53rd Assembly District Analysis
First, let’s acknowledge about a third of existing Democratic members are retiring or running for another office. Second, let’s acknowledge new faces are likely for the next legislative session simply because of the redistricting process and new maps. Add those items together and we have recipe of unknowns in the Assembly.
The new 53rd district looks nothing like it used to. The boundaries have drastically changed and so has the political make up. The new 53rd assembly district for the 2024 election is comprised of the Neenah and Menasha area. Ballotpedia has a great map showing the comparison of the district before and after redistricting .
Will the new 53rd Assembly District lean Democrat? It seems all signs point to yes, but this is still very much being watch by political junkies as competitive race in the general 2024 election. Will there be a primary battle in this district? It is way too early to tell, but so far no candidate from either party has a declared they are running for this seat. Neenah and Menasha have long shown support for cannabis reform. Past election cycles produced candidates from this area of the state who were also leaders within The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network. I would hope they are considering a run again.
It is still early and no doubt there are many people from both parties considering jumping in this race. Wouldn’t it be great if they all supported cannabis reform? The chances of that happening in the Fox Valley area are very high.
I will provide you additional 2024 Wisconsin State Election coverage throughout the campaign season. The 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.
NEENAH, Wis. – May 31st, 2024: Duane Shukoski (D-Neenah) announced his candidacy for Assembly District 53. The 53rd District is an open Assembly seat that encompasses Neenah, Menasha, and part of Appleton. Shukoski, a lifelong resident of Neenah, worked for Kimberly Clark for 37 years and retired from Proampac as an Environmental Health and Safety Manager. He and his wife Wendy raised their three boys in Neenah and Duane is looking to serve the community that supported him throughout his life. Shukoski released the following statement:
“I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for the 53rd Assembly District! As a lifelong resident of Neenah, I am running to bring our shared values to Madison and to give back to the community that raised me. New legislative maps provide us the opportunity to elect Democratic leadership to do the right thing for our community and our state.
“I’ve raised my family in this district and I have seen how policy decisions have impacted our community. From rising costs of child care, prescription drugs, and other necessities, our community has been hit hard. I want to ensure that working families have what they need to thrive.
“I look forward to talking with people all over our community about our shared vision for Wisconsin and earning their support over the course of this campaign.”
https://www.wispolitics.com/2024/shukoski-campaign-duane-shukoski-announces-bid-for-assembly-district-53/