumbent Republican Todd Novak has been called the winner of the race for the 51st Assembly District in Wisconsin.

The Associated Press made the call Tuesday evening.

The Democratic Party was favored in this district going into the election, according to CNalysis. The district was considered likely Democrat with a projected margin of 9 points.

Novak, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2014, is a member of four committees, including the Chair of the Committee on Local Government. Novak is a former newspaper editor and served as the Mayor of Dodgeville for over a decade.

For the last several election cycles, one of the top targets for a seat for Democrats to flip has been the one represented by Todd Novak. And over and over again, Novak keeps winning. Novak also served as the mayor of the town of Dodgeville since 2012, but lost his bid for re-election in April in a race that was not all that close. In the Assembly, Novak is the Chair of the Committee on Local Government. Novak is also the first openly gay Republican elected to the state legislature.

Novak defeated Democratic challenger Elizabeth Grabe, a real estate agent and farm manager, by 1,160 votes. This is her first time running for elected office. She’s involved in the Mount Horeb Rotary Club and is a citizen member of the Mount Horeb Sustainability & Natural Resources Committee. 

The 51st Assembly District covers all of Iowa and Lafayette counties as well as parts of Grant and Dane counties in southwestern Wisconsin.

For more analysis on the 2024 Election, you can visit our Election Coverage website here. A preview of all state races is available on our 2024 Wisconsin Legislature Voter Guide.