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 98.
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 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 98
Wisconsin Assembly District 98 represents part of northern Waukesha County and the southeast corner of Washington County. It includes most of the city of Hartford, and the villages of Sussex and Merton.
Current Rep. Jim Piwowarczyk, a Republican, is running for reelection.
WUWM sent a questionnaire to the candidates. Their responses below may be edited for length and clarity.
Meet the candidates
Jim Piwowarczyk (Republican, incumbent)
Piwowarczyk did not respond to WUWM's candidate questions. The information below is from his campaign website.
Piwowarczyk's website says he is a lifelong conservative and entrepreneur who co-founded Wisconsin Right Now, a conservative news site.
Piwowarczyk's priorities include:
- Economy and inflation: making the cost of living more affordable for working families by cutting taxes and eliminating the state income tax, reducing regulations on small businesses and repealing the personal property tax.
- Illegal immigration: Securing the border, supporting President Trump's border wall and ending birthright citizenship.
- Election integrity: Abolishing the Wisconsin Elections Commission, tightening absentee ballot rules.
- Public safety: Eliminating cash bail, qualified immunity for law enforcement officers, tougher penalties on reckless driving.
Matt Philibert (Democrat)
Current occupation: Stay at home Dad
Why are you running for this office?
I am tired of seeing the direction Republicans have taken our state and country. States' rights are incredibly important and I think real change happens at the state level. Just look at how the Southern red states were so giddy and ready to immediately redistrict as soon as the supreme Court overturned part of the Voting Rights Act to disenfranchise their minority voters. We talk a lot about Congress and the President and the Supreme Court, but states and state-level politics hold a lot of power. That power needs to be used to serve, protect, and uplift the people.
I want to do my part to make the Wisconsin government work for our people instead of selling our beautiful land to billionaires and their data centers.
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?
A political historian named Heather Cox Richardson said it really well, something like, "it's not about waving a flag and saying we need affordable housing, it's about knowing how to move all the little pieces around so they fall into place." Creating an affordable economy in Wisconsin will be an ongoing effort and can't be accomplished by one single piece of legislation.
As somebody who's family is barely getting by, I'll make it one of my main priorities to make living and thriving in Wisconsin possible for every working class family. Part of that will require supporting in-state production and transportation of goods to our local stores, lowering energy costs with alternative power sources, and providing subsidies for families in need.
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?
Data centers have no place in Wisconsin. I have no interest in allowing any more into our state. Wisconsin is beautiful and I refuse to allow our land to be desecrated because billionaires and their companies need to build their junk somewhere. Any data centers already here need to be heavily regulated, using their own closed-loop water, paying their own electricity usage, eliminating noise pollution to surrounding neighborhoods, and using solar panels to offset their consumption. Technology comes and goes but we have ONE Wisconsin and ONE planet.
What are your top state budget priorities?
I want to ensure public schools and public school teachers get the funding they need to succeed. Teachers should not be buying school supplies or if their own pockets, families should not have to continuously vote to raise their own taxes to fund schools, and we parents should not have extra nickel and dime fees like "technology fees." Teachers also should be paid more (starting pay and overall.)
Part of achieving this will require sunsetting the school voucher program, which siphons public money into private schools. Another way to increase the state budget would be legalization of marijuana. I do not partake, but it seems silly to let our tax dollars go to Illinois and Minnesota where it is legal when we could benefit here.
How do you plan to remain accountable to the people of Wisconsin?
I'm not from a wealthy family, I never set out to be a politician, and I still don't feel like I am one (other than the most literal definition of the word, since I am seeking an elected office.) I'm just a dad that wants to help forge a better place for my kids to grow up.
My dad always told me, "If you say you're going to do something, you have to do it." That has really stuck with me as my core principle in life. I have to act in the best interest of the people of Wisconsin because they gave me their trust when they voted for me. I will honor and respect that trust.
Please list any notable endorsements you've received.
I am actively working on securing multiple endorsements but do not have any as of July 1 [when Philibert completed the candidate survey.]
