Madison voters went to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on six Democratic primary races for the Wisconsin Legislature, the first step in deciding who will set priorities for the state budget and make policy decisions affecting residents.
In four of the six races, the Democratic winner will face no Republican opposition on the November ballot and will be on course to take office in January.
That includes Renuka Mayadev, who won the three-way primary for Assembly District 77 in central Madison and will become the first South Asian woman to serve in the chamber, based on unofficial results.
Also advancing with no challenger in November are Randy Udell in Assembly District 48 and state Rep. Shelia Stubbs in Assembly District 78.
State Rep. Mike Bare in Assembly District 80 advances to the November election to face Republican Robert Relph, according to preliminary results. And in Assembly District 48, Andrew Hysell beat four other candidates and will face Republican Lisa Rubrich in the general election.
In the one local Senate district on the primary ballot, state Rep. Melissa Ratcliff, D-Cottage Grove, finished the evening with a sizable victory over her two opponents and is poised to take office next session.
The primary election was the first time voters cast ballots under new legislative districts enacted earlier this year. The maps had a big impact in Dane County and gave Democrats a pathway to taking back power in the state Assembly in November.
Here’s more about the Dane County-area legislative races and the candidates advancing to the November ballot:
Senate District 16
Rep. Samba Baldeh (left), Rep. Melissa Ratcliff and Rep. Jimmy Anderson are all running to represent Senate District 16, which includes east Madison, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg and Cottage Grove.
In a three-way face off with two other Assembly Democrats, Ratcliff appears to have secured a path to the state Senate to represent District 16, which includes all of Cambridge, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Fitchburg, Marshall and Sun Prairie, parts of east Madison, the southern portion of McFarland and parts of Dodge and Jefferson counties.
“It is an honor to have earned the trust and confidence of residents all across the 16th Senate District to represent them in the State Senate,” Ratcliff said in a written statement provided to the Cap Times Tuesday night. “My commitment to all the people of Senate District 16 is to remain focused on the issues that matter most to the communities I serve. I will always be a champion for reproductive rights. And I will always strive to work across the aisle, when I can, to make positive change happen.”
Ratcliff competed against state Reps. Jimmy Anderson of Fitchburg and Samba Baldeh of Madison and ended the primary Tuesday night with a sizable margin above her opponents.
“Jimmy and Samba were my colleagues in the Assembly. They ran strong races and have much to offer our State,” Ratcliff said of her opponents.
With no Republican contender for the reliably-blue district, Ratcliff faces no opposition on the November general election ballot and will take the Senate seat in January, filling a vacancy left when Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, entered the race for Dane County executive. Agard was the top vote-getter in the county executive race and will face second-place finisher Dana Pellebon in November.
Assembly District 47
Joe Maldonado, left, and Randy Udell are facing off to represent Wisconsin state Assembly District 47, which includes Fitchburg, Stoughton and McFarland.
Dane County Supervisor Randy Udell won a narrow victory Tuesday night over Fitchburg Ald. Joe Maldonado to represent Assembly District 47, which includes Fitchburg, Stoughton and the southern part of McFarland.
There is no incumbent in the race, after current Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchburg, opted to run for the state Senate.
With all precincts reporting, Udell was leading Maldonado by about 250 votes out of over 13,000 votes cast.
In an interview, Udell thanked Maldonado for a clean, “hard fought” race.
“The residents of AD 47 chose who they wanted to represent them and I’m pleased with the outcome,” he said. “It was a tough race.”
Udell used to serve on the Fitchburg Common Council and also worked for 30 years for AT&T and is an officer in the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.
Because there is no Republican candidate in the general election, Udell will be the new representative for the 47th Assembly District when the next legislative session begins in January.
Assembly District 48
Five candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin Assembly District 48. Top row, from left: Bill Connors, Rick Rose and Goodwill Obieze. Bottom, from left : Avery Renk and Andrew Hysell.
Attorney Andrew Hysell emerged from a crowded field to secure the Democratic nomination in Assembly District 48, where the five-way contest was the largest primary race in the state.
Candidates vied to represent the East Towne Mall area in Madison, as well as Sun Prairie and parts of Dodge County. There was no incumbent in the race, after current Rep. Melissa Ratcliff, D-Cottage Grove, opted to run for the state Senate.
Running for the seat were Hysell, former Sun Prairie City Council President Bill Connors, human resources professional Goodwill Obieze, attorney Avery Renk and Dane County Supervisor Rick Rose.
Hysell ran for the state Assembly two years ago, losing to Ratcliff.
“Voters spoke clearly in this primary that they want candidates who focus on the future,” Hysell said in a prepared statement. “The people in this district know we must look ahead in order to make progress on the issues that matter most. I will continue to run a positive, issue-focused campaign as we sprint toward the November general election.”
He will face Republican Lisa Rubrich in the November general election.
Assembly District 77
Thad Schumacher (left), Renuka Mayadev and Chuck Erickson are the three candidates running to represent part of Madison in state Assembly District 77.
Maternal and child health professional Renuka Mayadev will represent a downtown Madison district in the state Assembly.
For the first time in over a decade, the entirety of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus will be in one Assembly district and, in a twist of fate, there was no incumbent legislator representing the new district.
That means three candidates squared off to represent the newly drawn Assembly District 77: Mayadev, Dane County Supervisor Chuck Erickson and Thad Schumacher, owner of Fitchburg Community Pharmacy.
In an interview Tuesday night, Mayadev credited her campaign and said she was “thinking about all the work we have to do” in the state Assembly, including on reproductive rights, education and protecting democracy.
“I am grateful for all of my supporters,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without my village behind me … This wasn’t a campaign about me.”
Mayadev will be the first South Asian woman to serve in the Legislature.
The district includes the campus area, as well as the Nakoma Park, Vilas and Monroe Street neighborhoods, plus Shorewood Hills.
Because there is no Republican candidate in the general election, Mayadev will be the new representative for the district when the next legislative session begins in January.
Assembly District 78
Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, (left) and Maia Pearson are the two candidates running to represent Assembly District 78, which includes south and far east Madison, Monona and part of McFarland.
State Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, will return to the Assembly in January.
Stubbs faced Madison School Board Vice President Maia Pearson in a race to represent the newly created Assembly District 78 which holds parts of south and east Madison, all of Monona and parts of McFarland.
The district was created as part of the newly redrawn set of election maps ordered by the state Supreme Court late last year and enacted this spring. Stubbs previously represented Assembly District 77 but now resides in the new District 78.
Stubbs will face no Republican candidate in the general election, setting her on a sure path back to the state Legislature next session.
Assembly District 80
Nasra Wehelie (left) and Mike Bare are facing off to represent Wisconsin Assembly District 80, which includes Verona, Cross Plains and west Madison.
State Rep. Mike Bare, D-Verona, will advance to the general election in his bid to maintain his seat in the Assembly representing a newly redrawn District 80.
Bare won in a landslide victory over Madison Ald. Nasra Wehelie in a battle for the Democratic nomination to represent the reconfigured district that now includes parts of west Madison near Elver Park, Cross Plains, the towns of Middleton and Verona.
Bare previously presented Assembly District 80 prior to the new maps being enacted and will now represent the same — but expanded — district.
“I’m grateful to the Democratic primary voters of the 80th District for their confidence in me. I thank all my endorsers and everyone who helped my campaign,” Bare said in a written statement late Tuesday night.
The Verona Democrat said he knocked on more than 13,000 doors across the district during his campaign.
“I heard a lot about the challenges we are facing, and I am ready to keep making progress for them on defending our democracy, restoring our rights, and investing in our communities,” Bare said.
He will face Republican candidate Robert Relph on the November ballot.
Other local races
A number of candidates advanced to the November general election with no primary opposition. They are:
Senate District 26: Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison. Roys faces no challenger in November.
Assembly District 50: Rep. Jenna Jacobson, D-Oregon, and her Republican challenger Richard Johnson.
Assembly District 51: Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, and his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Grabe.
Assembly District 76: Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison. Hong will be uncontested in November.
Assembly District 79: Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison. Subek will be uncontested in November.
Note: Updated to correct that Lisa Subeck is the candidate in Assembly District 79.