Habush Sinykin defeats Stroebel for 8th State Senate District
MILWAUKEE - Democrat Jodi Habush Sinykin defeated Republican State Sen. Duey Stroebel in the race for Wisconsin's 8th State Senate District. The Associated Press called the race on Wednesday evening.
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Stroebel currently represents the 20th Senate District, but new legislative district maps put Stroebel and incumbent Dan Knodl, a fellow Republican state senator, into the same district.
Stroebel is now running for the 8th District. Knodl is running for a Wisconsin Assembly seat. Republican State Sen. Daniel Feyen, who currently represents the 18th State Senate District, now faces Democrat Michael Rapp for the seat that Stroebel will vacate.
Habush Sinykin lost to Knodl in April's special election for the 8th District seat. She won the August partisan primary for the upcoming general election with no challenger.
New district maps
Gov. Tony Evers signed new Wisconsin legislative district maps into law in February. Those maps – used for the Wisconsin Senate and Wisconsin Assembly races – are in place for the November election.
Democrats tried unsuccessfully for more than a decade to overturn Republican-drawn maps. In December 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court – having flipped to a liberal majority of justices – ruled the existing maps were unconstitutional.
Evers, a Democrat, proposed the maps that are now law. Republicans who control the state Legislature passed the maps to avoid having the liberal-controlled state Supreme Court draw the lines instead.
Headed into the election, Republicans hold a supermajority in the Wisconsin Senate. They are very close to a supermajority in the Assembly, too, where they hold a 30-seat majority.
Reaction and statements
Wisconsin Senate Democratic Leader Dianne Hesselbein
"It is my honor to officially welcome Jodi Habush Sinykin to the State Senate. Jodi and her team ran an incredible campaign, centering the values and ideas of voters in the 8th Senate District. As the underdog, she did not shy away from the hard work necessary to win this race. Jodi’s deep ties to the community, thoughtful decision-making, and experience as an attorney will allow her to effectively legislate for the needs of this community."
State Sen. Duey Stroebel
"The results last night are very disappointing. From the beginning, this campaign has been about the issues that matter most to people, and I've gone to every corner of the district spreading my positive, grassroots message."
"I would like to thank all of the people who have shared their support for this campaign. We had many volunteers who devoted hours knocking doors, writing postcards, and helping in any way that they could. It means so much to see the help we have received."
"Unfortunately, we came up a bit short. Despite our tireless work and dedication, the voters have decided to go in a different direction. This was an unnecessarily negative race, with millions spent on dishonest ads that lied to voters about my record. I hope that my opponent serves as a representative of the people with much more integrity and honor than what she has shown on the campaign."
"After being gerrymandered into a district that was approximately 80% new, it became apparent last night that it would be difficult to recover from getting only 29% of the vote in the Milwaukee County portion of the district, an area whose constituents have elected Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) consecutively since 2004.
"I would like to thank my constituents for being able to work in public service serving you in Madison. It has been an honor. I have always viewed the job as a service, not as a career. In my time as a Senator, I have worked tirelessly to improve our great state, and make Wisconsin better for the next generation."