Weekend ’24, June 28th: Citizen Action Announces Early 2024 State Legislative Candidate Endorsements
Friday, June 28th
Early 2024 State Legislative Candidate Endorsements
2024 is a generational opportunity for progressives to change the State Legislature in Wisconsin. Following new legislative maps, there will be more Democrats elected this November. The question is, what kind of values will those Democrats have and how many will win their elections.
Citizen Action members can play a huge role in both. The first question will be answered on August 13th in some important Democratic primaries and the later on November 5th. We need you to succeed at both elections!
All endorsed candidates completed a Citizen Action 2024 candidate questionnaire. They were then interviewed by Citizen Action members from the regional organizing cooperative and recommended for endorsement. All endorsements are then voted on and approved by the statewide Citizen Action of Wisconsin Board.
There will be more State Legislative candidate endorsements announced later this year.
Primary Election, Tuesday, August 13th
The following endorsed progressive candidates have very important Democratic Primary Elections on Tuesday, August 13th. We need your help to get these candidates elected!
Please contact the organizer listed for each candidate to get active talking to voters in support of our endorsed progressive candidates.
Assembly District 9: Deisy España
Deisy España is a student at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She was born to immigrant parents on Milwaukee Southside. Deisy has a commitment to bring representation to constituents who may not see themselves as being represented in her district, including a youth focus.
Deisy’s lived experience gives her a unique understanding of the needs of working-class families and has developed a bold, progressive agenda that puts their concerns front and center, including, restoring workers’ rights, fully-funding all public schools, and restoring driver licenses for our undocumented community.
Deisy works for public oversight of unaccountable hospital chains to address the price gouging and devastating closures on Milwaukee‘s south side that is threatening access to the care we need. Deisy will work to create an alternative to predatory health insurance companies, a BadgerCare Public Option, with lower premiums and no claims denials.
Learn more about Deisy España.
To get involved helping elect Deisy España with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 11: Amillia Heredia
Amillia Heredia was born and raised in Milwaukee and is a graduate student at UW-Milwaukee, where she was elected President of the Student Association. Amillia is currently a Graduate Assistant for the Student Association Professional Staff, where she utilizes her experience to inform and empower other Milwaukee area university students.
Amillia Heredia will fight for a state budget that finally meets the state’s obligation to give every kid a great public education, and NO school district is forced to go to a referendum to fund what our kids need.
Amillia will be fighting for restoring reproductive freedom, reforming our justice system, expanding workers’ rights, and reforming our foster care system. Amillia will work to return control of healthcare decisions to patients and their medical professionals, including public oversight of unaccountable hospital chains to address the price gouging and devastating closures on Milwaukee‘s north side that is threatening access. She also supports a BadgerCare Public Option, with lower premiums and no claims denials.
Amillia argues that Assembly District 11 deserves a representative that not only listens, but values their complex needs and acts on them.
Learn more about Amillia Heredia.
To get involved helping elect Amillia Heredia with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 19: Representative Ryan Clancy
Ryan Clancy has a proven voting record as a progressive leader in the Assembly. As a lifelong activist, organizer and advocate, he has consistently stood in defense of economic and civil rights and social justice.
His record and values completely align with the Citizen Action’s platform. Ryan has a strong understanding of our policies and issues and helps lead on advocating for them.
Ryan will continue to lead the fight for a state budget that finally meets the state’s obligation to give every kid a great public education.
Ryan is a leading supporter of new legislation calling for public oversight of unaccountable hospital chains to address the price gouging and devastating closures in the Milwaukee area and around the state that are threatening access to the care we need.
Learn more about Ryan Clancy.
To get involved helping elect Ryan Clancy with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 93: Christian Phelps
This Assembly district is an important opportunity to flip a former gerrymandered Republican seat to a progressive Democratic seat.
Christian Phelps was born and raised in Eau Claire. He has been an advocate for the Chippewa Valley community for over a decade as a community organizer and tireless advocate for our public schools. Christian was instrumental in the passage of recent local school referendums to support students and educators.
Christian will fight for a state budget that finally meets the state’s obligation to give every kid a great public education, and NO school district is forced to go to a referendum to fund what our kids need
Christian has a breadth of knowledge on many progressive issues, including the environment, healthcare, criminal justice reform, and strengthening democratic institutions.
Christian says it best, “I’m proud to be the pro-public candidate: pro-public education, pro-public land, pro-public health, pro-public participation in democracy.
Learn more about Christian Phelps.
To get involved helping elect Christian Phelps with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 96: Tara Johnson
This district is an important opportunity to flip a former gerrymandered Republican seat to Democratic.
Tara Johnson is a founding member of the Driftless Organizing Cooperative and long time member of Citizen Action. She is a former La Crosse County Board member and Executive Director of the United Way of La Crosse.
Tara is very supportive of Citizen Action issues and our platform, particularly making sure we all have healthcare coverage. Tara will also work with Citizen Action members to take real steps to reform our monopolistic health system that has resulted in uncontrolled costs and unplanned closures leaving communities vulnerable and without answers. Tara says we can and must do better.
Tara Johnson will also focus on creating economic opportunity through more good jobs that pay family supporting wages, restoring reproductive rights, funding child care, and protecting our democracy.
Learn more about Tara Johnson.
To get involved helping elect Tara Johnson with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
NO on both August 13th Constitutional Amendment Questions
Question 1: “Delegation of appropriation power. Shall section 35 (1) of article IV of the constitution be created to provide that the legislature may not delegate its sole power to
determine how moneys shall be appropriated?”
Question 2: “Allocation of federal moneys. Shall section 35 (2) of article IV of the constitution be created to prohibit the governor from allocating any federal monies the governor accepts on behalf of the state without the approval of the legislature by joint resolution or as provided by legislative rule?”
These two constitutional amendments on the August 13th Primary Election ballot are about how federal funds get dispersed in the state of Wisconsin – the amendments propose having legislative approval before the governor spends federal funds.
Both amendments come from Republican legislators who are looking to control how communities are able to receive federal funds and where those funds go. These amendments are meant to slow down the process of allocating funding, including when funding is needed for emergencies such as natural or economic disasters or matters of public health. These federal funds support things like schools, healthcare, renters and small business, and more. Our legislature has some of the worst gridlock in the nation, and this would allow that gridlock to get even worse.
The NO vote will allow the governor to not have to get legislative approval for acceptance and use of federal funds.
Watch the Wisconsin League of Women Voters webinar on why you should vote NO.
No Primary Election but a General Election, Tuesday, November 5th
These endorsed progressive candidates DO NOT have a contested Primary Election on August 13th but have critically important general elections in November. We need your help to get these candidates elected! Please contact the organizer listed for each candidate to get active talking to voters in support of our endorsed progressive candidates.
Assembly District 10: Representative Darrin Madison
Darrin Madison has a proven voting record as a progressive leader in the Assembly. As a lifelong organizer, he has consistently stood in defense of progressive values and social justice. His state legislative record and core values completely align with the Citizen Action’s platform.
Darrin is a co-sponsor of key Citizen Action healthcare legislation calling for expanding healthcare coverage and reducing costs. Darrin will be a leader on our campaign to regulate monopolistic hospitals and health systems.
Darrin is a leader in pushing the state to reform Wisconsin’s criminal justice system, including reevaluating what actually makes us safe and reducing Wisconsin’s outrageously high prison populations.
Learn more about Darrin Madison.
To get involved helping elect Darrin Madison with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 30: Alison Page
This district is an important opportunity to flip a former gerrymandered Republican seat to Democratic.
Alison Page spent her career in health care, first as a nurse and later rising to leadership as CEO of Western Wisconsin Health. She’s made a career of strengthening rural health care. Alison is centering making health care more accessible and more affordable, and strengthening our rural hospitals in her campaign.
Alison’s healthcare experience will be invaluable as we fight for BadgerCare Expansion, the BadgerCare Public Option Bill, and hospital accountability legislation. In addition, Alison will focus on lowering costs for working families, particularly costs on basic necessities like groceries and child care.
Learn more about Alison Page.
To get involved helping elect Alison Page with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 71: Vinnie Miresse
Vinnie Miresse currently serves on the Portage County Board of Supervisors, and is very active in the greater Stevens Point community. He is very supportive of Citizen Action’s platform.
Vinnie is committed to accepting federal medicaid money to expand BadgerCare, and offer a Badgercare Public Option to small businesses and the uninsured. Vinnie also will support efforts to bring hospital and health system accountability to communities in Wisconsin.
Vinnie is also very committed to get to 100% renewable energy by the year 2050 or sooner.
Learn more about Vinnie Miresse.
To get involved helping elect Vinnie Miresse with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 85: Yee Leng Xiong
This district is an important opportunity to flip a former gerrymandered Republican seat to Democratic.
Yee Leng Xiong is a member of the NC Organizing Co-op. He is a leader in the Hmong community and has served the wider community as well. Yee Leng currently serves on the Village of Weston Board as well as the Marathon County Board of Supervisors.
Yee Leng will champion public education funding. He will fight for a state budget that finally meets the state’s obligation to give every kid a great public education.
Yee Leng will work to create an alternative to predatory health insurance companies, a BadgerCare Public Option, with lower premiums and no claims denials.
Yee Leng will also prioritize removing lead pipes and remediating contaminated areas in our communities
Learn more about Yee Leng Xiong.
To get involved helping elect Yee Len Xiong with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
Assembly District 89: Ryan Spaude
This district is an important opportunity to flip a former gerrymandered Republican seat to a Democratic seat.
Ryan Spaude is the fifth generation of his family to live in northeast Wisconsin. He grew up in Little Suamico, and I went to public school in grades K-12. I currently work as a prosecutor in the Brown County District Attorney’s Office.
As a product of public schools, Ryan Spaude will fight for a state budget that finally meets the state’s obligation to give every kid a great public education.
Ryan recognizes the value of working with community leaders and other organizations in order to advance our shared priorities, and will work with Citizen Action members to accomplish our shared progressive goals. We agree with Ryan that the Legislature needs leaders who will take action.
Ryan believes the historic $7 billion budget surplus is an opportunity to raise the minimum wage, fully fund the Child Care Counts Program, and finally expand BadgerCare. We agree.
Learn more about Ryan Spaude.
To get involved helping elect Ryan Spaude with Citizen Action, contact: [email protected]
SIGN UP for Citizen Action’s Fall Phone Bank
It’s time to phone bank for our great progressive candidates and get them to Election Day and beyond! Our Citizen Action candidates have proven they are THE progressive champions Wisconsin needs – committed to healthcare, climate justice, reimagining safety, public education, and more!
We will be phone banking every Tuesday, and add in Thursdays as we get closer to Election Day (and don’t forget extra phone banks during GOTV too)!
Sign up today for multiple shifts!
You’ll get trained each week on the candidate we are calling about, and how to effectively motivate and encourage voters across the state.
City of Milwaukee Resolution to Benchmark Energy Use in Large Buildings
On July 2nd, the City of Milwaukee Common Council will vote on a pivotal bench marking resolution, recently passed by the zoning committee, which aims to enhance the city’s energy efficiency. The Milwaukee Efficient Buildings Bench marking Program mandates that commercial and multifamily buildings over 50,000 square feet and public buildings over 10,000 square feet report their energy usage annually. This policy is designed to cut energy waste, lower utility bills, and support equity in access to quality housing.
Milwaukee’s Climate and Equity Action Plan, targeting a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. View the resolution explainer here. By publicly sharing energy data, the program will drive market competition towards more energy-efficient buildings, ultimately fostering a greener and more resilient Milwaukee.
Kat Klawes, Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s Climate Coordinator, was featured in an article from Urban Milwaukee highlighting the significance of this resolution. Community members are encouraged to provide testimony in support of the resolution to ensure its successful adoption.
Citizen Action in the News
Citizen Action’s Climate Coordinator Kat Klawes testified this week on behalf of a new Milwaukee initiative to benchmark the energy use of large buildings. The proposal is part of Milwaukee’s bold plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address climate change. Read coverage in Urban Milwaukee and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In his regular weekly appearance, Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Earl Ingram Show for the full hour to discuss the role of hospital monopolies in skyrocketing health care costs.
The Earl Ingram Show airs on the growing Civic Media radio network from 8 AM to 10 AM weekdays. Robert is the regular guest every Wednesday 9 AM to 10 AM. Civic Media now has radio stations in every media market where Citizen Action has an organizing co-op. You can also subscribe to the Earl Ingram show on Apple, Google, Spotify, and other podcast platforms, and listen on Alexa and on TuneIn. For video of the program you can watch on YouTube.
Citizen Action’s Robert Kraig was on the Maggie Dawn radio program with guest host Matt Rothschild to talk about President Biden’s accomplishments in health care.
Listen to the “Hot Summer Primaries in the State Legislature” Battleground Wisconsin Podcast
With the launch of the presidential debates this week, the fall election is in full gear nationally and in Wisconsin! We discuss Citizen Action’s newly announced state legislative candidate endorsements. We focus on some key Democratic Primary elections we think our listeners should know about and get involved in helping progressive Democrats win! We review the new MU Law Poll where much is unchanged in the swing state.
Volunteer for Citizen Action phones for endorsed state legislative candidates.
Join Citizen Action of Wisconsin.
Listen to the show.
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