Wisconsin Democrats Sue to Boot Republican From Key State Senate Race
Lawsuit claims Michele Magadance Skinner is a Georgia resident and can't hold office in Wisconsin.
Michele Magadance Skinner is a Republican running for Wisconsin’s 31st Senate District in 2026. Photo courtesy of Friends of Michele Skinner campaign
Wisconsin Democrats are suing to kick a Republican off the ballot in a state Senate race that could be key in determining which party controls the chamber.
It claims GOP candidate Michele Magadance Skinner, who is running for the 31st state Senate district, is a Georgia resident and ineligible to hold public office in Wisconsin.
Skinner, who sits on the Eau Claire County Board of Supervisors, has faced questions about her residency from Democrats since she launched her challenge against State Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Brunswick, in June.
A lawsuit filed by the State Senate Democratic Committee Monday claims Skinner isn’t a resident of Wisconsin because she splits her time between her home near Eau Claire and another in Dawsonville, Georgia, both of which were listed as primary residences in 2025.
The suit states the Wisconsin Constitution requires individuals to have lived in Wisconsin for one year and be a qualified elector in order to be eligible for the Legislature.
“Because Skinner is not a Wisconsin resident and is therefore constitutionally ineligible for office, Plaintiffs seek an order directing WEC (the Wisconsin Elections Commission) not to certify Skinner as a candidate for placement on the November 2026 general election ballot,” the lawsuit states. “Likewise, because she is not a Wisconsin resident, the Court should remove Skinner from (her) seat on the Eau Claire County Board.”
In a written statement responding to the suit, Skinner said she is a resident who was born and raised in Eau Claire and spent much of her career in western Wisconsin and currently serving on the county board and the Lake Altoona Rehabilitation and Protection District.
“I understand that there is confusion around my marriage,” said Skinner. “My husband is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and disabled combat veteran, he is a Georgia resident and maintains a home there. We are a blended family, and like many married couples today, our circumstances don’t fit neatly into one little box. My husband has longstanding ties and a residence in Georgia. I have longstanding ties and my residence here in Wisconsin.”
Skinner said she’s proud to call western Wisconsin home, adding “that’s why I serve here, why I’m running here and why i want to be western Wisconsin’s voice in the State Senate.”
An Aug. 8 statement from Skinner responding to Democrats’ questions about her residency called them a “False Narrative” and accused Smith of “trying to win this election with insinuations instead of facts.” The statement, which also mentioned her husband’s Georgia residency, is cited as evidence in the lawsuit.
Democrats are also claiming Skinner and her husband have improperly received property tax credits and exemptions for the home. Skinner’s statement said she asked an independent certified public accountant to review tax records for her and her husband and they “found nothing illegal.”
“The accusation that we improperly claimed tax benefits in more than one state is simply false,” said Skinner in the Aug. 8 statement.
The suit claims Skinner received a Wisconsin Lottery tax credit in 2025, while her husband claimed a Georgia homestead property exemption for the 2025 tax year. It claims under Georgia law, the married couples cannot claim multiple exemptions even if the homes are listed under each spouse’s name.
The suit was filed against the Wisconsin Elections Commission after the board dismissed a complaint against Skinner. It’s asking a judge to bar her from running against Smith before Aug. 25, when the commission must certify a list of candidates going to local clerks ahead of the November election.
Western Wisconsin’s 31st Senate District is considered one of four swing seats in the chamber this November. The GOP ticket in the 31st has already had one shakeup. Initially, State Sen. Jesse James, R-Thorp, was on the ballot, but he announced his retirement from the Legislature on April 14. Months before, James notified police that his daughter had stolen around $32,000 from his campaign.
Skinner announced her campaign for the district in June. Two years ago, she lost a race for state Assembly by about 3 percentage points.
Wisconsin Democrats sue to boot Republican from key state Senate race was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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