Bird (D) vs Donovan (R) in 61st AD rematch

Clicking on the maps it looks like the old Assembly District 84 morphs into the 61st Assembly District with some slight changes in district lines. Republican Bob Donovan currently holds the title of Representative of the 84th District, but under the new maps he does not live in the new 61st Assembly District. Will all eyes be on Greendale, Hales Corners and Greenfield come this November? I know I will be watching this race.

The likely Republican

I say likely, because there is a Martin Tontoe Gomez (R-Milwaukee) on the ballot and is forcing a primary for Donovan.

UPDATE: Donovan easily wins the primary.

Freshman GOP Rep. Bob Donovan, who beat Bird in 2022 for the 84th AD, is considering moving to this seat after he was paired with Rep. Daniel Riemer, D-Milwaukee, in a strongly Dem district in AD7. The 2022 election had only 526 votes decide who got the job. The results of the 2022 election had 51% to Donovan and 48.9% to Bird. Talk about a close election!

What’s Donovan Say about Pot

“We need to send an appropriate message to our young people and to the public in general that drugs are devastating this community,” Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan said re Milwaukee lowering the fine for marijuana possession.

Ald. Bob Donovan was one of three council members to vote against the measure. In a statement emailed to NNS, he said the change in the local law would result in more people using marijuana, which will hurt their employment opportunities.

“We already have a serious joblessness rate in Milwaukee and I believe now we will have many more people closing a door to employment opportunities because [applicants] can’t pass a drug test,” wrote Donovan. The most recent data available from the American Management Association found that 62 percent of employers require a drug test.

Donovan stated that the drug problem in the community is growing, and that the new ordinance is sending the wrong message. “I cannot, in good conscience, support something I feel will hurt society’s efforts to combat drug use,” he said.

The Bird is Back

As a candidate in 2022 LuAnn Bird said legalization of both recreational marijuana and medical cannabis have worked well in other states and she supports both. I would think this lady could certainly help get the job of legalization done down in Madison, especially based off her experience of just getting things done she and her constituents care about. You can follow her campaign facebook page at BirdforWI and visit her website to find out more about her campaign.

About LuAnn

When her Vietnam veteran husband was paralyzed in a construction accident in 1990, she learned first-hand that a person in a wheelchair could not get into several of the Oshkosh Public Schools.  She ran for and was elected to the school board, helped pass referendums, and worked tirelessly to make sure 100% of school facilities were accessible. 

When septic systems in her neighborhood were failing, she got appointed to the Sanitary District Commission and spearheaded the installation of a sewer system.

After her election to the Whitnall School Board she brought together a coalition of leaders from the Whitnall, Greendale and Greenfield school districts and their respective municipalities to build strong partnerships.  “Extraordinary schools contribute to extraordinary communities.”  She said. 

As Executive Director and Lobbyist for the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, LuAnn went toe-to-toe with the NRA to pass gun control legislation. She secured 90% of the donations she asked for to raise money for ADVOCAP, a poverty agency. In her roles as a consultant for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Director of Board Development in Montgomery, Alabama she participated in a multi-state research project and developed training programs to teach school boards how lead for student success.

In 2023, a school board member in the Whitnall School District where she lives introduced a policy that would hurt LGBTQ+ students. She organed WREN, Whitnall Resident Engagement Network and the mobilized residents to defeat the policy. The group continues to meet to ensure our public schools serve all students.

This is a competitive race for sure and some political gurus show this toss up district now tilting slightly to the Democrats. We could see a repeat performance of the same players in this election and the victorious candidate winning by the same margin as the last election, but with a different party celebrating this time. But I have also saw projections giving the GOP still a fraction of percentage to take the district. If this race is decided by less than 420 votes it would not surprise me.

Stay tuned and get active!

I will provide you additional 2024 Wisconsin State Election coverage throughout the campaign season. This next election is extremely important for marijuana reform and I will continue to bring you information as more candidates make their political moves.

In the event that we end up with divided government in the 2024-25 legislation session, the official formation of The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus would be a must first step towards reform. The official establishment of this Caucus will represent the growing, bipartisan support in Wisconsin.

Although session as ended we still urge you to contact your elected officials. The top four action alerts are still functionable on The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Action Network for you immediate use.

Sources: CNanalysis (Tilt Dem +3) WisPolitics /2024 Assembly Races (51% Rep), Davesredistircing, PeoplesMaps

Update after the primary, this district went from a “Toss Up District” to a “Tilt Dem” District with a +3.