The new district boundaries recently drawn by Republican lawmakers have generated a brisk game of musical chairs among area Democrats who want to stay in the state Assembly.
State Rep. Chris Taylor, for instance, who took over Joe Parisi's seat when he left to run for Dane County executive, no longer lives in what is now District 48, so she is running in District 76. She has neither a Democratic opponent in the primary nor a Republican rival in the general election.
Ditto for County Board Supervisor But, he notes, Sargent has a reputation for being a fierce campaigner, and other candidates might have ultimately decided not to run due to the low pay scale in the state Assembly. Rep. Terese Berceau, who has represented District 76 since 1998, is now running unopposed in District 77, while Rep.
Another Dane County Board supervisor, , a registered nurse, in the primary in District 79, where Sondy Pope-Roberts has served since 2002.
Pope-Roberts decided to run in the newly created District 80, telling supporters in a letter that most of the areas she represented in her old district are no longer part of the new 79th. The new 80th District contains parts of Blue Mounds, Mount Horeb, Verona and Fitchburg.
Pope-Roberts will face perhaps the stiffest challenge of any local incumbent as Tom Lamberson, a home builder, in the general election on Nov. 6.
In other races, Rep. Gary Hebl is defending his seat in District 46, which covers the city of Sun Prairie; he will face Republican Trish Schaefer in the general election. Former Monona Mayor Amanda Hall in the August primary for Keith Ripp's old seat in District 47. Republican Sandy Bakk is also running there.
And state , a loan officer. Kelda Helen Roys, the incumbent for 81, is stepping down to run for Baldwin's congressional seat.