Assembly District 76 - Dane County

Assembly District 76 - Democratic Primary decides this solid Dem District.

+79 Dem

5 Dems running for Hong’s old seat.

The district is entirely within central Dane County. It includes the village of Maple Bluff and downtown and east side areas of the city of Madison, including most of the Madison Isthmus. The district contains landmarks such as the Wisconsin State Capitol, Wisconsin Governor’s Mansion, Monona Terrace, Warner Park, Lake View Sanatorium, and part of the campus of Madison Area Technical College.

They are:

Tony Castañeda (D) Email: tonycforwisconsin@gmail.com; Website: https://www.tonycforwisconsin.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588135115751

tonycforwisconsin@gmail.com

Zoe Sullivan (D) Email: friendsofzoecampaign@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584172317541 Website: https://www.zoeforwisconsin.com/

Isaia Ben-Ami (D) Email: https://www.facebook.com/Isaiaforwisconsin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Isaiaforwisconsin Website: voteisaia.com

Juliana Bennett (D) Email: hello@julianabennett.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julianaforthepeople Website: https://www.julianabennett.com/policy

Juliana Bennett Campaign Website does contain cannabis as policy platform plank: Legalize it.

**It’s ridiculous that we haven’t legalized weed yet in Wisconsin.

Juliana will legalize it and allocate the tax revenue from cannabis sales to benefit our communities. She will also expunge those convicted of petty marijuana-related crimes.**

Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford (D) Email: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votedinanina/ Website: Vote Dina Nina and the campaign website has legalization as a campaign platform plank: “Legalize marijuana and expunge the records of those formerly convicted of possession.”

VS

Nina Chat (R) - nothing found on this candidate at this time.

Assembly District 76: The Democratic primary winner is Martinez-Rutherford. The results in Dane County, with 100% of precincts reporting, are:

Isaia Ben-Ami: 21.8%

Juliana Bennett: 27%

Tony Casteñada: 15.3%

Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford: 29.4%

Zoe Sullivan: 6.3%

Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford is set to become Wisconsin’s first transgender state legislator. Having won the August 11, 2026, Democratic primary for the heavily progressive 76th Assembly District in Madison, she is heavily favored to win the general election in November 2026 to succeed outgoing Representative Francesca Hong.

Local Office: Served as a Madison City Council member (Alder for District 15) after winning election in April 2023, making her the first openly transgender person elected to public office in Wisconsin.