Wisconsin voters went to the polls Tuesday for the state’s partisan primary election that featured races for the state Legislature, Congress and county-level offices in addition to two statewide referendum questions.
In the partisan primary election, voters narrowed down candidates for partisan offices. Primary election winners advanced to the Nov. 5 general election, which includes the presidential race on its ballot.
Madison-area incumbents prevail
Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, in Assembly District 76 and Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, in Assembly District 79 won in uncontested primary races. Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, who represents the Madison area, also ran uncontested in the primary.
“I am so grateful for all the candidates who stepped up to serve their communities,” Hong wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. “Running for office comes at a great cost. It's also a reminder that many people find spaces for their leadership that centers community and a commitment to service.”
Assembly District 78 Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison, defeated Democratic primary challenger Maia Pearson by a margin of 32%. During her campaign, Stubbs made the case for her candidacy, saying that in an election that presents Wisconsin Democrats with the chance to retake control of the Assembly, her experience as an incumbent would be crucial to passing bipartisan legislation.
Mayadev wins open race for new UW-Madison district
Earlier this year, Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative districts into law following a state Supreme Court decision that declared previous districts unconstitutional.
Under that bill, multiple new Assembly districts were created, including Assembly District 77, which now encompasses most of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus.
Renuka Mayadev won the Democratic primary for Assembly District 77 Tuesday with 49% of the vote. Mayadev faced off against longtime Dane County Board Supervisor Chuck Erickson and Thaddeus Schumacher, a pharmacist and local small business owner, for the seat. Though opponents in the primary, all three candidates expressed support for upholding reproductive rights, bolstering accessible health care and funding public education.
“I'm very proud that I'm going to represent the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and so it's really, really important that we fully fund the university,” Mayadev told The Daily Cardinal.
Mayadev is currently the program advisor for maternal and child health at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. During her campaign, she focused on funding public education in Madison in the face of state budget cuts as well as reproductive health care, including for students at UW-Madison.
“[Students are] worried about their health,” she told Wisconsin Watch in July. “They’re worried about their access to birth control. They’re worried about their access that they want to become mothers to IVF or any of the other maternal child health needs that they may have. They’re worried, and that’s why I’m standing up.”
Mayadev says the first thing she plans to work on in the Assembly is to begin the process of repealing the 1849 law that banned nearly all abortions in the state after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
“I think about our reproductive freedom, and know that the health of our women and children and families is critical to the progress of our state," Mayadev told the Cardinal.
Mayadev received endorsements from Hong and Roys, both of whom she will work with in the Assembly, as well as Madison District 8 Alder MGR Govindarajan.
Since no Republicans are running in Assembly District 77, Mayadev will run uncontested in the November general election.
Voters say ‘no’ to both statewide referendum questions
Wisconsin voters rejected two statewide referendums that asked to give the Legislature more power over the distribution of federal funding.
With 76% of the votes reported Tuesday night, 58% of voters voted down both questions. Since a majority of voters said “no,” the governor will not be required to secure legislative approval to spend federal funds.
The referendums, aimed at amending the state’s constitution, were placed on the ballot by the Republican-controlled Legislature. It was one of many referendums introduced in the past few years by Republican legislators in an attempt to limit Evers’ power.
“This was a referendum on our administration's work and the future for Wisconsin we've been working hard to build together, and the answer is reflected in the people's vote tonight,” Evers said in a statement Tuesday night.
While voters tend to approve amendment questions, the outcome of Tuesday’s election defied this trend.
State News Editor Anna Kleiber contributed to this article.
Editor's Note: This article was updated Wednesday, Aug. 14 at 9:49 p.m. CDT to include a statement from Mayadev.
Annika Bereny is a Senior Staff Writer and the former Special Pages Editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has written in-depth for state and campus news. Follow her on Twitter at @annikabereny.
Gabriella Hartlaub is the former arts editor for The Daily Cardinal. She has also written state politics and campus news. She currently is a summer reporting intern with Raleigh News and Observer. Follow her on Twitter at @gabihartlaub.
