State Senate Races
2008
© 2008 The Hamilton Consulting Group
2008 Wisconsin Elections
Wisconsin Primary Results
State Assembly Races
State Senate Races
Wisconsin State Senators
are elected to four-year terms. The Senate elections are staggered, meaning
that only approximately one-half are up in each election cycle. This fall,
the odd-numbered seats are up, of which there are 17. The breakdown of the
Senate seats by partisan makeup is as follows:
Open Seat Toss Up
Republican Protect
-
8th Senate District Incumbent Alberta
Darling (R-River Hills)
-
10th Senate District Incumbent Sheila
Harsdorf (R-River Falls)
-
32nd Senate District Incumbent Dan Kapanke
(R-La Crosse)
Safe Republican
-
2nd Senate District Incumbent Rob Cowles
(R-Green Bay)
-
14th Senate District Incumbent Luther
Olsen (R-Ripon)
-
20th Senate District Incumbent Glenn
Grothman (R-West Bend)
-
28th Senate District Incumbent Mary Lazich
(R-New Berlin)
Democrat Protect
Safe Democrat
-
4th Senate District Incumbent Lena Taylor
(D-Milwaukee)
-
6th Senate District Incumbent Spencer
Coggs (D-Milwaukee)
-
16th Senate District Incumbent Mark Miller
(D-Monona)
-
24th Senate District Incumbent Julie Lassa
(D-Stevens Point)
-
26th Senate District Incumbent Fred Risser
(D-Madison)
Open Seat Toss Up
Senate District 12
Longtime Democratic Incumbent Roger Breske was selected by Gov. Jim
Doyle to serve as the state Railroad Commissioner earlier this year, opening
up this highly competitive seat. Republican Tom Tiffany of Rhinelander ran against Roger Breske in 2004 where he won 45.5% of the vote. Tiffany is a
small business owner in the tourism industry.
Tiffany faces Democrat Jim Holperin of Eagle River. Holperin served this
area in the State Assembly from 1982 to 1994. He was subsequently appointed
by Governor Doyle to serve as Secretary of the Department of Tourism in
2003.
Senate District 18
Longtime incumbent Carol Roessler announced in March that she would not seek
re-election, creating an open seat for the Republican-leaning 18th
Senate District.
Republican Randy Hopper of
Oshkosh is currently President and owner of broadcasting company Mountain
Dog Media based in Fond du Lac. He also serves on various boards including
the YMCA, Fond du Lac Association of Commerce and Fond du Lac Marine Center.
Hopper is married with two children.
Democrat Jessica King,
also of Oshkosh, is a lawyer. She currently serves on the Oshkosh Common
Council where she is a member of the Transit Advisory Board and the Energy &
Environment Committee. She received her undergraduate degree from the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and her law degree from Thomas Jefferson
School of Law in San Diego.
Republican Protect
Senate District 8
Incumbent Sen. Alberta Darling has
served the 8th Senate District since 1992. Prior to that, she
served in the State Assembly. Sen. Darling currently serves on the Joint
Committee on Finance where she is the ranking Republican member. She also
serves on the Joint Legislative Council as well as the Senate Economic
Development Committee. Sen. Darling is married and resides in River Hills.
Democrat Rep. Sheldon Wasserman
(D-Milwaukee) announced earlier this year that he would vacate his Assembly
seat to challenge longtime incumbent Alberta Darling. Rep. Wasserman was
first elected to the State Assembly in 1994 and is also a practicing OB/GYN
physician. Rep. Wasserman currently serves on the Assembly Health and Health
Care Reform, and Public Health Committees.
Sen. Darling won re-election four years ago with 56% of the vote.
Senate District 10
Republican Sheila Harsdorf (R-River
Falls) served in the State Assembly from 1988-1996 before running for the
State Senate in 2000. She currently serves on the Higher Education and
Agriculture; and Commerce, Rail and Utilities Committee.
Democrat Alison Page, also of
River Falls, was most recently Senior Administrator for Fairview Health
Services. She also served on the River Falls School Board including 11
years as President. She has a B.S. in nursing from Marquette and received
her masters degree in healthcare administration and nursing from the
University of Minnesota.
Sen. Harsdorf won re-election in 2004 with 59% of the vote.
Senate District 32
Incumbent Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La
Crosse) is currently finishing out his first term in the State Senate. He is
the owner of the La Crosse Loggers baseball team and serves on the Senate
Agriculture and Higher Education; Tourism and Transportation; and Campaign
Finance Reform, Rural Issues and Information Technology Committees. Sen.
Kapanke is married with four children.
Challenger Tara Johnson, a
Democrat from the Town of Shelby, was recently re-elected to the La Crosse
County Board of Supervisors where she serves as Vice-Chair. During her
tenure on the La Crosse County Board, she has served as Chair of the Health
and Human Services Committee, Co-Chair of the Comprehensive Plan Steering
Committee and as a member of the Economic Development Fund Committee. She
also served as Director of the La Crosse Area United Way for seven years.
Johnson is married with two children.
Sen. Kapanke won election to this seat in 2004 with 52.5% of the vote.
Safe Republican
Senate District 2
Incumbent Sen. Rob
Cowles (R-Green Bay) was first elected to the Senate in an April 1987
special election, and re-elected since 1988. Prior to his election to the
Senate, he served in the State Assembly. Sen. Cowles is a full time
legislator where he currently serves on the Commerce, Utilities and Rail;
Public Health, Senior Issues, Long-Term Care and Privacy Committees. He also
serves on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Sen. Cowles is unopposed.
Senate District 14
Sen. Luther Olsen
(R-Ripon) is just completing his first term in the State Senate where he
serves on the Joint Committee on Finance and Senate Education Committee.
Sen. Olsen was also a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly (1994-2002) and
Berlin Area School Board. Olsen is married and is a partner in a farm supply
and grain dealership. He is unopposed.
Senate District 20
Sen. Glen Grothman
(R-West Bend) is currently completing his first term in the State Senate.
Prior to his election to the Senate, Grothman served in the State Assembly
starting with a 1993 special election. He currently serves on the Senate
Judiciary, Corrections, and Housing; Education; Labor, Elections and Urban
Affairs; and Tax Fairness and Family Prosperity Committees. Grothman holds a
B.B.A. and law degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is
unopposed.
Senate District 28
Sen. Mary Lazich
(R-New Berlin) was first elected to the State Senate in a 1998 special
election and has been reelected since. Prior to that she served in the State
Assembly. Sen. Lazich currently serves on the Senate Judiciary, Corrections,
and Housing; Health, Human Service, Insurance, and Job Creation; and
Education Committees. Sen. Lazich also served on the Waukesha County Board
and New Berlin City Council. Sen. Lazich is married with three children. She
is unopposed.
Democrat Protect
Senate District 22
Sen. Bob Wirch
was first elected to the State Senate in 1996 and is a full time legislator.
Sen. Wirch serves as Chair of the Small Business, Emergency Preparedness,
Workforce Development, Technical Colleges and Consumer Protection Committee
and is a member of the Commerce, Utilities and Rail; Environment and Natural
Resources; and Labor, Elections and Urban Affairs Committees. Sen. Wirch is
married and lives in Kenosha.
Republican challenger Ben Bakke
is a financial advisor with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. He also served
in the US Army. Mr. Bakke holds a B.S. from Southern Illinois University and
lives in Kenosha with his wife and son.
Sen. Wirch won his last re-election with 52% of the vote.
Senate District 30
Incumbent Sen.
Dave Hansen of Green Bay has held this seat since 2000. Hansen is the
Senate Assistant Majority Leader and serves on the Joint Committee on
Finance as well as the Senate Transportation and Tourism; Commerce,
Utilities and Rail; and Education Committees. Hansen holds a B.S. from the
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and worked for the City of Green Bay until
just after his election in 2000. Hansen is married and has three children
and seven grandchildren.
Chad Fradette, a Green Bay
Republican, is currently President of the Green Bay Common Council where he
has served since 2004. Mr. Fradette currently works as an Environmental
Consultant in Green Bay for Bay Environmental Strategies. He is married with
two children.
Sen. Hansen won re-election four years ago with 54% of the vote.
Safe Democrat
Senate District 4
Sen. Lena Taylor
(D-Milwaukee) was elected to the State Senate in 2004. Sen. Taylor currently
serves on the Joint Committee on Finance and the Wisconsin Housing and
Economic Development Authority. She holds a B.A. from UW-Milwaukee and J.D.
from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.
Senate District 6
Sen. Spencer Coggs (D-Milwaukee) has served in the State Senate since
2002 and is a full time legislator. Sen. Coggs chairs the Senate Labor,
Elections and Urban Affairs Committee and serves on the Public Health,
Senior Issues, Long Term Care and Privacy; and Veterans and Military
Affairs, Biotechnology and Financial Institutions Committees. Sen. Coggs is
married with two children and holds a B.S. from the UW-Milwaukee.
Senate District 16
Sen. Mark Miller
(D-Monona) is currently completing his first term in the State Senate. He
currently chairs the Joint Committee on Finance as well as the Environment
and Natural Resources Committee. Prior to his election to the State Senate,
Miller served in the State Assembly from 1998-2002.
Senate District 24
Sen. Julie Lassa
(D-Plover) was first elected to the State Senate in a 2003 special election
and is a full time legislator. Sen. Lassa also served in the State Assembly
from 1998-2002. Prior to that, Lassa was executive director of the Plover
Area Business Association. Lassa holds a B.S. from UW-Stevens Point and did
graduate work at the UW-Madison La Follette Institute of Public Affairs.
Sen. Lassa is married with two children.
Senate District 26
Sen. Fred Risser
(D-Madison) is the longest serving State legislator in the United States.
Sen. Risser was first elected to the State Assembly in 1956 and elected to
the State Senate in 1962. He has been re-elected ever since and currently
holds the position of Senate President. Sen. Risser is an attorney, World
War II veteran and is married with three children. | 
