Control of the Wisconsin State Senate was arguably more impacted by the outcome of the Democratic primary than by any individual Senate primary. Currently, Republicans hold an 18–15 majority in the Senate. Wisconsin senators are elected to four-year terms, and every two years, half of the seats are up for reelection. This year, the odd-numbered Senate districts are up.

However, among the primaries last week, there were three primaries that were not in the competitive seats: Senate District 1, Senate District 9, and Senate District 11. These three Senate districts are in solidly Republican seats and the three primary winners are very likely to become Senators in January 2027. Here’s a bit more about those three candidates:

First up is an open seat in northeastern Wisconsin’s SD 1 which became vacant after Sen. André Jacque decided to retire. This race was very contentious, with four candidates vying to take the seat. Ultimately, Nic Cravillion, a longtime staffer for Jacque, beat out the three other candidates and is favored to take his former boss’ seat in 2027. Cravillion is a New Franken native, Army combat veteran and small-business owner. He has more than 15 years of military service, including a deployment to Afghanistan, and continues to serve in the Wisconsin Army National Guard. Politically, his most significant experience has come from serving for more than five years as Jacque’s district director, where he worked with constituents, local governments, farmers, veterans, businesses and community organizations throughout the district. Cravillion also ran a small business with his wife, Caitlin. He does face an independent challenger, Mark Becker, in the general election in November. SD 1 is a strongly Republican district, making Cravillion the clear favorite in November.

Meanwhile, in SD 9, which spans Sheboygan to Manitowoc to Fond du Lac, former Rep. Amy Binsfeld won unopposed in the Republican primary. Binsfeld served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 27th District from 2023 to 2025. Before entering politics, she worked in her family’s longtime business, Bitter Neumann Appliance Furniture Mattress, and later earned a degree in paralegal studies from Lakeshore College. After the 2024 redistricting, Binsfeld moved into the newly configured 26th Assembly District and ran for reelection there, losing to Democrat Joe Sheehan by 843 votes. She entered the Senate race after current Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu announced he would not seek reelection. Binsfeld is expected to be in the Senate in November. SD 9 is a Republican-leaning district, with Republicans holding a significant advantage in recent statewide elections.

SD 11, which is in south-central Wisconsin and is a solid-red seat. With longtime Senator Steve Nass retiring, there was an open race with three candidates. Ultimately, former state Rep. and staffer Ellen Schutt won the primary and is favored to win the general election. Schutt served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 31st Assembly District from 2023 to 2025. Before being elected, she worked in the Legislature, including working for former Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, Rep. Jesse James and Rep. Tony Kurtz. She also worked as an accountant for The DeLong Company. Schutt grew up on a family farm in Darien and currently serves as executive director of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation.

To see all the primary results check out our 2026 Elections Issue Updates page.