Sixth GOP Senator Bows Out As André Jacque Won’t Run Again
Green Bay–area lawmaker ends more than a decade in Legislature but leaves a safe red seat behind.
Republican State Sen. André Jacque participates in an 8th Congressional District GOP primary debate Thursday, June 25, 2024, in Green Bay, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
State Sen. André Jacque, R-New Franken, will not seek reelection after more than a decade in the state Legislature.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Jacque said representing northeast Wisconsin in the Legislature has been “a blessing beyond anything I could have expected.”
Jacque is the sixth Republican state senator to announce he will not run for reelection. But his solidly Republican district is likely to stay in the party’s hands.
His Senate district includes Door and Kewaunee counties, as well as portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc and Outagamie counties. Jacque has served in the state Senate since 2019, after spending eight years in the Assembly.
He said his passion for serving the community hasn’t waned but said he decided he would not seek reelection “after much discussion with family and friends.”
This past session, Jacque was the lead Senate author on more than 20 new state laws, among the more than 100 laws he’s written during his time in Madison, according to the statement.
“My constituents have been the driving force behind bringing so many of these ideas to the legislature’s attention, and I am grateful that they have trusted me with their stories, often borne out of great loss and suffering, to enact meaningful, effective, and even life-saving change,” Jacque stated.
In 2024, Jacque ran in a three-way Republican primary race for Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. He took third place in the primary, behind former state Sen. Roger Roth and then-political newcomer Tony Wied.
Wied, who received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, eventually won the general election for the 8th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Kristin Lyerly.
In his statement Thursday, Jacque said he didn’t know what he planned to do after leaving the state Legislature.
Republican State Sen. André Jacque will not seek reelection was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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Have you looked at that district lately? Not sure you can call it a safe red seat.