WHITEFISH BAY – In one of the most-watched assembly races in the state, Deb Andraca defeated 14-year incumbent Rep. Jim Ott (R-Mequon), flipping the suburban swing district from Republican to Democrat. Deb Andraca released the following statement on the victory:
“I want to thank my opponent, Jim Ott, for his fourteen years of public service. I am so honored to be the next Representative of the 23rd Assembly District and I am humbled to have earned voters’ trust. I look forward to working with all of my constituents, whether or not their vote was cast for me. I promise to listen, to work hard, and to earn the support of the people of this district each day.
“This win would not have been possible without the overwhelming support from volunteers in every corner of the 23rd district. Starting back in April, when we received more than 1,000 nomination signatures during a pandemic, all the way through election day. Your willingness to donate, make calls, and pitch in was the key to our victory today. Because of you, we can start to bring fair maps to Wisconsin, pass better gun laws, and bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis.
“There are two people who deserve special thanks. None of this would have been possible without my campaign director, Erin Stilp, who gave me the idea to run in the first place. She has been guiding this campaign from the very beginning, and this win belongs to her as much as it does to me. Our campaign manager, Emma Weinert, is the best campaign manager any candidate could ask for. She walked fearlessly into a global COVID-19 hotspot at just the right time to guide our race — which became larger than anyone ever imagined — all the way to victory today.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my family for putting up with me for the past 11 months. Back when we launched the campaign nobody expected a global pandemic to force four people to work, go to school, apply to college, and run a state assembly campaign all from the same house at the same time. It’s been a very hard year for everyone, and I am so grateful that you’ve all been there for me. To Marc, Mia and Andie, I know that winning isn’t everything, but I have to believe that it will make me a whole lot more fun to be around going forward.”
