Wisconsin Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine)
MADISON, Wis. - State Rep. Greta Neubauer, of Racine, was elected Monday to serve as leader of Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly.
Neubauer, 30, was the only Democrat to run for the post. She will take over for Rep. Gordon Hintz, of Oshkosh, who is stepping down from the job on Jan. 10.
Neuabuer was first elected to the state Assembly in a special election in January 2018 and was reelected that November and again in 2020.
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Hintz has been leader of minority Democrats since September 2017. Neubauer takes over a Democratic caucus that has just 38 of the Assembly's 99 seats.
Democrats have next-to-no power in the minority, unable to stop Republicans from passing whatever bills they want. One of the most powerful tools Democrats do have, if they remain united, is blocking Republicans from having the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.
State Rep. Gordon Hintz
Rep. Kalan Haywood, of Milwaukee, was elected as assistant minority leader. Haywood, 22, was elected in 2018 and replaces Rep. Dianne Hesselbein, of Middleton, who is leaving the state Assembly to run for the state Senate.
The combined ages of the two new Democratic leaders — 52 — is less than the age of Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. He is 53.
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Neubauer released the following statement:
"First and foremost, I would like to thank Rep. Hintz and Rep. Hesselbein again for their service to our caucus and to the people of Wisconsin. Their leadership over the past four years has been invaluable, and I look forward to continuing the hard work of making Wisconsin a place where we all can thrive.
"As Assembly Democratic Leader, I will work to build the relationships, the strategy, and the infrastructure to move our shared values and priorities forward. I will make tough decisions and push back when necessary. And I will do everything in my power to provide more opportunities for every member to lead on the issues they are most passionate about.
"I am extremely grateful for the support I have received from my colleagues today and for their vote of confidence. I look forward to continuing our work to build a more equitable and resilient Wisconsin."
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