Gerrymandering is Deb Andraca's 1st focus after defeating GOP incumbent
MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. - After 14 years, Wisconsin's 23rd Assembly District will have a new representative in Madison. Democrat Deb Andraca defeated Republican Jim Ott in the Nov. 3 election.
"We’re feeling great," said Andraca. "It was a hard, long campaign."
Andraca is the projected winner of Wisconsin's 23rd Assembly District, which includes Milwaukee County’s North Shore.
"The 23rd District is a microcosm for what’s going on all across the country, where the suburbs are moving away from the Republican Party," said Andraca.
The Democrat declared victory over Ott, the longtime Republican incumbent.
In a statement released Wednesday, Ott said:
“It’s been an incredible honor to represent the 23rd Assembly District in the state Legislature for the last 14 years. I feel we accomplished some important goals, especially in cutting taxes and making our roads safer by increasing penalties for drunk driving.”
"I think we appealed to the moderate voters," said Andraca.
The wife and mother has a background in politics. Her campaign slogan was a “safer, smarter and healthier Wisconsin.”
"Safer means better gun laws," said Andraca. "Smarter means better teachers. I’m a substitute teacher in the Whitefish Bay District."
She says healthier means high-quality health care, stronger support for Wisconsin's environment and more:
"Of course, healthier means taking the virus seriously and doing everything we can to stop the spread," said Andraca.
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Andraca knows her first focus as representative.
"The thing that I want to tackle first is actually gerrymandering," said Andraca. "If we can get fair maps, we can really break the log jam that is that has been paralyzing Madison so far."
Andraca won the 23rd District by over 1,000 votes.
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