Rodriguez Won’t Seek Reelection In Key Southside Assembly Swing Seat
Oak Creek Republican exits redrawn 21st District as Democrats eye a pickup opportunity.
Jessie Rodriguez takes her oath of office in 2025. Photo by Joe Koshollek / Wisconsin State Legislature
There will be yet another new face in the Wisconsin State Legislature next year.
Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek) isn’t seeking reelection.
“After a great deal of reflection and many conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection this fall. Serving the people of the 21st Assembly District has been one of the greatest honors of my life, which makes this decision deeply difficult. But there are seasons when the right decision is also the hard decision, and for me, this is one of those seasons,” said Rodriguez in a statement.
Rodriguez, 48, has held the seat since winning a 2013 special election, but the district’s partisan slant changed after the 2024 redistricting.
It lost more Republican-leaning areas of the city of Franklin while adding southside Milwaukee neighborhoods, including all or portions of the Town of Lake, Tippecanoe, Holler Park, New Coeln, Maitland Park and Gra-Ram neighborhoods. It also includes a portion of the city of Greenfield and all of the city of Oak Creek.
Vice President Kamala Harris won the seat by four points in the 2024 presidential election, and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin won the district by seven points in her reelection bid. Rodriguez outran the Republican ticket, winning with 51% of the vote.
She already faced a challenger in the 2026 race.
Oak Creek Mayor and union leader Dan Bukiewicz declared several months ago that he is running as a Democrat. Milwaukee resident, community organizer and former WISDOM executive director David Liners is also running as a Democrat,
According to an analysis by Marquette University Law School researcher John D. Johnson, the 21st Assembly District was one of the most heavily affected by the 2024 redistricting and is now one of six key swing districts.
Twelve Assembly members and six senators, all Republicans, are not seeking reelection.
Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield), who represents the district to the west, announced Thursday that he is seeking reelection. Donovan’s 61st District is also one of the six key swing districts.
Rodriguez was the first Hispanic immigrant elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature. She is a Salvadoran immigrant and moved to the United States as a young child.
Prior to her 2013 election, Rodriguez worked in communications for Hispanics for School Choice.
Rodriguez is a member of the Wisconsin State Fair Park and Wisconsin Center District boards.
UPDATE: Details about Liners added.
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That’s a big deal. I’ve calculated that incumbency advantage is usually worth around 3-4 points for a Republican member of the State Assembly. In a district like this, a margin of that size can make all the difference.
Looks like Bukiewicz is a solid Democrat with name recognition and a track record as Mayor. With Rodriguez pulling out this should be an important Dem pickup.
But….the Dems, of course, can’t agree on a candidate.
The Dems know how to conduct a primary and are stronger for having one. The Republicans now wait for the crowning from the president and scorn the voters choice.