Paul Melotik (R-Grafton) defeated Bob Tatterson (D-Mequon) in a special election for the vacant 24th Assembly District. Melotik’s victory gives Republicans a 64-35 majority in the 99-member Assembly, two seats shy of a veto-proof majority. About 12,000 votes were cast in the July 18 election, and the results were as follows:
- Paul Melotik: 53.7%
- Bob Tatterson: 46.3%
Melotik and Tatterson were the only two candidates to file for the special election, and no primary was held. The seat was represented by now-Sen. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown) from 2009 until his resignation on May 3. Knodl won a special election for the 8th Senate District on April 4, replacing former Sen. Alberta Darling, who resigned in December.
The 24th Assembly District covers a mostly suburban area north of the City of Milwaukee, including the communities of Grafton and Germantown and portions of Mequon and Menomonee Falls. It is a reliably Republican district that gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels won with 57.5 percent of the vote in 2022.
Paul Melotik has served as vice chair of the Ozaukee County Board and as a member of the Grafton Town Board. He began his career as an accountant and has since co-owned and operated several businesses including the Fire Ridge Golf Course. Melotik’s campaign announcement stated in part: “[W]e must be able to clearly articulate a positive conservative vision for the future. Smaller government, less regulation, and a robust private sector are what will position the state for future success.”
Bob Tatterson is a former engineer and technology executive who currently owns and operates Xponential Ventures, a business consulting and investment firm. According to his campaign announcement, Tatterson “fully supports Governor Evers’ 2023-2024 budget proposal” and also supports “legislative action to encourage the harnessing of Wisconsin’s natural energy resources with proven and economical solar, wind and biomass technologies.” Tatterson ran for the 24th Assembly District in 2022, when he was defeated by then-Rep. Knodl, taking 38.9 percent of the vote to Knodl’s 61.0 percent.