There will be eight new Senators when the 2021-22 Legislative Session convenes in January. Seven newcomers will be filling vacant seats, while one newcomer defeated a sitting incumbent.
In Northwestern Wisconsin, State Rep. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) defeated incumbent Sen. Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset), a former Somerset School Board member, to capture the 10th Senate District and flipping it from Democrat to Republican, in one of two GOP takeaways.
In the Northwoods, State Rep. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) will fill the 12th Senate District seat formerly held by Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua). Tiffany resigned after he was elected to Congress in May 2020 in a special election for the 7th District Congressional seat vacated by the resignation of former Congressman Sean Duffy.
In the 14th Senate District, longtime State Rep. Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan) will succeed retiring Senate Education Committee chair Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon), a former Berlin School Board member.
In the 16th Senate District, current State Rep. Melissa Agard Sargent (D-Madison) will succeed retiring Sen. Mark Miller (D – Monona).
In Milwaukee’s south and southwest surburbs, newcomer Julian Bradley (R-Franklin) will succeed retiring Sen. David Craig (R – Big Bend) in the 28th Senate District. Bradley is the first ever Black Republican elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.
In the Green Bay area and parts north, Republican Attorney Eric Wimberger will succeed retiring Sen. Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay), giving Senate Republicans the other of their two takeaways of seats formerly held by Democrats.
In the La Crosse area and parts south, former acting state Agriculture Secretary Brad Pfaff (D-Onalaska) narrowly edged former state Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse) in the race to fill the 32nd Senate District seat vacated by former Sen. Jennifer Schilling (D-La Crosse). The less than 600-vote margin could mean this race will go to a recount. Assuming Pfaff’s lead holds up, he would join the same body that ousted him from his acting Secretary role last November.
