AD 22: Melotik (R) vs Glasstein (D)
Assembly District 22 now includes Port Washington, Grafton, Cedarburg, northwest Mequon, and the Town of Germantown.
There are about 29 out of 99 Assembly Districts to watch in the 2024 Fall General Election. Many more if you count primary battles, but in reality, those 29 seats are labeled as competitive by some standard. There are about 11 of them to really keep a close eye on because the outcome is very uncertain for either party.
I think the Democrats are going to easily get 42 seats and take another 4 of these more competitive seats with a good chance to take a majority of the remaining. I think the Republicans are easily going to take 46 seats and have their eyes on taking another 7. Those 11 seats are really important and unfortunately this article is about Assembly District 22, which either are not one of the 29 and are not one of the eleven.
Paul Melotik (R-Grafton)
Melotik took office in Assembly District 24 after a special election in 2023 without a Republican Primary challenger after perpetrual candidate Spencer Zimmerman was not able to obtain ballot access.
Rep. Paul Melotik took the vacant Rep. Knodl seat during the special election. During the campaign, Melotik seemed opposed to reform measures and didn’t really want to talk about it. As surprising as the “Knodl always supporting medical cannabis since he was elected” statement was, many were surprised to see Melotik as a co-sponsor of the 2024 Republican Medical Cannabis legislation.
His career experience includes co-owning and operating Flannery’s Bar/Restaurant Milwaukee and Fire Ridge Golf Course and working as an accountant with Wisconsin Electric, an athletic director, and a basketball coach. Melotik has served on the Ozaukee County Board of Supervisors.
Melotik for State Assembly Facebook Page
Dana Glasstein (D-Mequon)
A Wisconsin native and 25-year resident of Ozaukee County, Dana Glasstein is a dedicated educator and a tireless community volunteer. Dana was a petitioner in the lawsuit that ended the extreme partisan gerrymander restoring our rights to true and fair representation.
Dana is married to Neil, a retired U.S. Navy veteran (Iraq, Afghanistan) and proud mother of two including an officer in the U.S. Air Force. She holds a BA in East Asian Languages and an MA in English with a specialization in teaching English as a Second Language.
Glasstein said “I support the legalization of marijuana. If it were legalized, it could generate $165.8 million in new annual tax revenue for Wisconsin.” and provided this pdf on the subject: https://doa.wi.gov/budget/SBO/2021-23%20Budget%20in%20Brief.pdf
Find out more about the campaign of Dana Glasstein by visiting her website and following her campaign facebook page Dana Glasstein for State Assembly. She will be holding a campaign kick off event on June 6th in Cedarburg.
Stay tuned and get active!
I will provide you additional 2024 Wisconsin State Election coverage throughout the campaign season. This next election is extremely important for marijuana reform and I will continue to bring you information as more candidates make their political moves.
In the event that we end up with divided government in the 2024-25 legislation session, the official formation of The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus would be a must first step towards reform. The official establishment of this Caucus will represent the growing, bipartisan support in Wisconsin.
Although session as ended we still urge you to contact your elected officials. The top four action alerts are still functionable on The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Action Network for you immediate use.
Sources: CNanalysis (Very Likely Rep +15), WisPolitics /2024 Assembly Races (59% Rep), Davesredistircing, PeoplesMaps
