Wisconsinites will vote for state Assembly and Senate candidates in a general election on Nov. 3.
This is the second election under more competitive district maps.
What do the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly do?
The Wisconsin Legislature is made up of 99 Assembly representatives and 33 senators from across Wisconsin. Together, they have the power to create, amend and repeal laws.
The Legislature plays a major role in deciding how to use taxpayer-funded state revenue every two years in the biennial budget. Whether more or less money is spent on education, economic development, tax relief — that is decided by the majority in the Legislature, along with Wisconsin's governor, who has to sign the budget, and other bills, into law.
What's at stake?
The Wisconsin Legislature has been firmly controlled by Republicans for more than a decade, under gerrymandered legislative maps.
Those maps were thrown out by the liberal-majority Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2023, which prompted the Legislature to approve new maps proposed by Gov. Tony Evers.
Democrats now have a chance of winning the majority in the Assembly, if they win a handful of competitive districts.
Republicans are likely to maintain their majority in the Assembly. According to JR Ross with WisPolitics.com, Democrats would have to sweep almost all of the "swing" seats and hold on to a few they won by the skin of their teeth in 2024, to have a chance of gaining a majority in the Assembly.
Assembly District 19
Wisconsin Assembly District 19 covers downtown Milwaukee and neighborhoods along the lake, including the East Side and some of Bay View.
The district is currently represented by Ryan Clancy, who is running for reelection. He will face Republican Yasmine B. Outlaw in the Nov. 3 general election. Clancy beat Democrat Bridget Maniaci in the Aug. 11 primary.
WUWM sent a questionnaire to the candidates. Their responses below may be edited for length and clarity.
Ryan Clancy (Democrat, incumbent)
Current occupation: State Assemblyperson, Incumbent, and Gig Worker
Why are you running for this office?
I have been an activist and organizer for most of my life. After returning from being a human shield in Iraq in 2003, I became a teacher and union building representative for Milwaukee Public Schools. The school I taught at was closed due to revenue issues and declining enrollment. I was inspired to run for office after seeing firsthand over and over, from our classrooms here in Milwaukee to the Middle East, that the decisions politicians make matter. Often, they are making poor ones, decisions based on a corporate donor class and political expediency. I am proud to not be a part of that pattern and look forward to continuing to approach this job as an organizer.
In WUWM's election survey, affordability is the top concern listed by voters. How would you work to address cost of living issues in Wisconsin?
Property taxes continue to rise because the state legislature has underfunded education and shared revenue resources from Milwaukee. I have authored a proposal (AB1209) which would switch the onus of school funding from property taxes to an income tax on the most wealthy and large corporations. This would result in a 40% reduction for most property owners. Additionally, the state has put a lot of restrictions on what local municipalities are allowed to do to help create better affordability. For example, there is a state statute that prevents localities from implementing rent control or regulation on short term rentals. I will continue to work to restore local control.
A Marquette poll earlier this year found 70% of WI voters think the costs of large data centers are greater than the benefits they provide. How do you plan to address concerns about data centers?
I was a lead author on AB 1099. This proposal includes more guardrails than I can list, but some of them include: a prohibition on shifting data center energy, water costs and infrastructure to residential customers, the elimination of state and local financial subsidies, the creation of data center specific safeguards concerning air, water, and noise pollution to protect the environment and people’s health, a requirement that 100 percent of energy derived for data centers must be provided for by newly built, directly accessible renewable energy, and a requirement that the contractor constructing any data center pay either a prevailing wage or collectively bargained wages.
What are your top state budget priorities?
For the last 16 years, there have been Republican austerity measures that have starved basically every function and level of government. My top budget priorities for the upcoming Democratic trifecta will fall into two categories: first, investing in the public services and infrastructure that we deserve, and secondly, creating revenue. These priorities include fully funding public education, especially special education, a statewide Right to Counsel for those facing eviction and codifying labor and reproductive rights. We will create revenue to pay for these things by taxing the ultra-wealthy and corporations, creating a progressive fining structure and reducing the incarcerated population.
How do you plan to remain accountable to the people of Wisconsin?
I have always believed that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. I view my role in the capital as an organizer, who is bringing experts, those with lived experiences and other stakeholders together to come up with effective and community-based solutions. I ground my work in groups that will hold me accountable and work in co-governance, both big and small, from unions to the volunteer led South Shore Indivisible group. For example, I wrote the Conditions of Confinement package to address the abysmal conditions in Wisconsin’s jails and prisons. Most of the policy was sourced from currently incarcerated individuals through prison tours I did all over the State as a member of the Assembly Corrections Committee.
Please list any notable endorsements you've received.
- Federal Representative Ilhan Omar
- Wisconsin Educators Association Council
- SEUI
- Citizen Action Wisconsin
- Our Wisconsin Revolution
- South Shore Indivisible
- State Senator Chris Larson
- State Representative Darrin Madison
- State Representative Francesca Hong
- State Representative Angelito Tenerio
- State Representative Angelina Cruz
- State Representative Supreme Moore-Omokunde
- State Representative Christian Phelps
- Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez
- Milwaukee County Supervisor Justin Bielinski
- City of Milwaukee Alder Marina Dimitrijevic
Yasmine B. Outlaw (Republican)
Yasmine B. Outlaw did not respond to WUWM's candidate questions. The information below is from publicly available sources.
Outlaw is a Milwaukee resident and a public administration professional who also has experience as a policy analyst for the North Dakota Legislative Assembly.
The Republican Party of Milwaukee County says Outlaw "will fight for common sense reforms at the state level." She has been endorsed by the Milwaukee Police Association.
Support for WUWM's Voter Guide is provided by Milwaukee Turners.
