Sen. Rob Cowles (R – Green Bay) is seeking re-election to the 2nd Senate District, a seat he has held since first being elected to the Senate in a 1987 special election. The 2016 general election will be Cowles’ first election facing an opponent since the 2011 recall election.
Democrat John Powers, a former school teacher and Vietnam veteran, is running to unseat Cowles. In both 2008 and 2012 Powers unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Gary Tauchen (R – Bonduel) for the 6th Assembly District, losing by more than 10 percentage points in each election.
Cowles defeated his last opponent, Nancy Nusbaum, in the 2011 recall election by nearly 13 percent of the vote. Even with a potential down ballot drag from a Trump candidacy, Cowles’ past electoral dominance, combined with a district that is solidly Republican, has this race largely off of the radar. For these reasons, Cowles’ re-election is highly probable.