The Capitol Report, produced by WisPolitics.com — a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics — provides a weekly analysis of issues being debated in Wisconsin state government. It is underwritten by the WNA and produced exclusively for its members. WisPolitics.com President Jeff Mayers is a former editor and reporter for the Associated Press and a former political writer for the Wisconsin State Journal.
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By WisPolitics.com
The rash of legislative retirements in Wisconsin is now running through leadership.
On the heels of Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, announcing he won’t seek re-election, Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley, D-Mason, has decided it’s time to walk away as well.
Bewley, 70, has been on the watch list this session. For one, making the commute from northern Wisconsin to Madison for a dozen years can be hard on anyone.
For another, her northern Wisconsin seat has become more Republican in recent elections, and redistricting isn’t expected to help that significantly.
Former President Obama won it by more than 12 points in his 2012 re-election bid. But Donald Trump won it by about 9 points in both 2016 and 2020.
Former GOP state Rep. Romaine Quinn, who didn’t seek re-election to the Assembly in 2020, has announced plans to run for the 25th Senate District, and Republicans consider the district a top pickup opportunity.
Bewley tells WisPolitics.com in an interview the fact she decided against seeking another term before the new lines were in place underscores that her decision wasn’t politically motivated.
“I think people know when it is time to move forward,” she says. Even so, losing an incumbent in a targeted district generally makes it tougher to hold onto the seat, some say.
Insiders also note that Bewley is committed to serving out this session in her leadership role, avoiding the possibility of Democrats having to find someone else to lead the election effort in what could be a difficult environment.
Finding who will lead them legislatively after November is another story. Assistant Minority Leader Janis Ringhand, D-Evansville, who turns 72 later this month, has also been on the watch list as a possible retirement.
Her southern Wisconsin district is expected to remain deep blue after the new lines are in place. But if she retires, it would leave both top spots in the caucus open for the 2023-24 session.
And insiders note few successors waiting in the wings. Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-West Point, has already announced he won’t seek re-election this fall after more than two decades in the Senate.
If you take those three out of the mix, that leaves only nine Democratic members of the caucus to choose from. Some, like Sen. Jeff Smith, of Brunswick, could have a tough re-election campaign this fall depending on how the lines are drawn.
Meanwhile, Sens. Lena Taylor, of Milwaukee, and Brad Pfaff, of Onalaska, are running for other offices. Insiders note Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, served as minority leader for the 2013-14 session, and that puts him on the list of possible contenders.
They’re also watching Madison Democrats Melissa Agard and Kelda Roys, both of whom joined the chamber after the 2020 election. If the caucus goes with any combination of those members, it would be a bit of a generational change in leadership.
Over in the Assembly, speculation is ramping up that Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August, R-Lake Geneva, will give a serious look at the majority leader’s office after the November elections with Steineke’s decision to retire. Many view August as a possible candidate to replace Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, once he leaves the Assembly, and serving as majority leader would give the 39-year-old the inside track to replacing him.
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