Amy Binsfeld
Amy Binsfeld | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 27th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Tyler Vorpagel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Amy Radue October 5, 1976 Howards Grove, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Nicholas Binsfeld (m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Mosel, Wisconsin |
| Education | Lakeshore Technical College (AA) |
Amy Binsfeld (née Radue; born October 5, 1976) is an American Republican politician from Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 27th Assembly district since January 2023.
Biography
Amy Binsfeld was born Amy Radue in Howards Grove, Wisconsin, and graduated from Manitowoc Lutheran High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Shortly after graduating, she went to work in her family's 100-year-old business, Bitter Neumann Appliance Furniture Mattress, which has been her primary employer ever since.[1] She returned to school later in life and earned a degree in paralegal studies in 2012.[2]
Political career
In April 2022, incumbent Wisconsin state representative Tyler Vorpagel announced that he would not run for re-election later that year.[3] A week later, Binsfeld announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination in Vorpagel's heavily Republican 27th Assembly district.[1] Surprisingly, no other candidates chose to stand for election in the 27th district, and Binsfeld was unopposed in the Republican primary. Another candidate did eventually join the general election race, when retired former five-term Democratic state representative Chester A. Gerlach chose to come out of retirement to try to win the seat as an independent.[4]
Binsfeld ultimately prevailed in the 2022 general election with 64% of the vote.[5] She took office in January 2023, at the start of the 106th Wisconsin Legislature.
In 2023 the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Wisconsin's legislative maps and new maps were enacted under pressure from the Court. Under the new maps, Binsfeld was drawn out of the 27th district and was drawn into the new 25th Assembly district. In the 25th district, she would have faced an incumbent-vs-incumbent primary election against Paul Tittl, whose home city of Manitowoc anchors the district.[6] Instead, Binsfeld chose to establish residency in the new 26th Assembly district, where there is no incumbent.[7] The 26th district comprises all of the city of Sheboygan, which had previously been divided between the 26th and 27th districts to dilute the political power of the Democratic votes of the city. Under the new maps, the 26th district is one of the most politically competitive districts in the state.[8]
In the 2024 election, Binsfeld faced a challenge from Democrat Joe Sheehan, a former superintendent of Sheboygan schools and executive director of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation.[9] Binsfeld was defeated by a narrow 900 vote margin.[10][11]
Personal life and family
Amy Radue took the name Binsfeld when she married Nicholas "Nick" Binsfeld in July 2002. They lived for several years in Plymouth, Wisconsin, before moving to their present home in the town of Mosel. They have two children. Nick works for the Department of Public Works in the city of Sheboygan.[2]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly, 27th district (2022)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 2022[5] | |||||
| Republican | Amy Binsfeld | 17,132 | 64.41% | ||
| Independent | Chet Gerlach | 9,373 | 35.24% | ||
| Scattering | 94 | 0.35% | |||
| Plurality | 7,759 | 29.17% | |||
| Total votes | 26,599 | 100.0% | -1.31% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly, 26th district (2024)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 5, 2024[12] | |||||
| Democratic | Joe Sheehan | 14,887 | 51.35% | +14.23pp | |
| Republican | Amy Binsfeld | 14,042 | 48.43% | −14.37pp | |
| Plurality | 845 | 2.91% | -22.77pp | ||
| Total votes | 28,993 | 100.0% | +13.37% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
References
- ^ a b "27th District candidacy announced". Amy Binsfeld for State Assembly (Press release). April 19, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Sheboygan Beacon.
- ^ a b "Amy Binsfeld for State Assembly" (PDF). Amy Binsfeld for State Assembly (Press release). April 19, 2022. Retrieved December 4, 2022 – via Sheboygan County GOP.
- ^ Gallup, Larry (April 11, 2022). "Rep. Tyler Vorpagel says he's not running for reelection". Sheboygan Press. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ Hilty, Maya (November 3, 2022). "Sheboygan County candidates for Wisconsin Assembly District 27 discuss inflation, election integrity, climate change and more". Sheboygan Press. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ a b Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 14. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
- ^ "2024 redistricting overview: Evers' legislative maps versus 2022 lines". Wispolitics.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "Binsfeld campaign: Announces bid for 26th Assembly District". Binsfeld For Wisconsin (Press release). April 17, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via Wispolitics.com.
- ^ Garner, Alex (July 17, 2024). "Who's on the Aug. 13 primary election ballot for Sheboygan County? We have the answer". Sheboygan Press. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "Sheehan campaign: Announces candidacy for the 26th Assembly District". Joe Sheehan for Wisconsin (Press release). April 24, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024 – via Wispolitics.com.
- ^ Kelly, Jack; Claflin, Hallie; DeFour, Matthew (November 7, 2024). "Democrats flip 14 legislative seats, affirming GOP gerrymander is dead". Wisconsin Watch. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Wisconsin General Elections Results - State Assembly District 26". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 26. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
External links
- Amy Binsfeld at Ballotpedia
- Amy Binsfeld at Wisconsin Vote
- Bitter Neumann Appliance Furniture Mattress