AD 65: DeSmidt (D) vs Gonzalez (R)

Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie area of the state is Assembly District 65 and the current Rep is retiring.

Still labeled a competitive district by most standards, the 55.9% Very Likely Democrat district draws in Brian Gonzales (R-Kenosha) as the GOP candidate on the ticket. Gonzales served Kenosha for 26 years as a Kenosha Police Officer. He does not have a campaign website and did not respond to my message on facebook.

Ben DeSmidt (D – Kenosha)

A small business owner, former professor, and proud kid of a single mom.

When asked about his stance on cannabis reform, Ben DeSmidt replied “I am pro legalization and endorsed by Senator Melissa Agard, who is the leader on this issue.“

DeSmidt won the August primary with 69.5% of the vote.

Ben has given news statements saying he will make marijuana one of his priorities when elected.

There are 99 state Assembly seats and 16 state Senate seats on the ballot this November. The ACLU of Wisconsin sent a questionnaire to all candidates and published their answers on August 21st.

We are not surprised that he answered YES to the ACLU question: Do you support the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 and over in Wisconsin? And he added this statement onto her ACLU questionnaire:

There is no basis for the criminalization of marijuana, certainly when compared with legal and more dangerous recreational substances, and also considering its medicinal purposes.

Please visit his campaign facebook page and website for more information.

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 (Very Likely Dem +15) WisPolitics /2024 Assembly Races (55% Dem), Davesredistircing, PeoplesMaps, Ballotpedia