Dane County

Former warehouse employee and paralegal Melissa Ratcliff has been involved in Dane County politics since being elected to the Cottage Grove Village Board in 2018. Since then, she has served three terms on the Dane County Board and one term in the State Assembly, all while continuing her paralegal career. Ratcliff now plans to serve as a full-time legislator working to increase investment in roads and public safety, ensure safe communities for our LGBTQ+ neighbors, and create more affordable housing. She is also a strong supporter of reproductive freedom and will fight Republican efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion measures. Ratcliff is unopposed in this race and is the progressive choice.

Wisconsin native Kelda Roys has been serving in the Legislature since 2008, standing up for the rights of women, the needs of families, and the dignity of workers. She is an ardent supporter of the right to choose an abortion, having formerly worked as executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, and is well-known for confronting her GOP colleagues in the Senate on their radical proposals. Outside of the Capitol, Roys is also a small business owner, an attorney, and an entrepreneur. Roys is running unopposed in this race and is the progressive choice.

LaToya Bates has career experience in education, business, and social services. She leads a nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic and sexual abuse, as well as an event management company. Bates knows that Wisconsinites are facing rising costs everywhere, and is committed to finding relief for the middle class. Having worked as an educator, Bates is familiar with the struggles our schools and teachers are facing, and will fight for educational resources to be well-spent. She also plans to advocate for rural healthcare, including mental healthcare, and for the right to choose an abortion. Bates is running against Republican Representative Mark Born, who has previously been endorsed by an extremist group that wants to ban abortion, even in cases when the pregnant person's life is at risk. LaToya Bates is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Izzy Nevarez is the son of Mexican immigrants, and has a background in both the finance and nonprofit sectors. He remembers the safety nets that his family relied upon when he was growing up, such as affordable housing programs, and wants more families to be able to benefit from them. Nevarez believes all Wisconsinites need access to quality healthcare through BadgerCare expansion, and although the 38th district may not be the largest or the wealthiest, its citizens deserve just as much support as others. His opponent is Republican Representative William Penterman, who has previously been endorsed by two of Wisconsin’s most radical anti-abortion organizations. Izzy Nevarez is the progressive choice in this race.

Brienne Brown is a well-respected leader in her community, having been elected to three terms on the Whitewater City Council. Brown is an educator, hunter, and small business owner who understands the challenges faced by many different groups of people in our state. She believes in the right to choose an abortion, in the necessity of investing in local public safety, and common sense gun laws. Brown also wants to fight for better infrastructure and internet access for the 43rd Assembly District. She is running against Republican Representative Scott Johnson, who has previously been endorsed by radical anti-abortion groups seeking to outlaw the procedure in Wisconsin. Brienne Brown is the clear progressive choice in this race.

Joan is a former Jefferson County Board supervisor, a Wisconsin native who has taught high school math for 33 years, and a mom of two. While teaching, Fitzgerald was an active member of the Jefferson Education Association and served as President, Vice President, and Treasurer, as well as sitting on the Negotiations Team. As part of the County Board, Fitzgerald was chair of the Broadband work group and developed partnerships with businesses to bring in $5 million of grant money for Jefferson County. She is passionate about making sure Wisconsinites can access affordable childcare, can send their children to strong public schools, and can live in safe neighborhoods free from gun violence. Opposing Fitzgerald is Republican candidate Jenifer Quimby. Joan Fitzgerald is the progressive choice in this race.

Fifth-generation Wisconsinite, former Fitchburg City Council member, and current Dane County Board supervisor Randy Udell knows the 47th Assembly District well. Recently retired from a long career in finance and telecommunications engineering, Udell wants to bring constituents from villages, small towns, and cities together to create positive solutions for Wisconsin. Udell will fight for expanding Medicaid, protecting the right to choose an abortion, and addressing climate change challenges. As the first publicly out LGBTQ+ person to serve as a local elected official in Fitchburg, Udell is also committed to codifying the freedom to marry who we love into state statutes. Randy Udell is unopposed in this race, and he is the progressive choice.

Attorney and former legislative aide Andrew Hysell has over twenty years of public policy experience and plans to use his expertise to represent the 48th Assembly District. Hysell has worked to holistically support veterans, advocated for public education in underserved rural areas, and supported a nonprofit seeking to lower the cost of prescription drugs. He believes in legalizing cannabis, supporting small businesses, and investing in protection for our natural resources. Hysell also has promised, on day one of the new legislative session, to introduce an amendment to the state constitution expressly codifying the right to privacy - the right to choose an abortion, the right to marry who we love, and a right to contraception. He is opposed by Republican candidate Lisa Rubrich. Andrew Hysell is the progressive choice in this race.

State Representative Francesca Hong is running for re-election on a progressive platform that is built around an intersectional understanding of Madison's challenges and a commitment to addressing systemic economic inequalities. Hong believes addressing racial inequity is an issue not just of police reform but also education and healthcare policy. Also a former small business owner in the food service industry, Hong believes in reversing Act 10, supports universal child care benefits, and increased funding to public schools, especially for special needs programs. In her first term in office, Hong co-authored the Economic Justice Bill of Rights, which seeks to make Wisconsin a place where everyone can achieve economic security, opportunity, and freedom. Hong has a comprehensive progressive platform and is the progressive choice for District 76.

A maternal health professional and board member of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association, Renuka Mayadev is knowledgeable about the issues facing Wisconsin families and ready to fight for them. Mayadev believes in improving access to the full spectrum of reproductive care, in pushing for policies to counteract climate change, and in fighting for pro-democracy measures like ballot drop boxes and nonpartisan redistricting. She also has experience fighting for public schools while an executive at United Way Central Ohio. Renuka Mayadev is running unopposed in the 77th Assembly District and is the progressive choice.

An advocate, neighborhood organizer, and Dane County Board member, Shelia Stubbs was elected as the first Black State Assembly Representative from Dane County in 2018. She is a strong advocate for restorative justice and racial equity, and has authored legislation on women's health, marijuana decriminalization, and gun safety. She also supports policies to protect our clean air and water, increase access to health care, and strengthen the safety net for seniors, children, and people with disabilities. While she is running unopposed, Stubbs is the progressive choice in this race.

State Representative Lisa Subeck is running for re-election to represent the 78th Assembly District. Prior to becoming an elected official, Subeck worked as an early childhood educator, housing program coordinator, and NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Executive Director. In the Assembly, Subeck has been a progressive leader on such issues as affordable healthcare, reproductive health services, campaign finance reform, and strengthening schools. As the ranking Democrat on the Assembly Health Committee, Subeck has been a leading pro-choice voice in the Assembly. Additionally, as a member of the Assembly Campaigns & Elections Committee, she has played an important role in pushing back against Republican lies and conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. She is unopposed in this election, and is the progressive choice.

Small business owner and former Dane County supervisor Mike Bare is running for his second term representing the 80th Assembly District. In his first Assembly term, Bare championed common sense causes like affordable healthcare, fully funded public education, and natural resource protection. He also fought for our democracy by authoring a bill that would have automatically registered all Wisconsinites to vote. For his second term, Bare’s top three priorities are defending our democracy, protecting our rights including the right to a safe and legal abortion, and investing in communities. But no matter the issue or the decision before him, Bare is guided by values like showing empathy for others, ensuring fairness in processes, and achieving equity in outcomes. Also running is Republican candidate Robert Relph. Mike Bare is the progressive choice in this race.

Alex Joers is running for a second term in the Assembly, following stints as a Dane County board supervisor and legislative aide. Joers is invested in creating a brighter future for Wisconsin. Growing up, Joers worked at his family's small business and learned important lessons about working hard, adjusting to new situations, and giving back to the community. After graduating from UW-La Crosse in 2015, Joers put his knowledge, skills, and values to work by serving as legislative aide in the Wisconsin State Capitol. Joers' priorities include supporting small businesses, protecting our environment, investing in public education, and fighting for workers. Joers is also a strong defender of reproductive freedom, including the right to an abortion, and promises to fight for common sense gun safety laws. Joers is unopposed in this race and is the progressive choice.