Marklein vs. Jacobson: Wisconsin’s Most Competitive Senate Race Could Matter for Hemp Reform
Senate District 17 is about more than party control. With Republican incumbent Howard Marklein facing Democrat Jenna Jacobson, southwestern Wisconsin voters have a real opportunity to influence the future of hemp regulation and cannabis reform in the Wisconsin Legislature.
This is one of the most competitive Wisconsin Senate races of 2026 — arguably the most competitive. And when we look beyond the Senate race to the Assembly districts underneath it, we see an interesting mix of candidates, records and potential opportunities for reform.
For Wisconsin’s hemp and cannabis industry, the question is not simply which party wins. It is which lawmakers will work toward practical regulation, protect Wisconsin businesses and farmers, and stop treating prohibition as the only policy option.
Howard Marklein: A Hesitant but Important Vote on Hemp Regulation
Republican incumbent Howard Marklein has generally seemed stand-offish when it comes to marijuana reform. He has not been someone the industry could confidently count on as an outspoken legalization advocate.
But his record deserves a closer look.
During the 2025–26 legislative session, Marklein delivered a clutch vote in the Senate committee process for Senator Patrick Testin’s SB 682, the hemp-derived cannabinoid regulation bill. Industry lobbyists described the vote as unusually hesitant — among the most hesitant committee votes they had seen Marklein make.
That hesitation is worth noting. So is the fact that he ultimately came through, in a committee vote. That committee vote does not automatically translate into a positive floor vote should the bill have advanced to a final floor vote.
This is exactly why engagement with lawmakers matters. A legislator does not have to be a longtime cannabis advocate to make an important vote. At the same time, one favorable vote does not automatically make someone a reliable reform champion.
Marklein is a powerful player in the Capitol as co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee and a member of the Senate committees dealing with agriculture and revenue. If Wisconsin is going to protect its hemp industry, his willingness to engage could matter well beyond one committee vote.
The question for Marklein is whether that SB 682 vote was a one-time exception going into a competitive election cycle or the beginning of a more constructive relationship with Wisconsin’s hemp industry.
Industry stakeholders and constituents should be asking him directly where he stands on the future of hemp-derived cannabinoid products, small businesses and Wisconsin farmers.
Jenna Jacobson: A Record of Support
Democrat Jenna Jacobson has served in the State Assembly since 2022 and has worked on agricultural issues. But when it comes to cannabis and hemp, voters should examine her actual legislative record rather than assume that a Democratic label tells the whole story.
Her first campaign was note worthy. During her 2022 campaign the Wi Eye Interview 13:12 Indicates she is favor of both medical and recreational. She sites tax revenue and voters wishes.
In 2023 Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) and Representative Jenna Jacobson (D-Oregon) joined Representative Darrin Madison (D-Milwaukee), Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison), and legislative Democrats to introduce a bill to legalize marijuana in Wisconsin at Country Life Hemp Farms.
Although absent from Democrats’ comprehensive adult-use legalization bill submitted late in the 2025–26 legislative session, she focused her efforts on saving hemp first and was already a co-sponsor the Democrats’ hemp-derived cannabinoid regulation bill by the time full legalization was introduced.
Jacobson has never been shy about supporting the majority of Wisconsinites who want to see the prohibition of cannabis end in our great state.
The Assembly Races Make This Senate District Even More Interesting
Senate District 17 is particularly important because the Assembly races below it could shape the next Legislature’s approach to hemp and cannabis policy. These three districts deserve attention.
AD 49: A Safe Republican Seat With an Opportunity to Build Support
Assembly District 49 is not considered a competitive race. Republican incumbent Travis Tranel faces Democrat John Rindy in a district that strongly favors Republicans.
But from a cannabis-reform perspective, this is still a race worth watching.
Tranel has shown high support for hemp and cannabis reform in his conversations with the industry, even though he did not co-sponsor the relevant legislation during the last session. His farm is also located in southwestern Wisconsin, roughly 20 miles from the Illinois border — a region where Wisconsin’s restrictive policies have an especially tangible economic context.
My assessment is that Tranel is a Republican worth engaging, and his record and willingness to have conversations are reasons for cautious optimism. The opportunity is to turn that engagement into a more active role in future legislation.
Read my earlier coverage: AD 49: John Rindy-D vs. Travis Tranel-R.
AD 50: Bill Oemichen Brings Minnesota Hemp Experience
Assembly District 50, which includes Green County and part of southwest Dane County, is a much more favorable district for Democrats. Jenna Jacobson previously represented this district before moving into the Senate race.
Democrat Bill Oemichen is running to represent AD 50, and his background includes experience with Minnesota hemp. That experience is potentially valuable in Wisconsin, where lawmakers still need to figure out how to protect a legitimate hemp industry while establishing sensible rules for intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products.
Oemichen has completed the WiscoCan candidate questionnaire, providing voters with a way to examine his positions directly rather than relying on party affiliation or campaign slogans.
Read his answers here: Bill Oemichen (D) Assembly 50 Candidate Questionnaire Answers.
If Oemichen wins, he could bring practical experience from a neighboring state into the discussion. The important next step is turning that background into legislative action that works for Wisconsin farmers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
AD 51: Ben Gruber vs. Todd Novak — A Race the Industry Should Watch
Assembly District 51 is the genuinely competitive Assembly contest in this part of the broader Senate District 17 map.
Democrat Ben Gruber is challenging Republican incumbent Todd Novak. Industry stakeholders have engaged with Gruber, and the response has been very positive. That matters: candidates who are willing to listen, learn the details and engage with people working in the industry can become important partners in the Legislature.
Novak, meanwhile, has not been the worst Republican on hemp and cannabis issues. His record is more nuanced than a simple partisan label, and the industry should continue evaluating his actions and willingness to support reform.
Interesting election history on Novak: In 2014 he won a four (4) way primary battle to get the Republican spot in the general election for state assembly. In that same 2014 general election we had a three (3) way race between Novak (R), Cates (D) and Laufenberg (L). Talk about a close election. Novak took the race with 65 votes, a difference of 0.3%. The Libertarian candidate on the ticket received 5.3% of the vote (1177 votes).
Wisconsin saw two versions of medical marijuana legislation for the 2019-2020 session and Rep. Novak sponsored both of them. 84% of his district supporting medical marijuana reform on a constituent survey. Citizen lobbyists in the district reported this rep supported reform measures, we expected Rep. Novak to make a move and continue to support common sense legislation. In the 2021-22 session, he only sided with Republicans and only on medical, as he was absent from decriminalization measures. The 2024 GOP Assembly medical cannabis proposal met opposition at many levels and did not attract Novak as a co-sponsor, but along comes 2025-26 after a very close election and Novak was a co-sponsor of the controversial GOP medical marijuana bill submitted in 2025, fast tracked in the Senate, but denied a public hearing in the assembly. Novak also co-sponsored AB 606 “Three Tier Hemp Regulation Bill” during the 2025-26 legislative session.
This is not a race where stakeholders should automatically write off the incumbent or assume the challenger will deliver. Both deserve to be judged on their records, their answers and what they are prepared to do next.
Third Party Candidate speculation. The third party candidate is a long shot, but in a close race, an votes drawn away from the R or D column need to be taken into consideration. I appreciated the time Nathan Tataje gave me and wanted to share with you his insight on the topic as a candidate in this assembly race. “I am running as a Catholic distributist third-party candidate for state assembly here in Wisconsin (51st district). I’ve lived in Wisconsin almost my whole life but also lived in the OH/PA/WV tri-state area for 4 years and have many friends who use marijuana, cannabis and THC therapeutically and recreationally. I try my best to follow church teaching on economic and social issues, and these things have been addressed. So this is what I can say about my stances:
Across the board minimum: Statewide decriminalization
Medical Marijuana: Full legalization. The church has made it clear that prescribing drugs for therapeutic or medicinal reasons is completely within bounds of church teaching.
Recreational: while the church does not condone the recreational use of substances that inherently impair higher reasoning, it does factor in rules of proportionality and cost/benefit analysis. I do not believe the majority of cannabis “crime” punishments are in any way proportional to the “crime” itself. I also believe that with no local/state sponsored oversight in place to proactively track the effects, profits and expenditures made from the industry, we are causing more harm than good by simply not accounting for anything substantial that indicates why people are using these products. Essentially, while I can oppose the use of substances for the sake of rational impairment, I believe it would be more prudent to open up to a regulated market that allows us to study the social and economic effects more effectively.
Follow the discussion in the Wisconsin Cannabinoid Industry Council forum: Assembly District 51 — Competitive Race: Iowa, Lafayette, Dane and Grant Counties.
Why the Senate and Assembly Races Belong in the Same Conversation
The Senate District 17 race is highly competitive, and the Assembly contests below it present different kinds of opportunities:
- Tranel: A Republican in a safe seat who has shown a high level of openness to hemp and cannabis reform.
- Oemichen: A Democratic Assembly candidate with Minnesota hemp experience who could bring a useful neighboring-state perspective.
- Gruber: A competitive-race challenger who has made a positive impression on industry stakeholders.
- Novak: An incumbent Republican whose record warrants continued engagement and scrutiny rather than a blanket judgment.
- Tataje: Third party in highly competitive district provides additional support for hemp cannabis reform and could be looked at as “pot”entially reversing the 2014 general election noted above if Tataje, running under the American Solidarity Party, takes enough votes away from Novak in this 2026 race.
This is the kind of political landscape where direct outreach can make a difference. Wisconsin may have divided government again in 2027, and if it does, reform will require more than party-line assumptions. It will take lawmakers from both parties who are willing to work together.
The immediate priority should remain protecting Wisconsin’s existing hemp industry through sensible regulation. From there, advocates can build toward decriminalization, medical cannabis access and comprehensive adult-use legalization.
Get Involved
The 2026 election will help determine whether Wisconsin continues down the road of prohibition and uncertainty or starts building a workable regulatory framework.
If you live, work or operate a business in this region, contact the candidates.
Geography of the district comprises all of Crawford, Grant, Green, Lafayette, and Iowa counties, as well as parts of southwest Dane County, western Rock County, and southern Vernon County. It includes the cities of Boscobel, Brodhead, Cuba City, Darlington, Dodgeville, Lancaster, Mineral Point, Monroe, Oregon, Platteville, Prairie du Chien, and Shullsburg.
Do not settle for party labels. Ask for commitments and then hold elected officials accountable.
Follow the ongoing discussion and help shape the Wisconsin Cannabinoid Industry Council’s election coverage:
For Wisconsin’s hemp and cannabis industry, this race is too competitive — and too consequential — to sit out.
Stay tuned
I will continue to provide you additional 2026 Wisconsin State Election coverage throughout the campaign season. This next election is extremely important for cannabis 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 2027-28 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 has ended for 2025-26 we still urge you to contact your elected officials, as they technically can continue to work, hold committee hearings and potentially vote on any issue that is deemed to be a great priority to Wisconsinites. The top action alerts are still functionable on The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Action Network for you immediate use.
A huge thank you once again to all my Election Coverage Sponsors, please support them if you can. One easy way to find them all and where they are throughout our great state of Wisconsin is to use The Stoner’s Travel Guide to Wisconsin website map and tag system, here you go, check them all out: https://thestonerstravelguide.com/places/tags/2026-election-coverage-sponsor/
