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Samba Baldeh

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Samba Baldeh
Image of Samba Baldeh

Democratic Party

Prior offices
Madison Common Council District 17
Successor: Gary Halverson
Wisconsin State Assembly District 48
Successor: Andrew Hysell
Predecessor: Melissa Agard
Elections and appointments
Last election

August 13, 2024

Personal
Profession
Information technology
Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Samba Baldeh (Democratic Party) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing District 48. He assumed office on January 4, 2021. He left office on January 6, 2025.

Baldeh (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Senate to represent District 16. He lost in the Democratic primary on August 13, 2024.

Biography

Samba Baldeh's career experience includes working in international youth development, as a partner in an IT consulting business, and as an IT project manager with American Family Insurance.[1][2][3]

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Baldeh was assigned to the following committees:

2021-2022

Baldeh was assigned to the following committees:


The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Elections

2024

See also: Wisconsin State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Senate District 16

Melissa Ratcliff won election in the general election for Wisconsin State Senate District 16 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Ratcliff
Melissa Ratcliff (D)
 
97.2
 
82,828
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.8
 
2,361

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 85,189
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16

Melissa Ratcliff defeated Jimmy Anderson and Samba Baldeh in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Senate District 16 on August 13, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Melissa Ratcliff
Melissa Ratcliff
 
52.0
 
17,205
Image of Jimmy Anderson
Jimmy Anderson
 
31.0
 
10,258
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh
 
16.9
 
5,575
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
25

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 33,063
Candidate Connection = 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 Baldeh in this election.

2022

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2022

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Incumbent Samba Baldeh won election in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh (D)
 
98.4
 
27,089
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.6
 
429

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 27,518
Candidate Connection = 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Incumbent Samba Baldeh advanced from the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on August 9, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh
 
99.7
 
11,217
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
37

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 11,254
Candidate Connection = 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

2020

See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2020

General election

General election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Samba Baldeh defeated Samuel Anderson in the general election for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh (D)
 
79.6
 
30,074
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Samuel Anderson (R)
 
20.3
 
7,650
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
45

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 37,769
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Samba Baldeh defeated Lindsay Lemmer, Walt Stewart, and Jason Vangalis in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh
 
49.4
 
7,305
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Lindsay Lemmer
 
35.3
 
5,215
Image of Walt Stewart
Walt Stewart Candidate Connection
 
10.7
 
1,578
Image of Jason Vangalis
Jason Vangalis Candidate Connection
 
4.5
 
665
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
17

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 14,780
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48

Samuel Anderson advanced from the Republican primary for Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Samuel Anderson
 
99.8
 
1,184
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
2

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,186
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign finance

2019

See also: City elections in Madison, Wisconsin (2019)

General election

General election for Madison Common Council District 17

Incumbent Samba Baldeh defeated James Creighton Mitchell Jr. in the general election for Madison Common Council District 17 on April 2, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Samba Baldeh
Samba Baldeh (Nonpartisan)
 
75.3
 
1,898
Image of James Creighton Mitchell Jr.
James Creighton Mitchell Jr. (Nonpartisan)
 
24.6
 
620
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.2
 
4

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 2,522
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Madison, Wisconsin (2017)

The city of Madison, Wisconsin, held an election for common council on April 4, 2017. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 3, 2017.

All 20 common council seats were up for election in 2017. Incumbents ran for re-election in 19 of the 20 districts. They were unopposed in 15 of those races. Incumbent Samba Baldeh ran unopposed in the general election for the District 17 seat on the Madison Common Council.[4]

Madison Common Council, District 17 General Election, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Samba Baldeh Incumbent (unopposed) 98.17% 1,179
Write-in votes 1.83% 22
Total Votes 1,201
Source: Dane County Clerk, "2017 Spring Election," accessed May 4, 2017

2015

See also: Madison, Wisconsin municipal elections, 2015

The city of Madison, Wisconsin, held elections for mayor and city council on April 7, 2015. A primary took place on February 17, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was January 6, 2015.[5][6]

In the general election for District 17, Samba Baldeh defeated incumbent Joseph R. Clausius.[7][8]

Madison Common Council, District 17, 2015
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngSamba Baldeh 50.6% 1,004
Joseph R. Clausius Incumbent 49% 972
Write-in 0.5% 9
Total Votes 1,985
Source: Dane County Clerk's Office, "Official general election results," accessed July 30, 2015

Endorsements

In 2015, Baldeh received endorsements from the following:

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Samba Baldeh did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Samba Baldeh did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Samba Baldeh did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2017

Baldeh's campaign website highlighted the following issues:[2]

“

Openness and Communication
I will regularly communicate with you, ask for your opinions, ask what is important to you. I will hold neighborhood forums.

Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Families and Schools, Respect for Elders
We should: invest in public and community space, libraries – including 'express' or smaller scale libraries where it is not feasible to build a full service branch; expand neighborhood response team locations and resources; support city initiatives on early childhood care/education and after school programs and care. We must make sure there are educational and economic options for older youth and young adults. We must also: make sure older adults have the necessary community resources; maintain parks and open spaces; make sure the community has a say in the management of parks.

Community Policing
I will promote respectful relationships and trust between police and neighborhoods and encourage investment in neighborhood officers.

Public Safety
I will address traffic issues, resident and pedestrian safety – especially around schools and partner with the county to address addiction – much crime is related to drug (heroin) use. We should promote community in our neighborhoods, so that people know each other. A strong community is protective and healthy.

Community for All
I will work to make sure our resources are invested in an equitable way and a way that improves circumstances for people who are targeted by racism and/or struggling the most. The new equity impact review process should be thoroughly applied to the budget so that our investments match our values and we make sure we are investing in only what we really need.

Transit
Bus routes and times of service have to be expanded and fares adjusted to help low-income workers get to work. Routes and times of service have to be expanded so that riding the bus is an option for more people – and the bus must be affordable. I will support Bus Rapid Transit with routes that appear to be feasible for the investment.

Affordable Housing
Too many people cannot afford to buy a house, or rent the many market rate and luxury apartments that have been built in the last few years. We need to attract, and pay for, if necessary, affordable apartment homes and/or expand programs to make single home ownership possible for more people.

Homelessness
The city must partner with the county – or if necessary take the lead, to provide shelter for all, including a day center where people have access to resources such as showers, lockers, bus passes, job information, basic medical and mental health care. We must make sure our city ordinances are not criminalizing homelessness and poverty. We should be a leader in this area for other cities. Our current situation is unacceptable.

Economic Development and Jobs
As a partner in a small IT consulting business, I know the importance of small local businesses to our community. It is tempting to want to invest in the biggest corporations but we also have to look at sustainability. Small and local has a lot of value. Zoning that allows for businesses people can walk and bike to should be considered. We should not subsidize development that brings low wage jobs. We should not invest in private development projects unless they bring very substantial public benefit and cannot occur otherwise.

Environment
We need to pay attention to our air and our water and protect these important indicators of health. We need to pay attention to the impact of new development on our natural environment. For example, as development occurs on the north edge of the district, we will want to protect the sensitive ecosystem of Token Creek.[11]

”

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.

Samba Baldeh campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Wisconsin State Senate District 16Lost primary$74,108 $77,028
2022Wisconsin State Assembly District 48Won general$10,393 $10,917
2020Wisconsin State Assembly District 48Won general$54,576 N/A**
Grand total$139,078 $87,945
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
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

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.


2024

In 2024, the Wisconsin State Legislature was in session from January 16 to March 12.

Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against MMAC's position.
Legislators are scored on their votes on small business issues.
Legislators are scored on their stances on conservation issues.
Legislators are scored by the Wisconsin Family Action on their votes on legislation related to "marriage, family, the sanctity of human life, or religious freedom."
Legislators are scored on their votes by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association on legislation related to Wisconsin's law enforcement community.
Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.


2023


2022


2021





See also

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External links

Candidate

Wisconsin State Senate District 16
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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Samba Baldeh - Common Council District 17," accessed February 6, 2017
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Samba Baldeh - Common Council District 17, "Samba's Platform," accessed February 6, 2017
    3. ↑ Samba for State Assembly, "About," accessed April 8, 2021
    4. ↑ City of Madison City Clerk's Office, "Candidate Filings," accessed January 26, 2017
    5. ↑ City of Madison, "Election Schedule," accessed September 19, 2014
    6. ↑ City of Madison, "Campaign Finance and Candidate Information for 2015," accessed October 17, 2014
    7. ↑ County of Dane Elections, "Unofficial election results," accessed April 7, 2015
    8. ↑ City of Madison Elections, "Filings-Spring 2015," accessed January 7, 2015
    9. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named dcdp
    10. ↑ Progressive Dane, "Our Endorsed 2015 Candidates," accessed February 6, 2017
    11. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Melissa Agard (D)     		Wisconsin State Assembly District 48
    2021-2025    		 Succeeded by
    Andrew Hysell (D)
    Preceded by
    -     		Madison Common Council District 17
    2015-2021    		 Succeeded by
    Gary Halverson


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