LuAnn Bird is the Democratic candidate for Wisconsin State Assembly District 61. She says that corporations are increasing prices on Wisconsin families and that she wants to “bring people together to lower costs.” 

Bird’s husband is a Vietnam veteran who was paralyzed in an accident years ago. After that, she realized that several Oshkosh schools were not accessible to people in wheelchairs, so she ran for school board and worked to change that. According to Bird, “extraordinary schools contribute to extraordinary communities.” 

She was appointed to the Sanitary District Commission and worked to get a new sewage system installed after the septic systems in her neighborhood were failing. She currently lives in Hales Corners and is a caregiver for her husband. 

Following redistricting, the Republican incumbent in the race is Bob Donovan, who currently represents District 84. Rep. Donovan voted for SB 1, a bill which rejected Gov. Tony Evers’ proposal to invest $365 million in child care providers, and instead replaced it with an increase to the state child care tax credit, as well as a proposed tax cut that mostly benefited the top fifth of Wisconsin taxpayers. Donovan also voted to remove paid family leave and to significantly cut funding for school mental health programs in Gov. Evers’ budget proposal — a plan which would have given families three months of paid family leave. 

Rep. Donovan is a Milwaukee native, whose grandfather served in the Milwaukee Police Department. Before being elected to the State Assembly, Rep. Donovan served as an alderman on the Milwaukee Common Council. 

Martin Tontoe Gomez is also running for State Assembly District 61 as a Republican.