The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer.
The Democratic primary in the race for governor is going to be the most-watched contest on the Aug. 11 partisan primary ballot. And that makes sense, since it is an enormously consequential decision for the entire state, and whoever emerges from that primary as the nominee has a good chance of winning the first open race for governor since 2010.
It has also, of course, been especially chaotic and newsworthy over the last few weeks. From Sunday, July 12, when Sara Rodriguez announced she was firing her campaign manager over major finance issues, to when Mandela Barnes dropped out of the race on Thursday, July 30, it has been perhaps the most discombobulating stretch of campaigning imaginable in the history of Wisconsin campaigns — with no signs of slowing down as the calendar turns to August.
But the Democratic gubernatorial primary is not the only significant primary on the Aug. 11 ballot. There are several competitive congressional primaries, a number of statewide contests, and a whole lot happening downballot.
Let’s take a closer look at all of them. But first…
Voting in Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary
Wisconsin has open primaries. You don’t need to register with a party in order to vote, but you need to choose which party’s primary you’ll be voting in. You cannot vote in both the Republican and Democratic primaries.
This could create some tough decisions for certain voters. For example, local offices for County Sheriff — which is technically listed as a partisan office in Wisconsin, for some reason — may only have candidates from just one party. As Pat Kreitlow of UpNorthNews noted in a recent episode of the Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast this week (see: 1:01:30 mark), in Chippewa County, “it’s the Republican primary that determines who is the Sheriff.” Some who might want to vote in the Democratic Primary in the 3rd Congressional District and the Republican Primary for Chippewa County Sheriff will have to choose one party or the other.
Should there be a better system than this? Probably. But this is where we’re at right now, so let’s all play by the rules and work on fixing this when the time is right.
Here are the simple instructions about this from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.
Statewide primaries
Statewide, there is, of course, the Democratic gubernatorial primary, where seven candidates will be on the ballot — even those who have ended their campaigns. There’s a Republican primary for governor, too, where presumptive nominee Tom Tiffany faces Andy Manske.
In addition, there is a primary for the race for State Treasurer (for Democrats), and open primaries for Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor (for Republicans).
In the State Treasurer race, Republican incumbent John Lieber is running for re-election, and will face the winner of the Democratic Primary between Marathon County Supervisor and former Assembly candidate Yee Leng Xiong, and Dylan Helmenstine, who serves on the school board at the Wisconsin Heights School District and on the Village Board in Black Earth.
In the Secretary of State race, this is an open contest, with current Democratic incumbent Sara Godlewski running as the lone Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Godlewski will be on the ticket with whomever wins the Democratic primary for governor. Milwaukee Alderperson and former state representative JoCasta Zamarripa is the lone Democrat running. She will face the winner of the primary between Brayden Myer, Nate Pollnow, Jay Schroeder and Cindy Werner.
Congressional primaries
There are a number of primaries happening across the state in races for Congress.
Among those, there is an especially interesting Republican primary in the 7th District, where 26-year-old Michael Alfonso — the son-in-law of current U.S. Transportation Secretary and former congressman in that very district, Sean Duffy — is trying to ride a Trump endorsement and a raft of totally-above-board campaign cash from lobbyists in the transportation industry to a nomination in the Trump+22 district. Alfonso is also trying to explain away his inexperience by comparing himself to George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, since “they were 26 when they were first elected to public office,” Alfonso told the AP. Uh..sure!
There are also a couple Democratic congressional primaries of interest, including in the 3rd District, where Rebecca Cooke, who ran a close race in this district in 2024 against Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden — running ahead of Tammy Baldwin, who has endorsed her in this race — is up against Eau Claire Council President Emily Berge, who has taken issue with endorsements Cooke has received from national Democratic groups.
There’s also a Democratic primary in the 1st Congressional District, where ER nurse Mitchell Berman is emerging as a top candidate in a field that includes Lorenzo Santos and Miguel Aranda, and did include Milwaukee Alderman Peter Burgelis, until he dropped out.
There are also primaries in nearly every other congressional district, too, even if they don’t project to be competitive, in the primary or general. Both of the incumbent Democratic members of Congress, Mark Pocan in the 2nd and Gwen Moore in the 4th, face longshot primary challenges. Douglas Alexander is the primary challenger in the 2nd; Amy Donahue is the primary challenger in the 4th. Two Republicans — Purnima Nath and Tim Rogers — are also running in the 4th.
In the 6th, Republican incumbent Glenn Grothman faces no primary challenge, but there are two Democrats running — Amanda Bell and Brad Smith. There are also two independent candidates (Elizabeth Anne Fitzgibbon, Mike Thurow) and one Wisconsin Green Party candidate (Matthew Arndt) who have made the ballot.
Along with self-described founding father Michael Alfonso, in the 7th, candidates Kevin Hermening, Jessi Ebben, Don Raihala and Niina Baum are also running in the Republican primary. Megadonors Dick and Liz Uihlein are backing different candidates in this race, with Dick backing Alfonso and Liz backing Ebben. On the Democratic side, former state representative Fred Clark leads a field that also includes Chris Armstrong and Ginger Murray.
In the 8th, Republican incumbent Tony Wied faces no primary challenger, with three Democratic candidates — Mark Scheffler, Rick Crosson, Katrina deVille — running to be the party’s nominee.
The 5th congressional district is the only one without any primaries on either side. Republican incumbent Scott Fitzgerald will face Democratic challenger Andy Beck.
Downballot primaries
Beyond those higher-profile races, though, there is, as always, much happening downballot. And you know that here at The Recombobulation Area, we’re always looking at those downballot races, particularly in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
By our review of Wisconsin Elections Commission data on who made the final primary ballot, there will be five State Senate races and 17 State Assembly races that will feature primaries on Aug. 11.
There are also a few races that feature no primaries and no partisan opponent. So, congratulations in advance to Democrats Tim Carpenter and Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein in the State Senate, and Republicans Ron Tusler, Lindee Brill, Dave Maxey, Chuck Wichgers, Cindi Duchow, and Barbara Dittrich in the State Assembly.
There will be Republican primaries in three Senate races and six Assembly races. For Democrats, there will be primaries in three Senate races and 12 Assembly races. Those include one state Senate race (District 11) and one state Assembly race (District 33, Robin Vos’ soon-to-be former seat) that will have primaries on both sides of the aisle.
There is also a bit of a geographic cluster of where many of these primaries are happening. The majority of these primaries, particularly on the Democratic side, are happening in the Milwaukee area. A few of these are for open seats, but there are a number of incumbents being challenged, too. Many of these Democratic primaries are in heavily blue districts, so the primaries may be more competitive than the general election — and could ultimately determine the eventual winner.
These races will be especially consequential, as this is the first fully post-Gerrymander election occurring in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
The full Assembly was up in 2024 under new maps, but only half of the state Senate was on that ballot. Now, with the other half on this year’s ballot, we have the first state legislative election in more than a decade that actually looks like Wisconsin, and isn’t deeply tilted to one side. Now, either party has a legitimate chance of winning control of the state legislature. There are realistic outcomes for both a Democratic trifecta and a Republican trifecta. So these state legislative elections are a big, big deal.
A few more things before we get to the full list:
Unlike the extensive previews we do at The Recombobulation Area for state legislative races in general elections, this list will not offer much beyond the list of names on the ballot, links to each candidate’s official campaign page, some district location information, the data on how the district voted in the presidential and U.S. Senate races in 2024, and maybe a news link.
I’m not offering commentary or endorsements on any of these races. This is meant to be a jumping-off point for readers to connect to races in their local communities.
If you’re looking for coverage on any particular primary races to watch, this piece from Wisconsin Watch is a good place to start.
If you’re looking for how these might factor into races for the larger balance of power in the Senate and Assembly, our friend and Marquette researcher John D. Johnson wrote a piece on the battleground districts, with a rating on each.
BE PREPARED! Find out if you live in a district where there is a primary in a state legislative race by going to MyVote Wisconsin, and clicking on “What’s On My Ballot.” Or, go straight there at this link.
So, with that, let’s take a look at the list of primaries that will be happening on Aug. 11 in Wisconsin. We’ll start with the ones happening on the Democratic side.
Democratic primaries in the Wisconsin State Legislature
The State Senate
Senate District 17
This is going to be one of the most competitive races on the map in the State Senate, and will be key to determining which party controls the balance of power in the legislature’s upper chamber. There, Republican incumbent Howard Marklein, the co-chair of the powerful Joint Committee on Finance, is running for re-election in this southwestern Wisconsin district that was narrowly won by Kamala Harris and Tammy Baldwin in 2024. Marklein will face one of three Democratic candidates in the general election.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+1, Baldwin+5
(Note: Corrine Hendrickson has written for The Recombobulation Area.)
Senate District 23
Republican State Sen. Romaine Quinn is running for re-election, but the new maps put him one district over, so he’s running in the 23rd instead of the 25th, which he currently represents. Quinn will face one of two Democratic candidates in the general election in this rural northwestern Wisconsin district.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+36, Hovde+32
The State Assembly
Assembly District 8
Angel Sanchez is the Republican on the ballot in this district on Milwaukee’s south side. On the Democratic side, the incumbent faces a primary challenger after she was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct earlier this year.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Sylvia Ortiz-Velez
Challenger: Ismael Luna
District data: Harris+45, Baldwin+52
Assembly District 9
Samuel Guerreo is the Republican on the ballot in this district in West Milwaukee and the city of Milwaukee’s southwest side.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Priscilla Prado
Challenger: Mimi Reza
District data: Harris+34, Baldwin+41
Assembly District 12
There is no Republican or independent running in this district on Milwaukee’s northwest side. The winner of this primary will be the next Assembly representative in the 12th.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Russell Goodwin, Sr.
Challenger: Jordan Roman
District data: Harris+60, Baldwin+61
Assembly District 13
This will be an open contest, as incumbent Democratic State Rep. Robyn Vining is running for state Senate. Mike Morgan is the only Republican running in this suburban district that includes parts of Wauwatosa, Elm Grove and Brookfield. He’ll face the winner of the Democratic primary.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+20, Baldwin+18
Assembly District 19
Yasmine Outlaw is the Republican on the ballot in this district, located on Milwaukee’s East Side, Downtown, and Bay View.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Ryan Clancy
Challenger: Bridget Maniaci
District data: Harris+60, Baldwin+62
Assembly District 21
This will be an open contest, as incumbent Republican State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez is not running for re-election in this swing district in southeastern Milwaukee County. Dylan Pfaffenbach is the only Republican running.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+4, Baldwin+7
Key retirements and poor polling for Republicans suggest Assembly majority is in play for Democrats
Assembly District 50
This will be an open contest, with incumbent Democratic State Rep. Jenna Jacobsen running for State Senate in District 17. The Republican on the ballot in this southwestern Wisconsin district is Jon Aleckson.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+14, Baldwin+16
Assembly District 56
This is an open seat, after Republican incumbent Dave Murphy moved out of the district in the first year of this two-year term. This is a mostly rural district in and near the Fox Valley.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+27, Hovde+26
Assembly District 61
Republican incumbent Bob Donovan is running for re-election in this swing seat in southwestern Milwaukee County district (that Donovan might not actually be living in).
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+2, Baldwin+4
Assembly District 76
This Madison district is currently represented by Francesca Hong. Nina Chat is the Republican on the ballot, who will face one of five Democratic candidates.
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+78, Baldwin+80
Assembly District 92
This district includes the cities of Menomonie and Chippewa Falls, just north of Eau Claire. Republican incumbent Clint Moses is running for re-election.
Note: During my recent live conversation with Ben Wikler in Eau Claire, I talked about this district, and said that if Democrats win this race, it likely means they win control of the Assembly (44:00 mark below).
The Democratic primary candidates are:
Mel M. Marin (no online presence)
Live from Eau Claire: A conversation with Ben Wikler
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer.
Republican primaries in the Wisconsin State Legislature
The State Senate
Senate District 1
Mark Becker is the former chairman of the Republican Party of Brown County, and he left the GOP during the Trump era. He is running as an independent in this district. There is no Democrat running in this district. Becker will face one of four Republicans vying for the nomination in this northeastern Wisconsin district that includes Door County.
The Republican primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+20, Hovde+19
(Note: Becker has written for The Recombobulation Area and is the former host of “Rational Revolution” on Civic Media.)
Senate District 25
Charly Ray is the Democratic candidate in this district. This is an open seat, with Republican incumbent Romaine Quinn running in Senate District 23 following redistricting in this, the northernmost district in the state. This primary pits two former Republican state representatives against each other.
The Republican primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+13, Hovde+9
The State Assembly
Assembly District 26
First-term Democratic incumbent Joe Sheehan is running for re-election in this swing district that includes the city of Sheboygan.
The Republican primary candidates are:
District data: Harris+3, Baldwin+5
Assembly District 37
LaToya Bates is the lone Democratic candidate running in this district that includes Waupun and Beaver Dam. Mark Born, the incumbent Republican who serves as the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, faces a primary challenger.
The Republican primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Mark Born
Challenger: Steve Rydzewski
District data: Trump+28, Hovde+26
Assembly District 57
An open seat after Republican incumbent Kevin Peterson chose not to seek re-election, this race will feature Democratic candidate Joey Marschall against one of three Republican candidates in this district that includes Waupaca and Wautoma.
The Republican primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+34, Hovde+31
Assembly District 58
Dennis Degenhardt is the Democratic candidate running in this open seat in a district that includes West Bend and Slinger. He’ll face one of two Republicans.
The Republican primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+36, Hovde+36
Assembly District 74
Paul Johnson is the Democratic candidate running in for this seat. Republican incumbent Chanz Green faces a primary challenger in this northwoods district.
The Republican primary candidates are:
Incumbent: Chanz Green
Challenger: Scott Harbridge
District data: Trump+22, Hovde+19
Democratic AND Republican primaries
Senate District 11
With Republican incumbent Steve Nass not seeking re-election, there are primaries on both sides of the aisle.
The Republican primary candidates are:
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+28, Hovde+27
Assembly District 33
With longtime Assembly Speaker Robin Vos not seeking re-election, this is an open seat in this district that includes western Racine and eastern Walworth counties.
The Republican primary candidates are:
The Democratic primary candidates are:
District data: Trump+29, Hovde+29
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Dan Shafer is an independent journalist from Milwaukee who writes and publishes The Recombobulation Area. He worked with Civic Media from 2024 to 2026. He’s written for The New York Times, The Daily Beast, Heartland Signal, Belt Magazine, WisPolitics, and Milwaukee Record. He previously worked at Seattle Magazine, Seattle Business Magazine, the Milwaukee Business Journal, Milwaukee Magazine, and BizTimes Milwaukee. He’s won 24 Milwaukee Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. He’s on Twitter at @DanRShafer.
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Heh! The photo show Wisconsin's most well run polling station. No, I am not biased.