State Representative Daniel Riemer to Not Seek Re-Election

MADISON— State Representative Daniel Riemer (D—Milwaukee) sent the following letter to constituents of the 7th Assembly District this week announcing that he is not seeking re-election for the upcoming term. In it, Representative Riemer expresses to constituents his gratitude for the opportunity and honor to have served them as their State Representative.

Dear Neighbor,

I am writing to inform you of my decision not to seek re-election as your Representative in the State Assembly. I will serve out the remainder of my term in office, which ends at the start of 2025. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you in the Wisconsin State Assembly, truly the greatest honor of my life.

I am grateful to you for granting me this privilege. I am also immensely thankful to my family for allowing me to serve. I write this letter with my two-year-old daughter on my lap. I am glad I will get to be with her, my incredible wife, and my five-year-old son more often.

Like many of the decisions I make as your Representative, this decision was difficult and challenging. I lost many nights of sleep debating with myself the best course of action, in largepart because I have truly enjoyed serving as your Representative in the State Capitol. For me, stepping away from service is painful. I felt, and still feel, that our state government has the power to improve lives. In the Legislature, we make decisions that impact the wellbeing of all six million Wisconsinites, helping chart the future of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in our great state. It is not easy to see myself removed from these consequential debates, but in stepping away, I believe I have made the decision that is best for you—the constituents of the 7th Assembly District.

Despite the political challenges that have often seemed insurmountable, I hope you felt the passion I brought to the Capitol on your behalf. I always worked hard to create a Wisconsin where everyone has affordable healthcare, a strong education, and a good job. It’s a future we deserve and one we can still usher in together.

Clearly, politics is not for the faint-hearted. We lost many battles, won precious few victories, though I was always glad to be a part of the fight. I often had to repeat some of my favorite linesfrom Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to bolster my courage: “cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once.”

To everything there is a season. And in the coming seasons ahead, you deserve a Representative who, like the biblical prophet Jeremiah, fights with “a raging fire in my heart, shut up in my bones,” that cannot be held in. (Jeremiah 20:9).

Someone with new ideas and fresh energy can bring a great deal of value to our district. I wish them the best and look forward to hearing about their vision. I promise to share my experience with whoever succeeds me, so they are equipped to serve us well.

What is next for me? For the first time in more than a decade I will step into the unknown. The Irish writer Frank O’Connor described the feeling like this: “When as kids we came to an orchard wall that seemed too high to climb, we took off our caps and tossed them over the wall, and then we had no choice but to follow them. I had tossed my cap over the wall of life, and I knew I must follow it, wherever it had fallen.”

It’s time for me to follow my cap wherever it might land.

With all my heart, and all my soul, and all my might—thank you. It has been an honor.

Forward!

Daniel Riemer

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.