Is Wisconsin politics local or national? Assembly District 61 could tell us this | WUWM 89.7FM

Wisconsin’s Nov. 5 election is first among new legislative maps. For more than a decade, the maps were heavily in favor of Republicans. Now the Democrats have a chance to gain a majority in the National Assembly.

The balance of power in the Legislature will come down to a handful of swing districts in the state. One of them is the 61st Assembly Districtwhich includes parts of the city of Milwaukee, Greenfield, Greendale and Hales Corners.

Democrat LuAnn Bird is running to replace Republican Rep. Bob Donovan in the district.

Bird unsuccessfully fought Donovan in 2022 under the old district maps. She has experience with the local school board, stemming from her advocacy for wheelchair-accessible schools after her husband became paralyzed in the 1990s.

This experience with the education system is part of what drives voters like Sara to support her, along with Bird’s support for Democratic priorities like abortion rights.

“I like that she is really concerned with women’s healthcare and women making their own decisions about their bodies. Education is important to her and so is the work she has done with her husband in disability rights very important,” said Sara.

Bird said she would advocate for more funding for public schools if elected, and that she would lean on her experience on the school board, which gave her insight into statehouse politics.

“I went to legislative sessions when necessary, and for example I participated in a legislative study committee that was considering creating a teacher council for teacher certification,” Bird said, describing the work she did as a school at the legislature power of the state. board member.

Republican Bob Donovan is also no stranger to politics. He was an alderman in Milwaukee for twenty years and ran twice, unsuccessfully, for mayor of Milwaukee.

Donovan now lives in Greenfield and is a representative for the 84th District in the state Assembly. The new maps pulled him out of the district he currently represents.

Donovan did not respond to WUWM’s requests for an interview. In one candidate research this summer, he highlighted his constituents’ concerns about the cost of living as the reason he’s running again. He said he would support tax cuts if re-elected.

A voter named Dennis says he supports Donovan, in part because of his personal connection to the candidate.

“I’ve known Bob for a number of years. I was a city inspector and Bob and I walked the streets together in Milwaukee and we walked with area police officers, the sheriff’s department K9 units and we went house to house.” he said.

Like Dennis with Donovan, Sara also has a personal connection with Bird: she worked with Bird’s daughter at a school where she previously taught. And given these personal connections to the candidates, you might think this is a district where the old adage “all politics is local” still lives.

But that’s not quite the case. Sara knew she was voting Democrat before Bird was the candidate.

“I knew because I’m a Democrat through and through,” she said.

Dennis also knew he was voting Republican before he knew Donovan was the candidate. His priorities align with the Republican presidential platform.

“We need to make sure the borders are closed and the right people are coming in legally the right way because there is too much crime. Crime is high in all cities and it must be stopped. Otherwise we have to stop. “I have no future,” he said.

In the August primaries, Donovan easily defeated his Republican challenger, winning more than 90% of the vote. But the total number of votes cast for Republicans was still about 700 fewer than Bird received unopposed in the primary — about the same number she lost to Donovan two years ago under the old maps.

With Election Day just around the corner and the state’s balance of power up for grabs, the 61st District could show what’s more important to voters: personal connections or national political priorities.