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 62.
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 62
Wisconsin Assembly District 62 includes the northern half of the city of Racine, parts of southern Caledonia and northeast Mount Pleasant, along with the villages of North Bay and Wind Point. Incumbent Angelina Cruz, 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
Angelina Cruz (Democrat, incumbent)
Current occupation: Teacher; Incumbent
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running for reelection to Assembly District 62 because the work isn’t finished. I am a Racine public school teacher – having spent over twenty years with Racine Unified – and a decade as the president of the local educators’ union. The regressive attack on public sector unions pushed me into union leadership and, later, public office at the state level. Even as a member of the minority party, I fought to defend public education and workers’ rights – having introduced legislation to more fully fund special education and equitably distribute general aid. I’m running again to keep building on that momentum and deliver the change our communities need.
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?
One way to address affordability issues at the state level is to tackle the suppression of wages and benefits. This can be done through the restoration of workers’ rights – including collective bargaining – and raising the minimum wage to a living wage. This past legislative cycle, I authored legislation to do exactly that and intend to move this legislation forward in this next cycle with the full support of my caucus.
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?
Wisconsinites want and deserve transparent and mindful action – not a rush to build before basic protections exist. Large-scale data centers raise serious questions about environmental impact, rising utility costs for ratepayers, and whether local labor will actually benefit from promised jobs. Currently, there are no laws on the books that provide protections with these risks in mind. This past session, I signed on to legislation to pause new data center construction until we’ve heard from impacted communities and put clear guardrails in place.
What are your top state budget priorities?
My top state budget priorities include fully and equitably funding public schools – from K-12 through the technical college and universities – and fully funding our childcare system, which supports child development while also easing the affordability pressures facing working families. I also prioritize workers’ rights: restoring collective bargaining and ensuring everyone pays their fair share in our tax system. Every worker deserves the dignity of a living wage, a voice in their working conditions, and a tax system in which revenues are distributed in ways that benefit the whole community.
How do you plan to remain accountable to the people of Wisconsin?
Accountability as an elected official requires transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness. During my first term, my legislative aide and I built out a variety of approaches for constituents to reach us and stay informed – town halls, listening sessions, in-person and virtual meetings, website development and updates, social media, newsletter updates, and open office hours for constituents to utilize for outreach. I intend to build upon these efforts and improve as I continue to serve.
Please list any notable endorsements you've received.
Organizational endorsements I have received to date include Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC); UAW Region 4; WI Working Families Party; WI Conservation Voters; NASW-WI.
Mike Bellagio (Republican)
Bellagio did not respond to WUWM's candidate questions. He does not have a campaign website or other information readily available, but he does have a public Facebook page.
