Wisconsin Primary Voters Oust Over Six Legislators, Paving Way for Dems

MADISON, Wis. — In a significant shift within Wisconsin’s political landscape, a number of incumbent lawmakers, including prominent election conspiracy theorist Janel Brandtjen, faced defeat in the recent primaries. This development strengthens the trajectory for Democrats as they aim to reclaim control of the Assembly for the first time in nearly 15 years.

The new legislative district boundaries, drawn up by Democratic Governor Tony Evers and adopted by the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court in February, resulted in several incumbents being pitted against each other. Some retired rather than compete against colleagues, while others who opted to run found themselves on the losing end.

Overall, seven incumbent legislators were voted out during the primaries, including Republican Representatives Janel Brandtjen, Peter Schmidt, Michael Schraa, and Donna Rozar as well as Democratic Representatives LaKeisha Myers, Samba Baldeh, and Jimmy Anderson.

Among those ousted, Janel Brandtjen stood out. She had been a vocal critic of the 2020 election results, rejecting President Joe Biden’s victory in Wisconsin and calling for the removal of Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe. Her accusations against Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for not adequately investigating the election also framed her campaign. Despite attracting endorsement from former President Donald Trump, she was notably barred from GOP caucuses by Vos.

After the redistricting, Republican Senator Dan Knodl chose to run for Brandtjen’s Assembly seat when he found himself drawn into the same Senate district as fellow Republican Senator Duey Stroebel. Preliminary results indicated Knodl secured a comfortable victory, garnering 65% of the vote. Brandtjen did not respond to inquiries following her loss.

Knodl’s political stance is somewhat moderate compared to Brandtjen’s, although he signed a letter with fellow legislators on January 5, 2021, urging then-Vice President Mike Pence to delay certifying Biden’s election win. While he acknowledged that Biden ultimately won, he maintains that the election was impacted by various “abnormalities.” In the upcoming November election, Knodl will face Democrat William Walter, the executive director of Our Wisconsin Revolution, a group focused on mobilizing community action against what they perceive as elite abuses of power.

Another election denier, former state representative Timothy Ramthun, was also defeated in his bid for the Fox Cities Senate seat by incumbent Republican Senator Dan Feyen. Ramthun, who campaigned on decertifying Biden’s win and received Trump’s backing, lost with 64% of the vote to Feyen, who will now face Democrat Michael Rapp in November.

The new district maps led to another upset as Republican Representative Michael Schraa was defeated by Democrat Nate Gustafson, who won about 55% of the vote. Schraa had been a strong voice for prison reform since joining the Assembly in 2012. Gustafson will challenge Democrat Kyle Kehoe in the November elections.

In central Wisconsin, Republican Representative John Spiros triumphed over Rozar, whose district had shifted due to the new maps. Spiros will go up against former Marathon County Supervisor John Small in the November elections.

There were also significant complications in the Republican primary in northern Wisconsin, overshadowed by ballot issues that left the outcome in dispute. Voters in the town of Summit were mistakenly provided ballots for a Democratic primary in a different district, causing them to miss their chance to vote in their own Republican primary featuring incumbent Rep. Chanz Green and former prison guard Scott Harbridge. The Douglas County Clerk took responsibility for the administrative error, acknowledging her unawareness of the new legislative boundaries.

Despite unofficial results showing Green with a lead over Harbridge, the latter refused to concede. He expressed intentions to explore what potential constitutional actions might be available to challenge the election process. The Associated Press has not yet declared a winner for this race.

The primary setbacks serve as a precursor to the general elections scheduled for November, where Democrats are cautiously optimistic about their chances of making notable gains in the Legislature for the first time since 2010. While control of the Senate is likely out of reach, considerable retirements and the newly drawn districts have opened up near 60 of the Assembly’s 99 seats, presenting an opportunity for Democrats to regain the majority.

During these primaries, Democrats successfully won seven open Assembly seats and two open Senate seats outright—with no opposition from Republicans in those races. Still, while they already held these seats, no new ground was gained. One Republican also secured an open Assembly seat unopposed by any Democrats, though the GOP already held that seat.