Rep. Clancy Wins Reelection Despite Democratic Opposition

Rep. Ryan Clancy. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

Just three months ago Rep. Ryan Clancy was expected to win reelection easily.

This was a politician who won the 19th District Assembly race just two years ago almost by acclamation. Even though it was an open seat, he faced no opponent and was backed by his predecessor Jonathan Brostoff, who stepped down after winning a position on the Milwaukee Common Council. And as a self-declared Socialist Democrat, Clancy seemed a good match for the liberal district he represented, including Milwaukee’s East Side, Bay View and Downtown.

But in early June Mayor Cavalier Johnson announced he was backing Jarrod Anderson, a totally unknown newcomer, against Clancy. Soon that was followed by more endorsements for Anderson, from Milwaukee County Board Chair Marcelia Nicholson, County Executive David Crowley, Democratic state Rep. Daniel Riemer and finally even Brostoff. They argued that he would be a more collaborative, team player than Clancy, who had alienated many Democratic colleagues. Going back decades, it was unprecedented for a Democratic incumbent to face so much opposition from his own party.

As a result a seemingly quiet race changed almost overnight into a hard-fought slugfest, driven by unusually high spending for an Assembly seat, with Anderson’s campaign raising $70,000 and Clancy right behind with an estimated $63,000, and a flurry of dueling campaign mailers making tough claims. “Ryan Clancy Works Against Democrats” and “Ryan Clancy’s Name Calling Does NOTHING to Make Our Neighborhoods Safer,” Anderson’s literature declared, the latter a reference to Clancy’s statement that police work has “no dignity or value.” The Clancy campaign hit back with literature declaring that “Jarrod Anderson DOESN’T VOTE When It Counts for Wisconsin,” referring to Anderson’s failure to vote in four elections since 2021.

There was little difference between the candidates on the issues. The two both supported the expansion of Medicaid, abortion rights for women, legalization of marijuana, support for public schools and opposition to public funding for private schools, increasing the minimum wage and legislation to enhance tenant rights.

But the big difference, it seems, was on Middle Eastern politics, as issue over which the Wisconsin Legislature has no power, but “is a surprisingly salient issue in the district,” Clancy insisted. He promised to use his office to “advocate for justice for Palestinians” and “an end to Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.” Anderson alternated between saying he had no position and noting he agreed with the stance of Wisconsin Democrats like U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, supporting a ceasefire and humanitarian aid with the release of hostages.

The perception that Clancy was being opposed for his views on Israel — something he pushed — may have helped him win election. In reality, as Urban Milwaukee has previously reported, it was Clancy’s antagonistic style rather than his political views that burned bridges with many Democrats, both in the state Capitol and the Milwaukee County Courthouse, where Clancy had served on the board of supervisors for four years. Going back more than a year, well before the Hamas attack on Israel, courthouse sources had predicted that top county officials were sick of Clancy’s style of politics and wanted to back an opponent against him in the next election. Adding to that was anger over his opposition to the sales tax legislation that Crowley and Johnson had worked long and hard to deliver in the face of looming financial catastrophe for both the city and county.

But voters, it appears, didn’t care if Clancy wasn’t a team player, as Democratic opponents insisted. They may have preferred a fighter like Clancy to Anderson, a low-key attorney who worked for the past three years for the Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, but had failed to vote in key elections during that time.

With 32 of 32 wards reporting, Clancy won with 54.8% of the vote to 45% for Anderson. The result wasn’t just a defeat for Anderson, but for top Democratic officials in Milwaukee.