Wisconsinites will vote for state Assembly and Senate candidates in the general election Nov. 5, 2024.
This is the first election under newly-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 last year, 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 competitive districts.
In the Senate, only half of the seats are up for election, which means Republicans are likely to hold a majority in that chamber for the next two years at least. But Democrats are still working to flip some of the seats.
Assembly District 8
Wisconsin Assembly District 8 comprises part of Milwaukee's near south side, including Walker's Point, the Historic Mitchell Street neighborhood, and most of Lincoln Village.
According to WisPolitics, Democrat Sylvia Ortiz-Velez was drawn in to the district. She is running for re-election unopposed after defeating another Democrat, Enrique Murguia, in the Aug. 13 primary.
The new District 8 leans approximately 80% Democratic.
WUWM sent a questionnaire to the District 8 candidate. Responses below may be edited for length and clarity.
Meet the candidates
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (Democrat)
Sylvia Ortiz-Velez did not respond to WUWM's candidate questions. The information below is from her campaign website.
Ortiz-Velez has served in the Wisconsin Assembly since 2020. She served on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors from 2018-2020. Her platform emphasizes access to affordable healthcare, housing, and child care, along with neighborhood safety, education, and voting rights.
During her time on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, Ortiz-Velez prioritized investment in public transit, parks, and health and human services.
"I’ve worked hard to build a Wisconsin that invests in our future and creates resilient communities," Ortiz-Velez says on her website.
On her website, Ortiz-Velez says her parents raised her with a sense of civic responsibility and duty to her community from an early age.
"Growing up in a large family with a Puerto Rican father and Mexican mother, she faced many obstacles to success. Despite this, her involvement in her church, community, and school helped her to overcome barriers unique to Milwaukee’s south side. These lived experiences compelled her to run for public office and be a voice for her community."
