EMILY'S List Endorsements

Logistics professional, community volunteer, and mom of two teenagers, Sarah Harrison is passionate about advocating for public education, tax relief for our working families, and accessible healthcare for all. Running to succeed State Representative Sara Rodriguez in the Assembly, Harrison has devoted volunteer time to addressing hunger mitigation and environmental cleanup, as well as tutoring at-need students in her community. Harrison promises to work day in and day out to bring positive results to the 13th District, which was one of only two Wisconsin districts to flip from Red to Blue in 2020, by fighting to fund public education, supporting the middle class, bringing fairness and opportunity to workers, and restoring reproductive freedom in Wisconsin. Her opponent is Republican candidate Tom Michalski. Harrison is the progressive choice in this race.

Dane County Supervisor and DeForest resident Maureen McCarville is running for the 37th Assembly District to fight for progress in the State Assembly. McCarville supports investing more in education, making healthcare more accessible, keeping Wisconsin's air, water, and land clean, enacting common sense gun safety measures, and protecting women's reproductive rights. McCarville, who served in the Wisconsin National Guard for nine years, also lists investing in Wisconsin's veterans as a priority. She is a long-time community volunteer, even getting recognized by the DeForest Windsor Area Chamber of Commerce as "volunteer of the year" for organizing the annual 4th of July parade. McCarville is challenging Republican incumbent William Penterman, who is endorsed by an extreme right wing group that wants to ban abortion without exception, even when the pregnant person's life is at risk. McCarville is the progressive choice in this race.

Jenna Jacobson has deep ties to the 43rd Assembly District. Jacobson is currently serving her third term as Village of Oregon Trustee and working as a Housing Program Specialist to help people get and stay in affordable, quality housing in Dane County. Jacobson promises to fight for our shared values like making sure our public schools are fully funded, expanding broadband internet access, expanding BadgerCare and mental health support, fighting to protect Wisconsin's natural resources and promoting access to clean water, and supporting family farms throughout Wisconsin. Jacobson is also passionate about women's rights. She is a pro-choice candidate who believes Wisconsin should legalize abortion. Her opponent is Republican candidate Marisa Voelkel, who is endorsed by an extreme right wing group that wants to ban abortion without exception, even when the pregnant person's life is at risk. Jacobson is the progressive candidate in this race.

Dane County supervisor and Cottage Grove village board member Melissa Ratcliff is running for Assembly to be an advocate in the State Capitol on issues important to her community. Ratcliff lists ending gun violence, defending reproductive rights, fully funding public education, and expanding housing options as some of her top priorities. Ratcliff's platform also includes protecting our environment, addressing roads and infrastructure needs, expanding BadgerCare, and working to lower prescription drug costs. After winning a five-way primary election in August, Ratcliffe faces Republican candidate Andrew McKinney, who claims he was previously conned into running as a Democrat in a past race. Ratcliff is the progressive choice in this race.

Lifelong 51st Assembly District resident, local elected official, mom of three and small business owner Leah Spicer is running for Assembly because she believes in a vibrant, prosperous, and thriving future for her community. As someone who is family focused and solution oriented, Spicer's top priorities include access to affordable healthcare, high quality childcare, investment and support for small businesses and farms, and ensuring our rural public schools have adequate funding. Spicer also supports expanding access to broadband internet and views clean water, land, and air as essential to our economy and way of life in Wisconsin. In the Assembly, Spicer promises to protect reproductive healthcare including the right to choose. Also running is Republican Todd Novak, who is endorsed by an extreme right wing group that supports Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest, and who has consistently cast anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment, and anti-democracy votes. Spicer is the progressive choice in this race.

Currently serving her second term as mayor for the city of Oshkosh, Lori Palmeri is running to succeed Gordon Hintz as State Representative for the 54th Assembly District. Responsive, reliable, and results-focused, Palmeri has deep connections throughout Oshkosh stemming from her service in local office, her membership on various boards and commissions in the community, and her leadership role in creating the Middle Village Neighborhood Association and others since 2011. Palmeri believes public policy should be centered on people, which is why she promises to champion fair wages and taxes, affordable housing, increasing access to affordable healthcare including expanding BadgerCare, strong public schools and a strong UW system, and a clean environment. Palmeri is also deeply committed to fighting for safe and legal abortion access. Also running is Republican candidate Donnie Herman, who believes the state should give special tax breaks to big corporations, says he is all about guns, and regularly spreads misinformation online, particularly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Palmeri is the progressive choice in this race.

A strategic business consultant and former Peace Corps volunteer who previously served on the Neenah Joint School District school board, Stefanie Holt is running for the 55th Assembly District to put her experience and passion to work helping others. Holt's platform includes supporting public education, advocating for affordable living initiatives, improving infrastructure, and protecting the environment. Holt also strongly supports expanding affordable healthcare access, including comprehensive reproductive healthcare. Holt supports the right to a safe and legal abortion. Also running is Republican candidate Nate Gustafson. Holt is the progressive choice in this race.

State Representative Lee Snodgrass believes that every Wisconsinite should have access to affordable healthcare and supports Medicaid expansion and defending the Affordable Care Act. She supports restoring local school funding, holding private schools that receive publicly funded vouchers to higher standards, and investing in technical colleges. Snodgrass believes in marijuana legalization, nonpartisan redistricting, sustainable funding for roads and bridges, universal background checks, and a woman's right to choose. She also favors supporting working families through paid family leave and minimum wage standards. Her opponent is Republican candidate Andrew Fox. Snodgrass is the progressive choice in this race.

Rep. Katrina Shankland believes in investing in public education and technical schools, repairing roads and bridges, and supporting family-paying jobs. Shankland has been a leader in the efforts to enact measures to protect clean water and is a consistent supporter of reproductive rights. Her opponent is Republican candidate Scott Soik, who was endorsed by the NRA and an extreme right wing group that supports Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Shankland is the progressive candidate in this race.

Raised in northern Wisconsin where she is now raising two sons and running her own business, Laura Gapske is running to succeed Nick Milroy in the 73rd Assembly District. Gapske believes our democracy is on the line, and knows how important it is to protect Governor Tony Evers' veto. Gapske believes healthcare is a human right, supports the right to a safe and legal abortion, and knows we need more state resources invested in our communities to update our bridges, roads, and state highways. As a former member of the Superior school board, Gapske is a passionate supporter of strong public schools and will fight for equitable, sustainable state investment to ensure our kids receive a high-quality education. Gapske also agrees that we must invest more resources in local law enforcement and public safety efforts, because she has seen the consequences of disinvestment firsthand through her small business providing support to child victims and families within the legal system, and through her advocacy in numerous public safety spaces. Also running is Republican candidate Angie Sapik. Gapske is the progressive choice in this race.

LuAnn Bird is a former school board member and education professional, former League of Women Voters director, and former nonprofit development professional who is running for the 84th Assembly District to continue using her skills and experience to serve her community. Bringing enthusiasm and determination to every challenge she faces, Bird's top priorities in the Assembly would include working to restore faith in our democracy and ensuring all eligible voters - including voters with disabilities - can vote, addressing the challenge of rising costs, restoring reproductive freedom for all Wisconsinites, working toward safer schools and public spaces, and addressing mental health needs in our community. The grandmother of three, mother of two, and wife of a Vietnam veteran who has been paralyzed for 32 years, Bird knows that the policy decisions made in the State Capitol have a real life impact on Wisconsin families. Bird is facing Republican candiate Bob Donovan, who has long been known for spouting racist views, recently ran a divisive and unsuccessful campaign for mayor of the City of Milwaukee, and who is endorsed by an extreme right wing group that supports Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Bird is the progressive choice in this race.

Schofield alder Kristin Conway is a nonprofit professional and mom of four who is running to be a progressive voice for the 85th Assembly District. Conway's top priorities include ensuring that Wisconsinites have access to clean water, protecting and funding our public schools, supporting safe and legal access to abortion, enacting universal background checks on gun purchases, taking action to help working families with rising costs, and increasing access to affordable healthcare. Conway is been a strong supporter of LGBTQ rights, and has spoken out against Republican efforts to target transgender girls who want to play sports on girls sports teams, citing her own athletic experience competing on teams and against teams that include transgender women. In the Assembly, Conway promises to be a strong, honest, thoughtful, progressive leader who truly represents the people of Central Wisconsin. Conway is challenging Republican incumbent Pat Snyder, who has consistently cast anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment, and anti-democracy votes. Conway is the progressive choice in this race.

State Representative Kristina Shelton is a firm believer in public education. In her first term in the Assembly, Shelton advocated for the state to return to two-thirds funding for public schools, fund special education, and end the taxpayer-funded private school voucher program. Shelton is also a vocal supporter of BadgerCare expansion, confronting climate change, and affordable housing investments. Shelton is strongly pro-choice and was a lead co-author of the Economic Justice Bill of Rights, which laid out a clear vision for Wisconsin to be a place where everyone can achieve economic security, opportunity, and freedom. Her opponent is Republican candidate Micah Behnke. Shelton is the progressive choice in this race.

Jayne Swiggum is a former nurse and teacher who was born in Gays Mills, raised in Viroqua, and is now running to represent the 96th Assembly District. Healthcare is one of Swiggum's top issues, and she supports policies like expanding BadgerCare and putting a cap on insulin prices as examples of ways Wisconsin can make affordable healthcare accessible for all. Fair wages, abortion rights, clean air and water, and healthy agriculture are also priorities for Swiggum, as are increasing affordable housing and public safety. Swiggum is challenging Republican incumbent Loren Oldenburg, who has consistently cast anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment, and anti-democracy votes and who is endorsed by an extreme right wing group that supports Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban, which prohibits abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Swiggum is the more progressive candidate in this race.