Wisconsinites will vote for state Assembly and Senate candidates in a primary on Aug. 11 and in the general election Nov. 3, 2026.
This is the second election under more competitive district maps.
One Republican and one Democrat are running for Assembly District 23.
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 state Senate, if they win a handful 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 23
Wisconsin Assembly District 23 covers northeast Milwaukee County and southeast Ozaukee County, including Bayside, Fox Point, River Hills, Thiensville, Whitefish Bay, most of the village of Brown Deer and the eastern half of the city of Mequon. Incumbent Deb Andraca, a Democrat, is running for reelection.
WUWM sent a questionnaire to the candidates. Their responses below may be edited for length and clarity.
Meet the candidates
Deb Andraca (Democrat, incumbent)
Current occupation: State Legislator
Why are you running for this office?
I am running for Wisconsin State Assembly to make our state safer, smarter and healthier. That means protecting our neighborhoods from gun violence and reckless driving, ensuring every child can attend a great public school, and ensuring our air, water and natural areas are clean and healthy. I first ran for public office in 2020 because I was frustrated that my representatives did not listen to my concerns, stopped holding town halls, and ignored many of their constituents. That’s why I have worked hard to be responsive to the people that I have the great honor to represent.
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?
Wisconsin families are struggling with the cost of living. First we need to reduce the pressure on local property taxes by fixing the state funding formula for public schools. According to the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the median sales price of homes in Wisconsin increased by more than half in just five years, while the state’s median household income increased by only 19.7%. We can help reduce the cost of housing by streamlining the permitting process, easing zoning restrictions to encourage more high-density housing, and providing tax abatements and grants to encourage building more affordable units. Finally, to help families with young children, the state must also invest in high-quality childcare to help make it more affordable.
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?
In the Assembly I was a co-author of AB 722 which would have established urgently-needed regulations on Wisconsin Data Centers. The bill would have encouraged the use of clean energy, protected ratepayers from cost-shifting, established prevailing union wage standards, and regulated water use. This bill failed to pass in the Republican-led legislature and was never brought forward for a public hearing in the Assembly. I believe we need to be smart and thoughtful about how we approach future data center construction, and a bill such as this one is the best way to protect ratepayers and our environment.
What are your top state budget priorities?
I will build on my work as a member of the Joint Finance Committee and three terms of legislative experience to advocate for policies that make Wisconsin safer, smarter, healthier, and more affordable. These include reducing pressure on local property taxes by funding public schools and special education, re-establishing the bipartisan Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, ensuring access to affordable healthcare and childcare, and reducing housing costs.
How do you plan to remain accountable to the people of Wisconsin?
When I was elected in 2020 I flipped a district from Republican to Democratic, one of only three legislators to do so in more than a decade. Since then I have worked hard to be accessible and to listen to all my constituents, whether they voted for me or not. That’s why I hold weekly constituent office hours in the district, make it easy to schedule an in-person meeting or phone call, and attend as many local events and meetings as my schedule allows. I also support voting reforms such as independent redistricting and rank-choice voting so that people have the power to choose their politicians, not the other way around, and they can vote incumbents out if they are not working on their behalf.
Please list any notable endorsements you've received.
I list my endorsements, both present and past, on my web page www.debforwi.com. So far this cycle I have been endorsed by Conservation Voters and the Wisconsin Social Workers.
Aleaner Pabonnie (Republican)
Pabonnie did not respond to WUWM's candidate questions. No campaign information is readily available online.
