Democrats make gains, but Republicans keep majority control in Wisconsin State Legislature

Democrats won every close race in the State Senate, but Republicans won the majority of toss-up races in the State Assembly.

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In Wisconsin’s first election with new state legislative maps, Democrats made significant gains, but Republicans will continue to hold majorities in both the Senate and Assembly. 

In the Senate, Republicans will have an 18-to-15 seat advantage. In the Assembly, it will be a 54-to-45 seat GOP majority. 

In both cases, those majorities will tighten significantly. Republicans enjoyed a 22-to-11 supermajority in the State Senate during the last legislative session, and a 64-to-35 majority in the Assembly — two seats shy of a supermajority. The new maps that Gov. Tony Evers signed into law in February led to a much more competitive landscape in the state legislature.

In the Senate, Democrats won all five races targeted as the most competitive. With state senators serving four-year terms, it was not realistic for Democrats to flip the chamber this year, but these wins in close races put them in position to have an opportunity to do so in 2026, when more Republican-held seats will be on the ballot.

Here’s how the balance of power will look in the State Senate for the next two years.

Key victories for Democrats in the State Senate came from Jodi Habush Sinykin in District 8, Sarah Keyeski in District 14, Kristin Alfheim in District 18 and Jamie Wall in District 30. State Sen. Brad Pfaff also won re-election in District 32. 

Habush Sinykin and Keyeski each defeated longtime Republican incumbents — Duey Stroebel in the 8th in the northern Milwaukee area suburbs, and Joan Ballweg in the 14th, which includes cities like Baraboo, Richland Center and Wisconsin Dells. Alfheim and Wall each won races for open seats, Alfheim in the Fox Valley and Wall in the Green Bay area. 

On Wednesday morning on “Matenaer On Air,” Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein joined the show to talk about these victories and what might lie ahead in a more balanced State Senate. 

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In the Assembly, Democrats added 10 seats overall, but lost several key toss-up races that could have flipped the chamber. 

Here’s how the balance of power will look in the State Assembly for the next two years.

Of the eight toss-up districts identified in Civic Media’s state legislative preview, Republicans won five. They also won in District 51, with incumbent Todd Novak winning a sixth term. 

The closest races in the Assembly were in District 94, won by Democrat Steve Doyle in the La Crosse area, and District 88 in Brown County, won by Republican Benjamin Franklin. Margins of victory in each race were by just over 200 votes. 

Along with Doyle in the 94th, Democrats Ryan Spaude (District 89, Brown County) and Joe Sheehan (District 26, Sheboygan) won in close races, both by about 3% margins.

Along with Franklin in the 88th and Novak in the 51st, Republicans also won close races in southern Milwaukee County, with incumbents Jessie Rodriguez (District 21) and Bob Donovan (District 61) each winning by about 1,000-vote margins. Dean Kaufert won in District 53, in the Neenah-Menasha area, by less than 400 votes. Incumbent Republican Patrick Snyder won re-election in the Wausau area in District 85 by about a 5% margin. 

Democrats defeated incumbent Republicans in several other districts. Brienne Brown defeated Scott Johnson in District 43 in the Whitewater area and Tara Johnson defeated Loren Oldenburg in District 96, which includes parts of La Crosse and Vernon counties. And in the only race that paired two incumbents — the new District 13, which includes parts of Wauwatosa, Brookfield and Elm Grove — Democrat Robyn Vining defeated Republican Tom Michalski. Michalski was the representative in the 13th, while Vining represented the 14th. 

Other incumbents from both parties won in closer races. Democrat Jodi Emerson won in District 91 and Republican Clint Moses won in District 92, both in the Eau Claire and Chippewa Valley area. Democrat Jill Billings won in District 95 in La Crosse, and Republican Shannon Zimmerman won in District 30, the district closest to the Twin Cities. 

New Faces

Democrats also won several open seats in somewhat closer races. Angelito Tenorio won in District 14 in West Allis, Karen DeSanto won in District 40 in Baraboo and Portage, Maureen McCarville won in District 42 in northern Dane and southern Columbia counties, Joan Fitzgerald won in District 46 in eastern Dane County and Lake Mills, Ben DeSmidt won in District 65 in the Kenosha area, Vinnie Miresse won in District 71 in Stevens Point, Angela Stroud won in District 73 in Superior, and Christian Phelps won in District 93 in the Eau Claire area. 

Other newcomers won in “safe” districts, including Democrats Karen Kirsch (District 7), Priscilla Prado (District 9), Russell Goodwin (District 12), Margaret Arney (District 18), Ann Roe (District 44), Andrew Hysell (District 48), and Amaad Rivera-Wagner (District 90); and Republicans Lindee Brill (District 27), Rob Kreibich (District 28), Duke Tucker (District 75), Brent Jacobson (District 87), and Jim Piwowarczyk (District 98). 

Democratic newcomers Sequanna Taylor (District 11), Randy Udell (District 47), Angelina Cruz (District 62), and Renuka Mayadev (District 77) won in races with no Republican opponent. 

For more coverage of the 2024 election results, head over to Civic Media’s Election Recap page here.