The Wisconsin state primary election is being held today: Tuesday, August 13. State legislative and U.S. congressional races with competitive partisan primaries will be decided today. A full list of the federal and state candidates running in Wisconsin this year is available here. Also on the August ballot are two referendum questions regarding proposed amendments to the Wisconsin Constitution—read more about that here.

As the host of this year’s Republican National Convention and a key swing state for both the presidential election and control of the U.S. Senate, Wisconsin is seeing a great deal of national media attention and political spending from candidate campaigns and outside groups.

Furthermore, due to redistricting following a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision late last year, the makeup of the Wisconsin Legislature could change significantly this year and over the next several election cycles. Republicans appear poised to return in 2025 with much slimmer majorities than they currently hold in both chambers.

Under the new maps, more than 40 incumbent legislators, mostly Republicans, were paired with one another into the same legislative district. Some incumbents have moved because of the redrawn district lines, some are squaring off in primary races today, and some chose not to seek reelection. Many other incumbents are running for reelection in a different district number than the one they currently represent.

This article highlights a selection of the competitive or otherwise notable primary races that observers are paying attention to this week.

Primaries to Watch: State Senate

• Senate District 4 (Democratic Primary): Dora Drake and LaKeshia Myers (both D-Milwaukee) are running for the Senate seat previously held by Lena Taylor, who resigned earlier this year after being appointed to the Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Due to the timing of Taylor’s resignation, a special election was required; Drake defeated Myers in the special primary on July 2 and won the special election unopposed on July 30. She will fill the seat through the remainder of 2024. Drake and Myers are squaring off again in the regular primary; the winner of this regular primary will not face a Republican challenger and will take office in January for a full four-year term. At the time of her resignation, Taylor said that she supports Myers.

 

• Senate District 16 (Democratic Primary): Melissa Agard (D-Madison) is not seeking reelection to the Senate because she is running for Dane County executive. Three Democratic members of the Assembly are running for the Madison-area seat and the winner will not face a Republican challenger in November. The candidates are Reps. Anderson (D-Fitchburg), Baldeh (D-Madison), and Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove).

 

• Senate District 20 (Republican Primary): Dan Feyen (currently, R-Fond du Lac, representing SD 18) is running in this newly configured district due to redistricting. Former Rep. Tim Ramthun (R-Campbellsport in the 2021-22 session) is challenging Feyen. Most of Ramthun’s former Assembly district is within the new SD 18. Ramthun has cast himself as a challenger to the Republican party establishment and unsuccessfully sought the party’s nomination for governor in 2022.

 

Primaries to Watch: State Assembly

• Assembly District 4 (Republican Primary): David Steffen (R-Green Bay) is being challenged by Darwin Behnke, who works as a mechanic and is the father of Rep. Elijah Behnke (R-Oconto, currently AD 89, now running for AD 6). The Behnkes have characterized themselves as libertarian-leaning opponents of the Republican establishment.

 

• Assembly District 6 (Republican Primary): Peter Schmidt (R-Bonduel), is being challenged by Rep. Elijah Behnke (R-Oconto, currently AD 89), who was redrawn into AD 4 but will need to move to AD 6 if he wins.

 

• Assembly District 19 (Democratic Primary): Ryan Clancy (D-Milwaukee), a self-described socialist, is being challenged by Jarrod Anderson, a self-described “pragmatic progressive” who has criticized Clancy for his outspoken style and breaking with the Democratic Party on several issues.

 

• Assembly District 24 (Republican Primary): Janel Brandtjen (R-Menomonee Falls, currently AD 22) is facing Sen. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown, currently SD 8), who opted to challenge Brandtjen rather than face Sen. Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville, currently SD 20) in a primary for the redrawn SD 8.

 

• Assembly District 25 (Republican Primary): Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc) is being challenged by David Wage, a former Manitowoc County Board member and retired owner and CEO of a tube bending and fabrication company.

 

• Assembly District 40 (Democratic Primary): Dave Considine (D-Baraboo, currently AD 81) was redrawn into this district and did not seek reelection. Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca, currently AD 40) was redrawn into a different district. Democrats have a three-way primary for the open seat. The candidates are Brad Cook (of Pardeeville), Karen DeSanto (of Baraboo), and Kyle Kunicki (of Merrimac).

 

• Assembly District 55 (Republican Primary): Nate Gustafson (R-Fox Crossing) and Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh, currently AD 53) were paired due to redistricting.

 

• Assembly District 57 (Republican Primary): Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca, currently AD 40), the Assembly speaker pro tempore, was redrawn into this district and is being challenged by Duane Wilson, a real estate and title professional also from Waupaca.

 

• Assembly District 86 (Republican Primary): John Spiros (R-Marshfield) and Rep. Donna Rozar (R-Marshfield, currently AD 69) were paired due to redistricting.

 

• Assembly District 99 (Republican Primary): Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc, currently AD 38) was redrawn into this district and is being challenged by Jeffrey Pfannerstill, the village president of Hartland.

 

Primaries to Watch: U.S. Congress

While three Republicans have filed to challenge U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D), Eric Hovde is the presumptive nominee and expected to win the Republican primary handily tomorrow. Meanwhile, two of the state’s eight congressional districts have seen strongly contested primary races this year.

• Congressional District 3 (Democratic Primary): Three Democrats are vying to challenge first-term Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden in this western Wisconsin district. The candidates are state Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point), Rebecca Cooke (a small business and nonprofit operator who has also worked as a political fundraiser), and Eric Wilson (who has worked as an IT project manager in health care and housing). Media coverage has mostly focused on the competition between Shankland and Cooke.

 

• Congressional District 8 (Republican Primary): Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Republican, announced he would not seek reelection and then retired early. Due to the timing of Gallagher’s resignation, there is a special election for this seat occurring simultaneously with the regular election. Three Republicans are running: state Sen. André Jacque (R-De Pere), former state Sen. Roger Roth (R-Appleton, SD 19 in the 2021-22 session), and businessman Tony Wied, a political newcomer endorsed by Donald Trump. Kristin Lyerly, an OB-GYN from the Green Bay area, is the only Democratic candidate in this race.