Wisconsin's tenth state senate district is is represented by Democratic Senator Patty Schachtner.

Wisconsin state senators represent an average of 172,333 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 162,536 residents.

About the office

Members of the Wisconsin State Senate serve four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Half of the senate is up for election every two years. Wisconsin legislators assume office the first Monday in January following the election.

Qualifications

Section 6 of Article 4 of the Wisconsin Constitution states, "No person shall be eligible to the legislature who shall not have resided one year within the state, and be a qualified elector in the district which he may be chosen to represent."

Salaries

Vacancies

In the event of a vacancy in the senate, the Governor must call for a special election when allowed by law. Special elections to fill legislative vacancies cannot be held after February 1st preceding a spring election or September 1st preceding a fall election. If the vacancy happens before May 15th, the Governor must fill the vacancy as soon as possible.

2016 pivot county

This district is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.

The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline is June 1, 2020.

2018

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10, Special Election, 2018

A special election for the position of Wisconsin State Senate District 10 was held on January 16, 2018. Patty Schachtner (D) defeated Adam Jarchow (R) and Brian Corriea (L) with 55 percent of the vote in the general election. Jarchow conceded to Schachtner on Twitter, saying, "I just called Patty Schachtner and congratulated her on her victory tonight. I look forward to working with her as our new state Senator. Thank you to all who worked so hard for our campaign."

Results indicated that voter turnout in the 2018 District 10 special election was at its lowest compared to elections in the district within the last decade, with 22,434 votes cast. As of January 1, 2018, Wisconsin Senate District 10 had 99,917 registered voters, meaning approximately twenty-two percent of registered electors voted in the 2018 special election.

Regarding the election results, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote, "Schachtner's win gives Democrats momentum, but they remain deep in the minority. Once she is seated, Republicans will hold an 18-14 advantage, with one district vacant." Wisconsin is currently one of 26 Republican trifectas: Scott Walker (R) holds the governor’s office and Republicans have majorities in the state Senate and state Assembly.

The special election garnered national interest, with outside groups providing contributions and resources to both the Democratic and Republican candidates. District 10 last saw a similar amount of outside involvement during a 2011 recall effort.

The seat was left vacant after the resignation of Sheila Harsdorf (R). Harsdorf resigned from the state Senate effective November 10, 2017, after being appointed as secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Harsdorf held the seat from 2001 to 2017, winning the recall election leveled against her in 2011.

Harsdorf won the seat with 59.2 percent and 63.2 percent of the vote in 2012 and 2016, respectively. The last Democratic state senator to hold the district was Alice Clausing. Clausing represented District 10 from 1993 to 2001. Harsdorf defeated Clausing in the 2000 election for the seat with 50.34 percent of the vote. Clausing received 47.15 percent. Senate District 10 is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersect with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. In 2016, Trump won the district with 55.30 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 38.05 percent.

Democratic group Greater Wisconsin Political Independent Expenditure Fund bought $30,000 in online ads and the National Democratic Redistricting Committee–chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder–gave $10,000 to Lockwood Strategy Lab in Washington, D.C. for online advertising to support Schachtner. Conservative group Americans for Prosperity spent over $50,000 on ads and mailings supporting Jarchow, the first time the group’s Wisconsin chapter directly recommended a candidate. Other groups, such as the Democratic group Greater Wisconsin Committee and the Republican State Leadership Committee also spent money on the election.

As of January 13, Schachtner and Jarchow had cumulatively raised $523,609.19. Over $50,000 of their total monetary contributions and in-kind donations were received after January 1. Schachtner raised $209,649.53 in monetary contributions and in-kind donations. Some of her biggest donors included the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the State Senate Democratic Committee. Jarchow raised $313,959.66 via monetary contributions, loans, and in-kind donations. His biggest donors included the Republican Party of Wisconsin and the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate. Jarchow loaned his campaign $50,000.00.

A primary election was held on December 19, 2017. Schachtner defeated Reuben Herfindahl and John Calabrese in the Democratic primary. Jarchow defeated Shannon Zimmerman in the Republican primary.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 Democratic Primary, 2017

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 Republican Primary, 2017

Voter turnout

From 2008 to 2016, an average of 85,090 votes were cast in Wisconsin Senate District 10 elections. The 2018 special election saw a drop in total turnout of 73 percent. One-third as many people voted in the 2018 election as they did in the 2011 recall election, the second-lowest instance of voter turnout from 2008 to 2018. In 2011, 64,411 citizens cast a vote, compared to the 22,434 who voted in the 2018 special election. Find out the voter turnout in other noteworthy state legislative special elections in 2017 here.

Past Senate District 10 elections

2016 election

Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf defeated Diane Odeen in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 general election.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2016

2012 election

Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf defeated Daniel Olson in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 general election.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10, General Election, 2012

2011 recall

Harsdorf defeated Moore in the August 9 recall.

August 9 Recall - District 10

2016

Elections for the Wisconsin State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.

Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf defeated Diane Odeen in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 general election.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2016

Diane Odeen ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 Democratic primary.
Incumbent Sheila Harsdorf ran unopposed in the Wisconsin State Senate District 10 Republican primary.

2012

Elections for the office of Wisconsin State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 14, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. Republican incumbent Sheila Harsdorf defeated Democrat Daniel Olson in the general election. Both candidates were unopposed in the primary elections.

Wisconsin State Senate, District 10, General Election, 2012

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Wisconsin State Senate District 10 raised a total of $2,345,670. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $137,981 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Wisconsin State Senate District 10