Wisconsin Progress 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.

Robyn Vining is running for her third term in the State Assembly. Vining lists affordable and safe healthcare, reproductive rights, violence prevention, and ensuring adequate funding for strong public schools among her top priorities. She has been a leader in pushing for nonpartisan redistricting and in introducing and advocating for the Healthcare Heroes Act, which would provide hazard pay, paid sick leave, and healthcare coverage to frontline healthcare workers. In the legislature, Vining has also been a strong advocate for addressing mental health needs throughout Wisconsin and meeting the needs of small businesses in our state. Her opponent is Republican candidate Keva Turner. Vining is the progressive choice in this race.

Father of three, community volunteer, and employee rights attorney who previously served as executive director of a labor-management organization representing Southeast Wisconsin's union trades and affiliated contractors, Nathan Jurowski is running for the 21st Assembly District on a platform of community-based leadership. Jurowski's priorities include ensuring our public schools have adequate funding, protecting Wisconsin's labor force, and defending civil rights like marriage equality, reproductive freedom, and voting rights. He is committed to focusing on kitchen table issues and to rejecting mean-spirited policies designed to divide and marginalize people. Jurowski is challenging Republican incumbent Jessie Rodriguez, who holds a leadership position within the Assembly Republican caucus and is a member of the Joint Finance Committee where she has cast consistently anti-healthcare, anti-public education, anti-worker, and anti-middle class votes. Jurowski is the progressive choice in this race.

Business leader, community volunteer, former firefighter, and Mequon resident, Bob Tatterson is committed to bringing progressive values and real-world experience to the State Capitol. Tatterson believes in reproductive freedom and supports efforts to repeal Wisconsin's criminal abortion ban. He also believes everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, which is why he supports gun safety measures like background checks and red flag laws. Tatterson's platform includes support for additional investment in public schools, growing energy independence in Wisconsin, and protecting our environment, as well as making sure the economy works for everyone by leveling the playing field for the middle class and sending more of Wisconisn's projected budget surplus back to taxpayers to help offset rising costs. Tatterson is challenging Republican incumbent Dan Knodl, who signed a January 2021 letter asking then-Vice President Pence to refuse to certify the 2020 presidential election results 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. Tatterson is the progressive choice in this race.

A veterinarian, small business owner, and president of the Western Wisconsin Health board of directors, Danielle Johnson is running for the 29th Assembly District to give back to the community that has given her so much since she settled in St. Croix County more than a decade ago. Johnson is focused on fighting for Wisconsin families, freedoms, and futures by expanding BadgerCare, making smart investments to create good-paying jobs, providing working families some relief from rising costs, strengthening the freedom to vote, finding state-level solutions to climate change, and fighting to expand broadband access. Johnson strongly supports a person's right to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions and believes abortion should be safe, legal and accessible in Wisconsin. Johnson is challenging Republican incumbent Clint Moses, 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. Johnson is the progressive choice in this race.

Rhinelander city council president Eileen Daniel is running to represent Vilas and Oneida counties in the State Assembly. Recognizing that many significant issues are going to come down to the state level, Daniel promises to listen to all of her constitituents and make sure the people of the northwoods are heard in the legislature. Daniel strongly supports women's reproductive rights and believes everyone deserves good healthcare, which is why she supports expanding BadgerCare. Her priorities also include ensuring public schools have adequate funding, strengthening PFAS standards, promoting affordable housing, and fighting for equality. Daniel favors common sense gun safety measures like stronger background checks and red flag laws, but notes that her household owns guns, uses guns, and stores guns properly. Daniel is challenging Republican incumbent Rob Swearingen, who has cast consistent anti-public schools, anti-environment, anti-choice, and anti-democracy votes in the Assembly. Daniel is the progressive choice in this race.

Navy veteran Ben Murray calls himself an independent-minded Democrat who is running for Assembly because he doesn't want rural folks to be taken for granted. Murray's top priorities include addressing PFAS contamination in our water, advocating for more support for rural areas improving rural roads and bridges, and expanding rural broadband access. Murray is challenging Republican incumbent Jeff Mursau, who signed a January 2021 letter asking then-Vice President Pence to refuse to certify the 2020 presidential election results. While some of Murray's views lean conservative, he holds more progressive views than Mursau on balance and has expressed a desire to learn more about the issues. For that reason, in this race, Murray is the more progressive choice.

The first African American female pastor at Bread of Life Church, first African American female board member for Family Advocate, and first African American female alder for the City of Platteville, Lynne Parrott is committed to breaking barriers and making connections in her community. Parrott's top priorities include protecting human rights, including making abortion safe and legal in Wisconsin, increasing access to mental health resources for our kids, increasing state-shared resources, enacting common sense gun safety measures like banning assault weapons for non-military use, and improving domestic violence policies so all Wisconsinites can be safe. However, she appears to hold some policy views that are not progressive. Parrott is challenging Republican incumbent Travel Tranel, who has consistently cast anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment, and anti-democracy votes. On balance, Parrott is the more 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.

Appleton resident and software developer Patrick Hayden is running for the 56th Assembly District to help ensure state tax dollars are being used to improve our public schools, invest in the future of energy production, and increase public safety in our communities, not wasted on frivolous, divisive policies. Hayden's top priorities include increasing state funding for K-12 public education, fighting for nonpartisan redistricting, capping the cost of insulin, investing in biogas, and decriminalizing marijuana possession. If elected, Hayden promises to maintain open lines of communication throughout the 56th district even when folks disagree. His opponent is Republican incumbent Dave Murphy, who signed a January 2021 letter asking then-Vice President Pence to refuse to certify the 2020 presidential election results and 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. Hayden is the progressive choice 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.

A civil engineer, school volunteer, and mom of three, candidate for the 98th Assembly District Christina Barry lists healthcare, education, public safety, and the economy as four main issues at the heart of her campaign. Barry sees strong public education as absolutely crucial for communities, which is why she supports ensuring Wisconsin's public schools have adequate state funding. She believes in making sure everyone has access to affordable healthcare, and that abortion care and birth control should be safe and accessible. Barry also favors gun safety policies like closing background check loopholes, increasing the minimum age for purchasing guns, and adopting red flag laws. Barry is challenging Republican incumbent Adam Neylon, who has consistently cast anti-choice, anti-public education, anti-environment, and anti-democracy votes. Barry is the more progressive choice in this race.