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.
Early in my time at The Recombobulation Area, I would make a few endorsements. Some are ones I’m quite proud of — like endorsing David Crowley in the race for Milwaukee County Executive in 2020. But for the most part, it’s something I’ve stayed away from in recent years.
But this year, I’m making a few exceptions for people who I’ve gotten to know a bit over the years, and who I think very highly of — in their work and as people.
The Recombobulation Area is endorsing three candidates running for State Senate — Mark Becker in District 1, Robyn Vining in District 5, and Emily Tseffos in District 19.
Instead of a typical endorsement, I invited each of these candidates to join The Recombobulation Area podcast for a conversation about each of their campaigns, their paths to politics, the stakes for Wisconsin in the upcoming election, and much more.
You can find each of these endorsement podcasts embedded below. Along with being available as an audio or video podcast on Substack, each is also available on our official channels on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
We are very excited to endorse each of these outstanding candidates. Robyn has been a terrific state representative for eight years in the Assembly — on issues from healthcare to public education to small business and beyond — and could be the one to flip District 5 blue. Mark is man of principle who left the GOP when Trump arrived, and is running to be a true independent voice in the Senate. Emily is tireless and creative and passionate and shows up for her community, and would help transform the State Senate.
And to be clear, this doesn’t mean there aren’t many other candidates running for office this fall who are deserving of an endorsement. But these are all people I know personally, and who have been contributors at The Recombobulation Area, and I wanted to use my little platform to support their campaigns.
So, support Robyn Vining. Support Mark Becker. Support Emily Tseffos.
I hope you enjoy my conversations with each of these three terrific candidates.
Find this episode on YouTube here:
Find this episode as an audio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Find this episode on YouTube here:
Find this episode as an audio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Find this episode on YouTube here:
Find this episode as an audio podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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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Follow Dan Shafer on Twitter at @DanRShafer, at BlueSky at @danshafer.bsky.social, and on Threads at @danshafer.