MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday, WORT-FM published an in-depth look at the race in Assembly District 51 between Democrat Elizabeth Grabe and incumbent Republican Todd Novak. As a result of new, fair maps signed into law by Governor Evers, Democrats now have an opportunity to retake the State Assembly this November and show unaccountable Republicans like Todd Novak the door.
Elizabeth Grabe, a realtor who moved back to her hometown to save her family farm in 2005, has shown up in every corner of her District, listening to constituents. With Elizabeth Grabe, Wisconsinites in the 51st Assembly District feel confident that they will finally have someone in the Legislature who represents them.
WORT-FM: Tracking Competition and Dialogue in Assembly District 51
By: Abigail Leavins, Chali Pittman, WORT News Department, and Isthmus
It’s a Monday night in downtown Mount Horeb. Inside Brix Cider, a farm-to-table restaurant with a homestyle feel, people are snacking as they wait for a time-honored political tradition in election season: a candidate forum.
At the front of the room are two chairs. Elizabeth Grabe, a Democratic candidate for one of Wisconsin’s Assembly seats, is sitting in one. Across from her is an empty chair with a growler filled with purple flowers, alongside an empty cup.
Her Republican opponent, five-term incumbent Todd Novak, isn’t here.
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Like Novak, Grabe’s also born and raised in the area. She moved to Miami, where she worked as a personal trainer, and owned a bike shop, before moving back to Mount Horeb in 2005 to save the family farm. She also works as a realtor, which gives her skills she says are helpful in campaigning.
Grabe grew up with conservative parents and a strong love for agriculture. She says her background helps her connect with rural voters who might be hesitant or hostile toward the Democratic Party. Much of the Assembly district she’s running for covers agriculture-heavy areas.
“So that’s why I feel like I could be a good candidate for this. Because, first of all, my parents were conservative, that’s where I learned a lot about stewardship was from my father, who was a conservative Republican, but he still cared a lot about land restoration and donated land to the Dane County Park.”
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Grabe knocks on doors a few times a week. She says she is trying to target voters who are undecided, or want an alternative to Novak. She estimates people answer the door a fifth of the time.
On a warm Saturday evening in August, Grabe sits on a bench among the trees and crickets outside a concert benefit for her campaign in Mount Horeb. Her high school driver’s education teacher wishes her luck as he walks by.
“Just keep plugging away. That’s a high road to go,” he says. “But someone’s got to do it.”
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Which brings us back to Monday, and the two chairs — one with Democratic candidate Elizabeth Grabe. The other chair, reserved for incumbent Republican Todd Novak, empty but for flowers inside a beer growler.
Heather Murray attended the forum. She’s owned a childcare business in Waunakee for 18 years. Her top issue? The child care crisis in Wisconsin, which is facing prohibitive expenses for families, low wages for workers, and high operating costs for providers.
If Novak showed, she would have asked him why he didn’t support Child Care Counts, a program that has poured emergency funding into the child care industry.
The program used pandemic-era funds to stabilize costs and increase wages for workers. Governor Evers has called on the Republican Legislature for a long-term investment to keep the program going. The Legislature has rebuffed him, offering separate legislation like income tax cuts and tax credits. Grabe says that she supports funding for Child Care Counts.
Murray says she’s disappointed Novak wouldn’t show up to answer questions.
The forums are co-hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union. And as much as questions focused on issues for small businesses, they also focused on policy supports for farmers.
Phillip Scott lives in Madison, but had a college internship in Mount Horeb. He’s the founder and president of the Wisconsin Hemp Farmers and Manufacturers Association, which was started in 2017 to support hemp farmers across the state.
“I think she has a very good take as being an actual farmer to help move agriculture commodity to the table, and then also represent the small farmers that grow corn and soy and everything else in between.”
He says roundtables like this allow constituents to know where candidates sit.
“At the end of the day, when you get an offer to show up and speak to your constituents, you should be able to show up and sit next to your counterpart and have a conversation. It’s disheartening to me.”
Grabe says she’s “a little disappointed” that Novak didn’t show up.
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