Socialist Wisconsin lawmaker challenged in primary

MILWAUKEE — One of Wisconsin's few socialist lawmakers, Milwaukee Democrat Ryan Clancy, will be challenged in his seat's Democratic primary later in August.

Clancy, and fellow Milwaukee Rep. Darrin Madison, became the first socialist lawmakers elected to the Assembly in decades when they won their seats in 2022.

Clancy said his challenger, lawyer and health care advocate Jarrod Anderson, is running in part due to Clancy's outspoken advocacy of Palestine.

"We've seen that across the country, where folks who who have spoken up on behalf of Palestine and on a ceasefire, having their state Assembly race deluged with hundreds of thousands of dollars," Clancy said in an interview with News 3 Now.

News 3 Now reached out to Anderson for a similar interview, but he was not immediately available. His campaign said it would defer interviews to Milwaukee reporters.

Anderson has the backing of many local elected officials, including Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Exec. David Crowley. Both officials' endorsements of Anderson cited his willingness to collaborate as part of their reasons to back the newcomer, indicating a possible split between Clancy and some local officials — according to reporting by Urban Milwaukee. Clancy had also served in local government on the Milwaukee County Board.

Whichever candidate wins Aug. 13's Democratic primary is all but assured to win the heavily-Democratic seat in November.

"There seems to be a lot riding on this right," Clancy said. "I think there are a lot of folks, certainly on the right, and even some folks in the middle, who are uncomfortable with the idea of somebody who is a Democrat and also a socialist, and I am."

"The socialist caucus is the best of what Democrats can do, right?" Clancy added when asked how it would shift the balance of the Legislature to lose a socialist lawmaker. "It's focusing on basic human needs. It's focusing on, you know, sometimes what sounds like really boring policy around housing, around infrastructure, but that makes a big difference to average people."

​COPYRIGHT 2024 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.