Democratic candidate ends primary campaign of 18th Senate race to support Kristin Alfheim

APPLETON - Fox Valley-area Senate candidate Joseph Carman is bowing out of the race early to throw his support behind challenger Kristin Alfheim.

Carman announced Wednesday he is ending his Democratic primary campaign to unify support for Appleton Common Council member Alfheim to make it onto the November ballot.

The 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire student and Appleton native said he came to the conclusion that Alfheim would be the most likely Democratic candidate to win Senate District 18. Carman is hoping for more Democratic wins in the Legislature this year to even out the playing field as Republican senators currently have a supermajority.

"I decided to drop out of the race because I think Kristin Alfheim is in the best position to win the district," Carman told The Post-Crescent. "I fully endorse her as the Democratic nominee."

Alfheim told The Post-Crescent she welcomes the endorsement.

"The right answer is to have some unity and put our best foot forward," Alfheim said. "Having some experience in the political world locally and at the state level puts me in a position of really being impactful in this race."

Under recently reshaped maps, Senate District 18 now covers the lakeshore communities of Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Appleton.

Carman's endorsement leaves Alfheim as the sole Democratic candidate for District 18, eliminating the need for a Democratic primary and securing her place on the November ballot. Currently, the only Republican to enter this Senate race is oncologist Anthony Phillips.

Wisconsin Senate candidates still have until June 3 to return nomination papers to secure a space on the ballot. They would need to collect between 400 and 800 signatures.

While political office is off the table for Carman this year, he said he still has ambitions to run in the future and will help his grandfather, Joe Pacovsky, with his campaign for a state representative seat in Minnesota in the meantime.

"I wanted to start young because I think it's the best time to jump in and learn," Carman said. "While I won't win this time, I've gained a lot of experience for down the road."

This is Alfheim's second bid for Fox Valley Senate district

Alfheim ran in 2022 for Senate District 19, which previously covered the Appleton-Neenah area, against Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara.

Cabral-Guevara narrowly secured the district winning 53% of the vote against Alfheim.

But Alfheim hopes her familiar name and previous campaign experience will help get her to the Legislature this time around.

"Having a couple of years under my belt and learning all the mechanics of how (the state government) works will make me a better candidate," Alfheim said.

New election maps give the Fox Valley a Democratic edge

Gov. Tony Evers signed new election maps into law in February that even out the playing field for Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature.

Wisconsin currently has 10 Democratic senators but the new maps bump up the number of Democratic-leaning Senate districts to 14.

This includes Senate District 18, which will be the sole Democratic-leaning Senate district in northeastern Wisconsin, with a 55% Democratic lean.

Under the previous 2022 and 2011 maps, all Senate districts covering the Fox Valley had a 52% Republican lean. This is according to an analysis of the maps by Marquette University Lubar Center research fellow John Johnson, who compared Wisconsin's current maps to the new ones and determined its partisan lean based on Republican or Democratic vote share in the 2022 election.

With the new slight Democratic edge, the Oshkosh area could see the first Democratic senator since Jessica King in 2012 and Appleton could see its first blue win since Gary Goyke was in office in 1982.

Senate District 18's lines changed drastically between the 2022 and 2024 maps. The 2022 boundaries surrounded Oshkosh, Omro, Waupun and Fond du Lac and is currently held by Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, who is now running in District 20.

Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Joseph Carman endorses Kristin Alfheim for Senate District 18