RACINE — Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos faces several obstacles to winning election this fall in his new Assembly district.
Redistricting has moved the Rochester Republican from the 63rd Assembly District to the 33rd Assembly District.
While the current district covered mostly northern Racine County, the new district extends farther south and west, reaching into Walworth County.
Redistricting took place statewide after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the old districts violated the state Constitution, in a dispute based of longstanding allegations of Republican gerrymandering.
Voters will cast ballots Nov. 5 to elect Assembly representatives for the next two years.
The first obstacle Vos faces is a Republican primary challenge from East Troy resident Andrew Cegielski. The winner of the Aug. 13 primary will advance to the November election.
One week after qualifying to get on the ballot, Cegielski announced that he was ending his campaign. He has declined to offer an explanation for the turnabout.
Cegielski will remain on the ballot, however, so Republican voters will still decide a Vos-Cegielski primary in August.
In November, Democrat Alan Kupsik and independent Kelly Clark are aiming to win the 33rd District.
Kupsik is a Lake Geneva resident and Clark is a Sturtevant resident.
Kupsik has served as a Lake Geneva alderman and mayor, and a Walworth County Board supervisor. He also ran as a Democrat against Republican Assembly member Tyler August.
Kupsik, who has been out of politics since 2018, said he was recruited by Democrats to enter the Assembly race, and he is getting strong party support for his campaign.
"I'm a firm believer in people having a choice," he said. "It's going to be a tight race."
Clark could not be reached for comment.
Vos issued a statement about the race after learning that Cegielski was ending his campaign. The Republican lawmaker, who was first elected 20 years ago, said he would campaign vigorously in his new district.
“I will spend this summer knocking on every door, getting to know the new voters in Walworth County and sharing with them my vision for the future," he said.
Vos is facing the second of two Republican-led efforts to recall him from his current legislative seat. State election officials have until June 28 to rule on the validity of recall petitions submitted last month.
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