2024 Wisconsin State Legislature Voter Guide: Senate District 18
By Dan Shafer
September 17, 2024 2:01 PM CDT
Democrat Kristin Alfheim faces Republican Anthony Phillips in the race for Senate District 18 in the 2024 election.
This is part of The Recombobulation Area and Civic Media’s 2024 Wisconsin State Legislature Voter Guide. Read the first part of the series, “New Board, New Game,” here. See the full district-by-district breakdown of the Wisconsin State Senate here. See the comprehensive Voter Guide here.
The Fox Valley is among the swingiest regions in the state of Wisconsin, but under old maps, for more than a decade, there was no Democratic state senator serving in the Fox Valley. That projects to change now. The 18th is essentially a brand new district, running along the northwest side of Lake Winnebago, including cities like Neenah and Menasha, and much of Oshkosh and Appleton. This projects to be a pick-up opportunity for Democrats.
The Democrat running in this district is Kristin Alfheim, who currently serves as an alderperson and the vice president of the Appleton Common Council. She ran for State Senate two years ago in then-District 19, losing to Republican Rachael Cabral-Guevara. Alfheim has also been on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Wisconsin for many years, and before running for office, she worked as a retirement planner. She’s also a member of the LGBTQ community, and is a spotlight candidate in the national LGBTQ+ Victory Fund.
She’ll face Anthony Phillips, who won a competitive primary in August over Blong Yang, 62% to 38%. Phillips is a political newcomer who worked for nearly 30 years as a cancer physician in Appleton and Neenah, at Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology and ThedaCare Oncology. He announced his candidacy with a particular focus on his opposition to transgender athletes competing in youth sports.
CNalysis: Very Likely D (FLIP)
- Proj. margin: D+12
Modeled 2022 outcome: D+11.1
Wisconsin Eye interviews:
