Benjamin Franklin (Wisconsin)

Benjamin Franklin (Republican Party) is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing District 88. He assumed office on January 6, 2025. His current term ends on January 4, 2027.

Franklin (Republican Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent District 88. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Franklin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Benjamin Franklin was born in Carthage, Illinois. He began serving in the U.S. Air Force in 2008. Franklin earned a high school diploma from Keokuk High School and a bachelor's degree from the Trident University International in 2020. His career experience includes working as a small business owner and director of operations.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Benjamin Franklin defeated Christy Welch in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Benjamin Franklin (R)	50.3	17,008
	Christy Welch (D)	49.6	16,788
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	22

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,818
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Christy Welch advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on August 13, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Christy Welch	99.9	5,988
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	4

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,992
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Benjamin Franklin defeated Phil Collins in the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 on August 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Benjamin Franklin	67.6	4,608
	Submit photo	Phil Collins	32.0	2,181
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	26

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,815
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Campaign finance

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Franklin in this election.

Pledges

Franklin signed the following pledges.

U.S. Term Limits

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released June 29, 2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Benjamin Franklin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Franklin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Ben Franklin. I am excited to run for the Wisconsin State Legislature. Growing up in a small town, I learned the value of hard work, service, and commitment at a young age. These attributes have been critical building blocks in my life. Serving in the Air Force provided my family and I with the opportunity to live and experience different parts of the country. Through it all, we have seen the very best that America has to offer. Since moving to De Pere, we discovered northeast Wisconsin is no exception. The people that live and work here are amazing. I am running for the 88th Assembly District for the opportunity to serve you. I want a strong economy for the greater Green Bay area while keeping the community safe for our families. With your support, I promise to work toward that goal and to place the needs of the people of our community first. I want to represent the best that Wisconsin has to offer, and the best is found in the 88th Assembly District!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Helping families and communities prosper. It's critical to support our local economy, create job opportunities, and ensure growth for all residents. Everyone, regardless of financial status, is feeling the burden of inflation. We feel it at the grocery store. We feel it at the gas pump. We feel it when we need healthcare issues addressed. The list goes on and we need to get this under control. Helping folks deal with rising costs and improving quality of life are top priorities.
We need to make sure the government is held accountable and make sure they are working for the people. Defending our constitutional rights, fighting for the rights of parents to decide what's best for their children, and making sure government is working for the people.
Safe communities and secure border. We need to keep our streets safe by holding criminals accountable, securing our southern border, and combat the flow of drugs and human trafficking. I will be our voice in the Assembly and put people first.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I feel like social issues will be major issues that needs addressed going forward. There are many aspects to this, but I feel there are three main issues that primarily affect social challenges. Those are ensuring quality education, addressing affordable healthcare, and formulating viable solutions to address the rising cost of housing.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I really like Ronald Reagan. He was a gifted speaker and had a way or relating to people. When he spoke, he was up-front about the issues we were facing. He shared stats and stories to help paint the picture of what was going on. Then he would tell what others have tried to address the issues. He would capstone the discussion with common sense solutions. The solutions were not usually complicated, and they were rooted into good, wholesome American values. The solutions were not always easy. In fact, I would say rarely easy. But they were affective and we saw results under his leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I bring hard work, integrity and honesty to the table. I know people will not always see eye to eye with me, but that's to be expected. That doesn't change the fact that we need someone who will fight for the people and work hard while doing it. And when the going gets tough, that's where integrity is so vital, to keep striving to do what is right, even when you think no one else is watching or notices. Again I will draw on military experience. The Air Force Core Values are deeply engrained in me. Those core values are Integrity First, Service Before Self and Excellence In All You Do. I plan to bring these qualities and values to the State Legislature.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to be remembered as a servant leader.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Gulf War. I was about 8 years old. I remember watching the war on TV and I remember that was a time where tensions were high in the Middle East. Fast forward to 9-11, I was in college and that really hit me because this time it was happening on US soil. That propelled by desire to join the Air Force.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Superman. He stands for everything good. Truth, justice and the American way!

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature is one of partnership and collaboration, guided by mutual respect and effective communication. The multiple layers of Government have safeguards built into them and they also bring needed accountability. When executive orders become regular and when we stop going through our checks and balances, we lose accountability. This allows personal agendas and corruption to infiltrate our government. The relationship between the governor and the state legislature is essential for creating and implementing policies that meet the needs of the state's residents and for ensuring a stable and responsive government.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

I believe one of the challenges the State of Wisconsin will face over the next decade will be social challenges. There are many aspects to this, but I feel there are three main issues that primarily affect social challenges. Those are ensuring quality education, addressing affordable healthcare, and formulating viable solutions to address the rising cost of housing.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe it is beneficial for State Legislatures to have previous experience in government or politics. However, I also believe it is beneficial to have legislatures that are not career politicians. As I think about myself, I am not career politician. But I bring valuable insight of real things that are going on in my community, I deal with roughly 200 employees that are all fighting the rising inflation, I control a budget for our business, and I am a veteran of the United States Air Force. I believe all this experience will benefit the state legislature. Just like anything in life, there is a learning curve when you are new at it. This is why I believe previous experience and no experience are both beneficial.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. It is beneficial to build relationships with other legislatures, and I believe it is necessary to build those relationships on both sides of the isle. It is difficult to get things done if any one side is disengaged with the other and refuses to work together. I believe these relationships should be professional in nature. If things become too personal, then that can hinder the flow of discussing and passing legislation.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No. I just want to do the best I can to represent the people of the 88th District. When people start trying to be something they are not, then it takes away from who you are and why people voted for you.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

My focus right now is becoming a successful and helpful representative for the residents of the 88th Assembly District.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There are many stories and issues that have come to my attention over the last several months as I have been knocking on doors. But the biggest commonality I hear from people is the struggle dealing with rising prices, affordable and accessible healthcare, and the concerns of the housing, streets and crime as the 88th District continues to grow in population. I plan to articulate these concerns on behalf of the 88th District when I arrive in Madison, and fight for common sense solutions that deliver results in these critical areas of concern.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Governors need the ability to react quickly in actual emergencies such as war, disease, riots and destruction, and other conditions. That being said, I believe the legislature needs to ensure this authority is not abused, and this can be achieved through passing laws and making sure we have systems in place that allow for continuous review and allocation of resources. Legislatures need to ensure there are limits on the deployment of emergency executive power to ensure this power is not abused.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A healthy economy drives a community. A report was recently released that stated the Wisconsin economy ranks 30th in overall economic health. The biggest area for improvement based on this report is the growth of our economy (ranked 39th) out of the 50 states. The top 5 in economic growth are as follows: Idaho, Florida, Montana, Tennessee, and Texas. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin These states all have a tourism plan complete with National Parks and lower taxes that allows their growth to continue to be at the top of this list year after year. Following this model allows more money to flow into our economy through tourism while giving Wisconsin citizens tax breaks they desperately need. This allows locals to put more of their hard-earned dollars back into our local economy or invest in more start-up businesses instead of being strapped down by high taxes. I would introduce a bill that attacks these issues head on by advertising the unique wonders that Wisconsin can offer through tourism, and tax breaks for start-up businesses to include no taxes for the first $50,000 in sales. Only 67.7% of small businesses survive the first 2 years with that number plummeting to 48.9% survival after 5 years. Most companies fail in the early going due to a lack of capital funding amongst other things. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/120815/4-most-common-reasons-small-business-fails.asp This would allow more small businesses to get through the critical beginning stages of running a business, and in turn creates more jobs, and opportunities for Wisconsinites.

What committees interest you?

Veterans and Military Affairs

Jobs, Economy and Small Business Development

Ways and Means

Task Force on Human Trafficking

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Benjamin Franklin campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Wisconsin State Assembly District 88	Won general	$819,219	$824,543
Grand total			$819,219	$824,543
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Wisconsin

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Wisconsin scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

External links

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Candidate

Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Officeholder

Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Website

Personal

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 7, 2024

Political offices
Preceded by John Macco (R)	Wisconsin State Assembly District 88 2025-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Leadership

Minority Leader:Greta Neubauer

Representatives

District 1

Joel Kitchens (R)

District 2

Shae Sortwell (R)

District 3

Ron Tusler (R)

District 4

David Steffen (R)

District 5

Joy Goeben (R)

District 6

Elijah Behnke (R)

District 7

Karen Kirsch (D)

District 8

Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D)

District 9

Priscilla Prado (D)

District 10

Darrin Madison (D)

District 11

Sequanna Taylor (D)

District 12

Russell Goodwin (D)

District 13

Robyn Vining (D)

District 14

Angelito Tenorio (D)

District 15

Adam Neylon (R)

District 16

Kalan Haywood (D)

District 17

Supreme Omokunde (D)

District 18

Margaret Arney (D)

District 19

Ryan Clancy (D)

District 20

Christine Sinicki (D)

District 21

Jessie Rodriguez (R)

District 22

Paul Melotik (R)

District 23

Deb Andraca (D)

District 24

Daniel Knodl (R)

District 25

Paul Tittl (R)

District 26

Joe Sheehan (D)

District 27

Lindee Brill (R)

District 28

Rob Kreibich (R)

District 29

Treig Pronschinske (R)

District 30

Shannon Zimmerman (R)

District 31

Tyler August (R)

District 32

Amanda Nedweski (R)

District 33

Robin Vos (R)

District 34

Rob Swearingen (R)

District 35

Calvin Callahan (R)

District 36

Jeffrey Mursau (R)

District 37

Mark Born (R)

District 38

William Penterman (R)

District 39

Alex Dallman (R)

District 40

Karen DeSanto (D)

District 41

Tony Kurtz (R)

District 42

Maureen McCarville (D)

District 43

Brienne Brown (D)

District 44

Ann Roe (D)

District 45

Clinton Anderson (D)

District 46

Joan Fitzgerald (D)

District 47

Randy Udell (D)

District 48

Andrew Hysell (D)

District 49

Travis Tranel (R)

District 50

Jenna Jacobson (D)

District 51

Todd Novak (R)

District 52

Lee Snodgrass (D)

District 53

Dean Kaufert (R)

District 54

Lori Palmeri (D)

District 55

Nate Gustafson (R)

District 56

Dave Murphy (R)

District 57

Kevin Petersen (R)

District 58

Rick Gundrum (R)

District 59

Robert Brooks (R)

District 60

Jerry O'Connor (R)

District 61

Robert Donovan (R)

District 62

Angelina Cruz (D)

District 63

Robert Wittke (R)

District 64

Tip McGuire (D)

District 65

Ben DeSmidt (D)

District 66

Greta Neubauer (D)

District 67

David Armstrong (R)

District 68

Rob Summerfield (R)

District 69

Karen Hurd (R)

District 70

Nancy VanderMeer (R)

District 71

Vinnie Miresse (D)

District 72

Scott Krug (R)

District 73

Angela Stroud (D)

District 74

Chanz Green (R)

District 75

Duke Tucker (R)

District 76

Francesca Hong (D)

District 77

Renuka Mayadev (D)

District 78

Shelia Stubbs (D)

District 79

Lisa Subeck (D)

District 80

Mike Bare (D)

District 81

Alex Joers (D)

District 82

Scott Allen (R)

District 83

Dave Maxey (R)

District 84

Chuck Wichgers (R)

District 85

Patrick Snyder (R)

District 86

John Spiros (R)

District 87

Brent Jacobson (R)

District 88

Benjamin Franklin (R)

District 89

Ryan Spaude (D)

District 90

Amaad Rivera-Wagner (D)

District 91

Jodi Emerson (D)

District 92

Clint Moses (R)

District 93

Christian Phelps (D)

District 94

Steve Doyle (D)

District 95

Jill Billings (D)

District 96

Tara Johnson (D)

District 97

Cindi Duchow (R)

District 98

Jim Piwowarczyk (R)

District 99

Barbara Dittrich (R)

Republican Party (54)

Democratic Party (45)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on July 7, 2024

[1]

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Benjamin Franklin (Wisconsin)

Contents

Biography

Sponsored legislation

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 88

Campaign finance

Endorsements

Pledges

Campaign themes

2024

Video for Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia survey responses

Campaign finance summary

Scorecards

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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