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Christy Welch
Christy Welch (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent District 88. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Welch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2024
See also: Wisconsin State Assembly 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 | ||
| Total votes: 33,818 | |||
| = 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 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 | ||
| Total votes: 5,992 | |||
| = 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 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 |
| Phil Collins | 32.0 | 2,181 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 26 | ||
| 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Welch in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Christy Welch completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Welch's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- Fully funding education for a stronger future Investing in our children’s education is not just a moral obligation but the most strategic decision we can make for Wisconsin's future. Every child deserves the resources they need to learn and thrive, creating a foundation for a prosperous, equitable state. It’s unacceptable that Republicans refuse to fully fund our public schools even while we sit on a record $7 billion budget surplus. I am committed to making education funding a top priority—for the sake of our children, our communities, and the future of Wisconsin.
- Expanding Medicaid is crucial to ensuring that no Wisconsinite faces financial ruin due to a health emergency. Wisconsin is one of only 10 states that has refused federal funds to expand Medicaid, costing us over $2 billion in lost resources over the next two years. Without expansion, preventable illnesses go untreated, emergency rooms are overburdened, and healthcare costs rise for everyone. Expanding Medicaid would reduce private premiums by an estimated 19% and provide essential coverage to an estimated 90,000. I will fight to expand Medicaid because healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and it’s time Wisconsin joined the majority of states in making healthcare more affordable and accessible.
- Restoring reproductive freedom When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban was reinstated, stripping women of rights generations fought to protect. This isn’t just a rollback of freedom—it’s an attack on bodily autonomy. There are countless reasons a woman might consider an abortion, and when she does, it's often during one of the hardest moments of her life. Such a deeply personal decision belongs between a woman and her doctor—not the government. With your vote, we can reverse this injustice and make Wisconsin a state that defends reproductive rights. Together, we can restore freedom and ensure our state remains a beacon of choice and autonomy.
Strong communication skills are essential for explaining policies, listening to concerns, and building consensus. Vision and leadership help officials inspire confidence and guide their community toward a better future. At the same time, problem-solving abilities allow them to analyze complex issues and craft practical solutions.
A sense of fairness and justice is crucial for promoting equality and ensuring that policies are equitable for all. Elected officials must also demonstrate adaptability, responding to new challenges and evolving needs. Finally, collaboration and diplomacy are vital for working with others, including colleagues and constituents, to create and implement effective policies.
A key responsibility is managing public resources through budget oversight. Elected officials must allocate funding to essential services like healthcare, education, infrastructure, and public safety, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used effectively and transparently. They must also ensure government accountability by upholding ethical standards, monitoring agencies, and advocating for transparency to build public trust.
Advocating for public welfare is central to the role. This involves championing policies that provide affordable housing, healthcare, and education while protecting the environment and promoting long-term sustainability. Elected officials must also work across the aisle, collaborating with colleagues, community leaders, and stakeholders to find common ground and create solutions that benefit everyone.
I want to leave behind a state where public schools are fully funded, healthcare is affordable and accessible for everyone, and future generations can enjoy clean water and sustainable communities.
The governor provides leadership and vision, setting policy priorities and guiding the state’s executive functions. The legislature, as the representative body, brings the voices and concerns of their constituents into the policy-making process. Both should engage in open communication, with the governor offering guidance on state needs and legislators providing input based on their districts.
Another major challenge is healthcare access, especially in rural areas. Expanding Medicaid and ensuring affordable healthcare options for everyone will be crucial to maintaining the well-being of our communities. Alongside healthcare, addressing the state's aging infrastructure—including roads, bridges, and water systems—will be critical for safety, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
The impact of climate change presents another long-term challenge. We need to focus on reducing carbon emissions, promoting renewable energy, and preparing for climate-related events like flooding. This also ties into protecting our natural resources, including ensuring clean water for future generations.
However, fresh perspectives are equally valuable. Leaders who come from different professional backgrounds bring new ideas and solutions to the table, which can be especially important when addressing evolving challenges. People without prior political experience may be able to connect more directly with constituents and offer insights from outside the political establishment, which can be a refreshing change.
Legislators who have good relationships with their colleagues are better positioned to find common ground on important issues and to build coalitions that can pass legislation. In a diverse state like Wisconsin, bringing together voices from different districts ensures that policies are well-rounded and address the needs of all constituents. Strong relationships also make it easier to navigate the inevitable disagreements and negotiate compromises that benefit the greater good.
Ensuring accountability is equally important. Elected officials and government agencies must be held responsible for their actions and decisions, especially when it comes to managing public resources. Any misuse of funds or breaches of public trust should be quickly addressed through oversight and corrective action. Strengthening systems of checks and balances, enhancing whistleblower protections, and increasing public access to government data are all critical to maintaining trust and preventing corruption.
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.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
