AFSCME Endorsements

Milwaukee County Supervisor and former small business owner Sylvia Ortiz-Velez is running on a relatively progressive platform. She supports increased funding for public transportation and infrastructure, legalizing medical marijuana, tackling the opioid crisis, and redrawing fair maps. Ortiz-Velez is also advocating for making drivers licenses accessible to undocumented people, expanding BadgerCare, and investing in public education. Her opponent, Republican candidate Angel Sanchez, was endorsed by Pro-Life Wisconsin.Ortiz-Velez is the progressive choice.

Incumbent Marisabel Cabrera is an immigration lawyer and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin Latino Caucus. She is an advocare for progressive values, including the fight for affordable health care and a living wage. She will stand up for the rights of marginalized communities and advocate for sustainable environmental policy.  Her opponent is Republican candidate Veronica Diaz. Cabrera is the progressive choice.

Nurse, Healthcare Executive, and former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Officer Sara Rodriguez is running for Assembly on a platform of making healthcare more affordable and accessible, adequately funding public schools, and managing the economic reopening safely. Rodriguez decided to run when she saw residents of her community forced to choose between voting and risking their health in the April election. Rodriguez is a public health expert who will put community health ahead of profit. Her opponent, incumbent Rob Hutton, lists taxpayer funded private school vouchers and shrinking state government among his top priorities. Hutton is also anti-choice. Rodriguez is the progressive choice.

Robyn Vining is running for her second term in the State Assembly. Vining lists affordable healthcare, gun sense legislation, and nonpartisan redistricting as among her top priorities. She has been a leader when it comes to COVID-19 response, introducing and advocating for the Healthcare Heroes Act, which would provide hazard pay, paid sick leave, and healthcare coverage to frontline healthcare workers. Her opponent, Bonnie Lee, is an advocate of taxpayer funded private school vouchers, gun rights proponent, and fiscal conservative. She has been endorsed by right wing politicians and groups such as Scott Walker, Wisconsin Right to Life, the NRA, and Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin. Robyn Vining is the more progressive choice.

Jessica Katzenmeyer is a labor leader, activist, and rideshare driver. If elected, she would be the first transgender Assembly Member in Wisconsin history. Her campaign is focused on reducing the cost of healthcare and ensuring that no Wisconsinite has to incur significant debt to access life-saving care. She is also an advocate for a livable wage and voting rights. Incumbent Joe Sanfelippo has pushed a "tough on crime" approach and worked to make reproductive healthcare more difficult to access. Jessica Katzenmeyer is the progressive choice in this race.

Assemblyman Jonathan Brostoff, running for re-election to his 4th term as the 19th District's Assembly Representative, has been a committed progressive throughout his time in the legislature. His priorities are disability advocacy, Hmong rights, the rights of the incarcerated, public education, mental health care support, and Deaf and hard of hearing issues. Brostoff has also been a prominent supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has been a strong advocate for additional COVID relief. His opponent is Republican candidate Helmut Fritz. Brostoff is the progressive choice.

Assemblywoman Christine Sinicki has been serving in the legislature since 1999 and has been a progressive advocate on many occasions. Sinicki supports a woman's right to choose, public education, and raising the minimum wage. Sinicki is running unopposed and is the progressive choice.

South Milwaukee Mayor Erik Brooks is challenging Republican Assemblywoman Jessie Rodriguez. Brooks is running as a moderate with an emphasis on bipartisanship and practicality. His priorities include investing in public education, public health, and public safety while restoring local control. Although Brooks is a self-described moderate, his opponent, Assemblywoman Rodriguez, is a conservative school vouchers advocate. Brooks is the more progressive choice in this race.

Dr. Chris Kapsner is running to heal Wisconsin's healthcare system, public schools, infrastructure, and environment. He believes in investing in transportation and rural broadband funding, fully funding the DNR, fair maps, and Medicaid expansion. As an ER doctor, he sees the GOP response to the COVID-19 as a failure of inaction and believes more can be done. Incumbent Republican Representative Rob Summerfield was a part of that inaction, opposing the Safer at Home order. Summerfield also wrote a letter opposing federal aid to states but received federal aid himself in the form of a forgivable PPP loan to his immediate family member's business. Kapsner is the more progressive choice.

Mental health professional and business owner Emily Berge is running to help create an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations. She believes in investing in her community through accessible healthcare, reliable internet, and quality education. She also believes in non-partisan redistricting and conservation efforts. Her opponent, Jesse James, is a private school vouchers proponent who opposed the Safer at Home order, and was one of the signatories of a letter pressuring school superintendents to reopen their local schools. Berge is the more progressive choice.

Democrat Brian Giles is running on a progressive platform that emphasizes democracy reform, and the health and safety of Wisconsinites. He supports a shift to entirely mail-in voting, independent nonpartisan redistricting, and getting big money out of politics. He also supports a $15/hour minimum wage, universal background checks on all gun sales, expanding BadgerCare, and legalizing marijuana. He is running against Republican Donna Rozar, who is endorsed by Pro-Life Wisconsin and says she has been active in the anti-choice movement. She has also underplayed the COVID-19 pandemic and opposed the Governor's mask mandate and safer-at-home order. Giles is the progressive choice in this race.

Rep. Katrina Shankland believes in investing in public education and technical schools, repairing roads and bridges, and supporting family-paying jobs. Shankland has authored the most original bills of any Assembly Member, the majority of which were bipartisan and has been a leader in the efforts to enact measures to protect clean water. Her opponent is Republican candidate Scott Soik, who was endorsed by the NRA. Shankland is the more progressive candidate in this race.

Teacher and community organizer Criste Greening is running to challenge Republican Assemblyman Scott Krug. Greening favors fully funding public schools, protecting natural resources, supporting family farms, and improving veteran services. Rep. Krug is anti-choice and in favor of taxpayer funded private school vouchers. Greening is the more progressive choice.

An advocate, neighborhood organizer and Dane County Board member, Shelia Stubbs was elected as the first Black State Assembly Representative from Dane County in 2018. Stubbs is running unopposed for re-election. She is a strong advocate for restorative justice and racial equity, and in her first term authored legislation on women's health, marijuana decriminalization, and gun safety. She also supports policies to protect our clean air and water, increase access to health care and strengthen the safety net for seniors, children and people with disabilities. Stubbs is the progressive choice.

Assemblywoman Sondy Pope has been serving in the legislature for 18 years and is up for re-election to her 10th term. As a legislator, Pope has contributed to legislation or advocated for directing more funding to public schools, creating a paid family leave program, expanding Medicaid, improving water quality, and strengthening our democracy through voting and gerrymandering reforms. Her opponent, Republican Chase Binnie, was endorsed by Wisconsin Right to Life, a radical organization that wants to ban abortion. Pope is the progressive choice in this race.

22 year old Jacob Malinowski is running for Assembly to be a more accessible and empathetic representative than he feels has been representing his hometown. His priorities for this term would be expanding the Wisconsin GI bill, covering more seniors on SeniorCare, reducing the gas tax, funding a mental health counselor for all school districts, and making technical college free for high school graduates. He also believes in a $15 per hour minimum wage, nonpartisan redistricting, and closing the Dark Store Loophole that shifts property taxes onto homeowners. His opponent, Ken Skowronski, opposes common sense gun violence prevention laws, is against a woman's right to choose, and in favor of taxpayer funded private school vouchers. Malinowski is the more progressive choice.

Representative Jodi Emerson feels compelled by challenges in education, healthcare, and a lack of well-paid jobs. After being diagnosed with a chronic health condition, she saw firsthand the importance of affordable and accessible healthcare for all. She is also an advocate for social justice, more education funding, and protecting natural resources. She authored a bill to phase out Wisconsin's voucher program and has called for additional COVID-19 relief. Her opponent, Republican Charlie Walker, is in favor of taxpayer funded private school vouchers and a believer in deregulation. Emerson is the more progressive choice.