AD 88: Welch (D) vs Franklin (R)

The 88th Assembly District of Wisconsin is located in Northeastern Wisconsin, the district comprises parts of central Brown County. It includes the city of De Pere, the villages of Allouez and Bellevue, and a small part of the city of Green Bay. The district also contains landmarks such as St. Norbert College and the De Pere Lock and Dam Historic District.

This is a very important district for cannabis reform if you ask me. There are “Competitive Races” the Assembly in 2024 and then there are a bunch of real close races within that group and this is one of the real close ones!

The Republican

Ben Franklin (R- De Pere) Enters the Ring and wins the primary!

Republican Primary in this corner of the world with an open seat and Franklin beat Phil Collins.

Ben Franklin was born and raised in Keokuk, IA and is Air Force Veteran & Small Business Owner with over 200 employees.

His campaign facebook page Franklin for Wisconsin is active and I urge area Republicans to contact this candidate with their support of cannabis reform. Campaign Website.

I messaged his campaign in April when I first saw he announced and then again in May and June of 2024. On Sept 13th I invited him to the Pizza, Pot and Politics event on Oct 5th, but have not heard back that he will be attending.

I have not noticed any public events listed on his facebook page or website, but will ask local activists if they know anything about this candidate and report back.

The Democrat

Chirsty Welch (D – De Pere)

Democratic Party of Brown County Chair Christy Welch has entered the race for Wisconsin’s 88th Assembly District. Her campaign facebook page Christy Welch for State Assmebly had this to initially say: as a general statement I can tell you I think it should be legalized.

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 she 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?

Follow her campaign on Facebook and watch for more events. Visit her campaign website to find out more.

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 (Toss-Up +0) WisPolitics /2024 Assembly Races (52% Rep), Davesredistircing, PeoplesMaps, Ballotpedia