Know your vote. Take a look at your sample ballot now!

Wisconsin State Assembly

From Ballotpedia
Revision as of 13:36, 29 June 2018 by Sara Reynolds (contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search


Wisconsin State Assembly
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:  Republican
Session start:  January 6, 2025
Session end:  December 31, 2025
Term length:  2 years
Term limits:  None
Redistricting:  Legislative control
Salary:  $57,408/year + per diem
Members
Total:  99
Democrats:  45
Republicans:  54
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
Speaker:  Robin Vos (R)
Maj. Leader:  Tyler August (R)
Min. Leader:  Greta Neubauer (D)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2016
Next election:  November 6, 2018

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower chamber of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Alongside the Wisconsin State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Wisconsin state government and works alongside the governor of Wisconsin to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Wisconsin State Assembly include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

  • All 99 Assembly seats are up for election in 2018. Click to read more »
  • In the 2016 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the state Assembly from 63-36 to 64-35.
  • Republicans in Wisconsin gained a trifecta in the 2010 elections, meaning the Republican Party gained control of both chambers of the legislature and the governor's office.
  • What you will find on this page

    This page contains information on the Wisconsin State Assembly that is curated and updated by Ballotpedia staff. Click on the arrows (▼) below for information and research on party control, elections, members, legislation, sessions, procedures, committees, and districts.

    Party Control: current and historical information on party control of the Wisconsin State Assembly

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Wisconsin State Assembly as of November 2025:

    Party As of November 2025
         Democratic Party 45
         Republican Party 54
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 99

    History of partisan control

    Republicans won control of the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2010. In 2024, they won a 54-45 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Wisconsin State Assembly following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Wisconsin State Assembly election results: 1992-2024

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22 '24
    Democrats 52 48 47 44 43 41 39 47 52 38 39 36 35 36 38 35 45
    Republicans 47 51 52 55 56 58 60 52 46 60 60 63 64 63 61 64 54

    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Wisconsin gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2010 elections, when the governorship and both legislative chambers switched to Republican control. Republicans also had trifectas in the state in 1995 and 1998. Democrats held a trifecta following the 2008 elections. The table below shows state government trifectas in Wisconsin from 1992 to 2017.

    Wisconsin Party Control: 1992-2025
    Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Ten years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
    Senate D R R R D D R D D D D R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

    Elections: election data from 2000 to the present

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Wisconsin state Assembly members serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Wisconsin holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2026

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2026

    Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

    2024

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2024

    Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was August 13, 2024. The filing deadline was June 3, 2024.

    In the 2024 elections, Republicans lost 10 seats but maintained their majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly. The Republican majority went from 64-34 to 54-45.


    Wisconsin State Assembly
    Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
         Democratic Party 34 45
         Republican Party 64 54
         Vacancy 1 0
    Total 99 99

    2022

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2022

    Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 9, 2022. The filing deadline was June 1, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, the Republican majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly increased from 57-38 with four vacancies to 64-35.

    Wisconsin State Assembly
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 38 35
         Republican Party 57 64
         Vacancy 4 0
    Total 99 99

    2020

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was June 1, 2020.

    In the 2020 elections, the Republican majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly was reduced from 63-34 with two vacancies to 61-38.

    Wisconsin State Assembly
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 34 38
         Republican Party 63 61
         Vacancy 2 0
    Total 99 99

    2018

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2018

    Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on August 14, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018.[1] The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2018.

    In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Wisconsin State Assembly was reduced from 64-35 to 63-36.

    Wisconsin State Assembly
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 35 36
         Republican Party 64 63
    Total 99 99

    2016

    See also: Wisconsin State Assembly elections, 2016

    Elections for the Wisconsin State Assembly took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016. All 99 seats in the Wisconsin State Assembly were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Republicans held a 63-36 majority. Republicans gained one seat in the election, giving them a 64-35 majority.

    Wisconsin State Assembly
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 36 35
         Republican Party 63 64
    Total 99 99

    Members: current leadership and membership list and information on salaries and qualifications

    Members

    Leadership

    The speaker of the Assembly is the presiding officer of the body and is elected by its membership. Duties of the speaker include appointing members to legislative committees, authenticating acts, orders, and proceedings of the Assembly, and supervising all other officers of the Assembly. In the absence of the speaker, the speaker pro tempore assumes all duties of the position.[8][9]

    Current leadership and members

    Current members, Wisconsin State Assembly (99)
    District Representative Party Assumed office
    1 Joel Kitchens Republican 2015
    2 Andre Jacque Republican 2011
    3 Ron Tusler Republican 2017
    4 David Steffen Republican 2015
    5 Jim Steineke Republican 2011
    6 Gary Tauchen Republican 2007
    7 Daniel Riemer Democratic 2013
    8 JoCasta Zamarripa Democratic 2011
    9 Josh Zepnick Democratic 2003
    10 David Bowen Democratic 2015
    11 Jason Fields Democratic 2017
    12 Frederick P. Kessler Democratic 2005
    13 Rob Hutton Republican 2013
    14 Dale Kooyenga Republican 2011
    15 Joe Sanfelippo Republican 2013
    16 Leon D. Young Democratic 1993
    17 David Crowley Democratic 2017
    18 Evan Goyke Democratic 2013
    19 Jonathan Brostoff Democratic 2015
    20 Christine Sinicki Democratic 1999
    21 Jessie Rodriguez Republican 2013
    22 Janel Brandtjen Republican 2015
    23 Jim Ott Republican 2007
    24 Daniel Knodl Republican 2009
    25 Paul Tittl Republican 2013
    26 Terry Katsma Republican 2015
    27 Tyler Vorpagel Republican 2015
    28 Adam Jarchow Republican 2015
    29 Rob Stafsholt Republican 2017
    30 Shannon Zimmerman Republican 2017
    31 Amy Loudenbeck Republican 2011
    32 Tyler August Republican 2011
    33 Cody Horlacher Republican 2015
    34 Rob Swearingen Republican 2013
    35 Mary Felzkowski Republican 2013
    36 Jeffrey Mursau Republican 2005
    37 John Jagler Republican 2013
    38 Joel Kleefisch Republican 2005
    39 Mark Born Republican 2013
    40 Kevin Petersen Republican 2007
    41 Joan Ballweg Republican 2011
    42 Jon Plumer Republican 2018
    43 Don Vruwink Democratic 2017
    44 Debra Kolste Democratic 2013
    45 Mark Spreitzer Democratic 2015
    46 Gary Hebl Democratic 2005
    47 Jimmy Anderson Democratic 2017
    48 Melissa Sargent Democratic 2013
    49 Travis Tranel Republican 2011
    50 Ed Brooks Republican 2009
    51 Todd Novak Republican 2015
    52 Jeremy Thiesfeldt Republican 2011
    53 Michael Schraa Republican 2013
    54 Gordon Hintz Democratic 2007
    55 Mike Rohrkaste Republican 2015
    56 Dave Murphy Republican 2013
    57 Amanda Stuck Democratic 2015
    58 Rick Gundrum Republican 2018
    59 Jesse Kremer Republican 2015
    60 Robert Brooks Republican 2015
    61 Samantha Kerkman Republican 2001
    62 Tom Weatherston Republican 2013
    63 Robin Vos Republican 2005
    64 Peter Barca Democratic 2009
    65 Tod Ohnstad Democratic 2013
    66 Greta Neubauer Democratic 2018
    67 Rob Summerfield Republican 2017
    68 Kathy Bernier Republican 2011
    69 Bob Kulp Republican 2013
    70 Nancy VanderMeer Republican 2015
    71 Katrina Shankland Democratic 2013
    72 Scott Krug Republican 2011
    73 Nick Milroy Democratic 2009
    74 Beth Meyers Democratic 2015
    75 Romaine Quinn Republican 2015
    76 Chris Taylor Democratic 2011
    77 Terese Berceau Democratic 1999
    78 Lisa Subeck Democratic 2015
    79 Dianne Hesselbein Democratic 2013
    80 Sondy Pope Democratic 2003
    81 Dave Considine Democratic 2015
    82 Ken Skowronski Republican 2014
    83 Chuck Wichgers Republican 2017
    84 Mike Kuglitsch Republican 2011
    85 Patrick Snyder Republican 2017
    86 John Spiros Republican 2013
    87 James Edming Republican 2015
    88 John Macco Republican 2015
    89 John Nygren Republican 2007
    90 Eric Genrich Democratic 2013
    91 Dana Wachs Democratic 2013
    92 Treig Pronschinske Republican 2017
    93 Warren Petryk Republican 2011
    94 Steve Doyle Democratic 2011
    95 Jill Billings Democratic 2011
    96 Lee A. Nerison Republican 2005
    97 Scott Allen Republican 2015
    98 Adam Neylon Republican 2013
    99 Cindi Duchow Republican 2015

    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2024[10]
    SalaryPer diem
    $57,408/year$140/day for senators. Dane County senators are allowed half that amount. $155.70/day (with overnight) or $77.85/day (no overnight) for representatives. Dane County representatives receive only $77.85/day.

    When sworn in

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election.

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    Section 6 of Article 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution states, "No person shall be eligible to the legislature who shall not have resided one year within the state, and be a qualified elector in the district which he may be chosen to represent."

    Legislation: all legislation passed by the chamber in the current or most recent legislative session

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Wisconsin State Assembly has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Assembly to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Sessions: legislative sessions dates, special sessions, and key events

    Sessions

    About legislative sessions in Wisconsin

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[11] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the Wisconsin Constitution contains provisions related to the meeting of the Wisconsin State Legislature, of which the Assembly is a part. Section 11 of Article IV states that the times for regular sessions are to be provided by law. Section 11 also states that the Governor of Wisconsin has the power to call the Legislature into special session.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Wisconsin by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 Wisconsin legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 6, 2025, and adjourn on December 31, 2025.


    Procedures: rules and procedures for veto overrides, the budget, and vacancies

    Procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features it own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-No party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Wisconsin are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 66 of the 99 members in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 22 of the 33 members in the Wisconsin State Senate. Wisconsin is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Authority: Article V, Section 10 of the Wisconsin Constitution.

    "(2) (a) If the governor rejects the bill, the governor shall return the bill, together with the objections in writing, to the house in which the bill originated. The house of origin shall enter the objections at large upon the journal and proceed to reconsider the bill. If, after such reconsideration, two−thirds of the members present agree to pass the bill notwithstanding the objections of the governor, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two−thirds of the members present it shall become law."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Wisconsin state budget and finances
    Wisconsin on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    Wisconsin operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[30]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
    2. State agencies submit budget requests in September.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the Wisconsin State Legislature in January or February.
    4. The legislature adopts a budget in June or July. A simple majority is needed to pass a budget.
    5. The biennial budget cycle begins July 1.

    Wisconsin is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[30][31]

    The governor is constitutionally and statutorily required to submit a balanced budget. In addition, the legislature is required to pass a balanced budget.[30]

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Wisconsin State Legislature, a special election must be held to fill the vacant seat.[32] The governor can call for an election when allowed by law. The election cannot be held after February 1 before a spring general election, unless it is held on the same day of the election, which is the first Tuesday in April. The same requirement applies to any election preceding the fall general election (after August 1), with the exception of elections held on the first Tuesday in November.[33] Also, all vacancies must be filled quickly as long the vacancy happened before the second Tuesday in May during an election year.[34]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Wisconsin Cons. Art. IV, § 14

    Committees: role and list of current committees

    Committees

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Wisconsin State Assembly has 43 standing committees:


    Districts

    See also: Wisconsin state legislative districts

    The state of Wisconsin has 99 state Assembly districts. Each district elects one representative.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.

    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Wisconsin

    In Wisconsin, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Wisconsin State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[35]

    The Wisconsin Constitution requires that state legislative districts be compact and "that they be bounded by county, precinct, town, or ward lines where possible." The state constitution further stipulates that state legislative districts should be contiguous.[35]

    2010

    According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Wisconsin's population increased from 5.36 million to 5.69 million between 2000 and 2010.[36] This population growth was large enough to allow the state to retain its eight Congressional seats.[37]

    Republicans held the majority in the State Senate, State Assembly, and the governorship after the 2010 elections. As a result, the redistricting process was completely under the control of one party.

    The Republican leadership dismissed the Democratic-hired firm that was going to aid with redistricting and instead brought in an outside group to aid the process. This new firm's leader had donated to Republican candidates in the past.[38] The redistricting process was accelerated by the summer 2011 recall elections, and Governor Scott Walker signed a bill that gave the legislature the power to redistrict state boundaries before the localities finished their redistricting processes.[39] The state Republicans unveiled their plan on July 8, 2011. Democrats criticized the plan as gerrymandering, but Republicans defended their map.[40] The maps passed the legislature on July 19, 2011, and signed into law by Governor Walker on August 9, 2011.[41]

    Several lawsuits were filed as a result of the new maps.[42] The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board identified errors in the maps, likely due to the creation of the state boundaries before the localities finished drawing their boundaries. A court also determined that two Milwaukee-area districts needed to be redrawn to better represent minority-area populations.[43]

    See also

    Elections Wisconsin State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Wisconsin State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    Footnotes

    1. Wisconsin Elections Commission, "Elections," accessed June 9, 2017
    2. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin Assembly 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed August 14, 2013
    3. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin 2008 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    4. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin 2006 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    5. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin 2004 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    6. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin 2002 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    7. Follow the Money, "Wisconsin 2000 Candidates," accessed August 14, 2013
    8. Wisconsin State Legislature, "Rules of the Wisconsin Assembly," accessed August 9, 2014
    9. Wisconsin State Legislature, "Wisconsin Assembly Leadership," accessed August 9, 2014
    10. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
    11. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    12. Twitter, "Tony Evers on March 3, 2020," accessed March 3, 2020
    13. 13.0 13.1 Wisconsin State Journal, "It's July and the state still doesn't have a budget. What happens?" July 2, 2017
    14. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin lawmakers will miss budget deadline as talks slow," June 24, 2017
    15. WBAY, "The Latest: Committee approves $76 billion Wisconsin Budget," September 6, 2017
    16. Wisconsin Public Radio, "State Legislature Approves Delayed State Budget," September 15, 2017
    17. Reuters, "Wisconsin governor signs overdue budget into law," September 21, 2017
    18. Wisconsin Public Radio, "Wisconsin Misses Budget Deadline As Squabbling Continues At The Capitol," July 3, 2017
    19. Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin Assembly sends $3 billion Foxconn incentive package to Scott Walker," September 14, 2017
    20. The Washington Post, "Scott Walker just approved $3 billion deal for a new Foxconn factory in Wisconsin," September 18, 2017
    21. Chicago Tribune, "Foxconn to locate Wisconsin plant in Mount Pleasant," October 4, 2017
    22. Journal Sentinel, "How would the Wisconsin Foxconn deal work? Here are some answers," August 16, 2017
    23. Legislative Fiscal Bureau, "August 2017 Special Session Assembly Bill 1: Foxconn/Fiserv Legislation," August 8, 2017(Archived)
    24. Wisconsin State Journal, "State would recoup Foxconn investment in 25 years, estimate shows," August 9, 2017
    25. Wisconsin Realtors Association, "2014 Election Themes Take Shape," accessed January 14, 2014
    26. Wisconsin State Journal, "With state bitterly divided, Walker promises more moderate agenda," January 7, 2013
    27. Appleton Post Crescent, "Wisconsin legislative agenda influenced by negative effects of recalls," January 16, 2012
    28. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," December 19, 2011
    29. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," December 8, 2010
    30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed February 9, 2023
    31. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
    32. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wisconsin Statutes," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 17.19 (1), Wisconsin Statutes)
    33. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wisconsin Statutes," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 8.50, Wisconsin Statutes)
    34. Wisconsin Legislature, "Wisconsin Statutes," accessed February 10, 2021 (Statute 8.50(4)-(d), Wisconsin Statutes)
    35. 35.0 35.1 All About Redistricting, "Wisconsin," accessed May 7, 2015
    36. U.S. Census Bureau, "2010 Census: Wisconsin Profile," accessed August 9, 2014
    37. Northland's News Center, "Minnesota and Wisconsin Both to Keep Eight Seats in House," December 21, 2010
    38. Chicago Tribune, "Democrats cry foul over GOP hiring law firms" January 5, 2011
    39. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker allows new legislative mapping, doesn't OK actual maps yet," July 25, 2011
    40. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Parties joust over Wisconsin redistricting plan," July 13, 2011
    41. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Walker signs legislation to redraw district boundaries," August 9, 2011
    42. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin's redistricting trial goes to judges," February 24, 2012
    43. Wisconsin State Journal, "Court strikes down GOP redistricting, orders just 2 districts redrawn," March 22, 2012