On September 4, Milwaukee Alderperson (8^th District) JoCasta Zamarripa, who became the first Latina and first openly bisexual member elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2010, announced her campaign to run for Wisconsin Secretary of State in the upcoming election, which is scheduled for November of 2026.

This news comes on the tail end of a list of major political figures in Wisconsin either vacating their seats or seeking to move into other positions. Earlier this year, Governor Tony Evers announced that he would not be seeking reelection, and Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez announced that she would seek his open seat. Current Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, in turn, will be seeking to replace Rodriguez as Lieutenant Governor, leaving the Secretary of State office up for grabs. Luckily, Zamarripa would not need to give up her seat on the Common Council in Milwaukee to run for statewide office.

Zamarripa’s political history includes serving five terms on the State Legislature before joining the Milwaukee Common Council in 2020. During her political tenure, she focused much of her efforts on making housing more accessible and affordable, neighborhood economic development, and expanding city services.

According to a statement given by Zamarripa, she’s running for Secretary of State, “To be a strong voice for all Wisconsinites, from small towns to big cities, from our farmworkers to our frontline workers. This office may not come with sweeping powers, but it comes with a platform, and I’ll use it to fight for affordable child care, safe and stable housing, and better funding for our public schools.”

Zamarripa, who grew up on the south side of Milwaukee, noted in her campaign communications that this campaign is, “About more than just breaking barriers: we have to lower costs, make housing more affordable, and protect our public lands.”

This last point is important as the Secretary of State of Wisconsin serves on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which manages over $1.3 Billion in public trust funds.