Assembly Bill 35
Withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE)
Topics: Attorney General, Crime and criminals: Felony, Elections, Elections Commission, Fines, Governor, Legislature: Criminal Penalties, Joint Review Committee on, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Sentences and penalties, Treasurer: State, United States: Congress, United States: President
Became law
The governor signed it on Oct 31, 2025. It's .
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Introduced, passed
Feb 17, 2025
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Committee, passed
Approved
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Assembly vote, passed
Passed Jun 24, 2025
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Senate vote, passed
Passed 19 to 14
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Governor, passed
Signed
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Law, here now
2025 Wisconsin Act 43
Latest entry in the official record, Oct 31, 2025: “Published 11-1-2025”
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The same bill was also filed in the Senate as SB 34. That version died when the session ended.
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
What it does
Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.
Current law provides that any person seeking an elective office who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The person’s name must appear on the ballot except in the case of death.
Under this bill, a person who files nomination papers with the Elections Commission for an office to be filled at the general election nevertheless does not qualify to appear on the ballot at the partisan primary or general election, and the person’s name is prohibited from appearing on the ballot, if before the last day provided in current law for the Elections Commission to certify candidates’ names to the counties for the partisan primary or general election, the person files a sworn statement with the commission attesting that the person withdraws his or her candidacy. Under current law, independent candidates for president and vice president and candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, the state senate and assembly, governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state treasurer, and district attorney file such nomination papers with the commission. The bill includes all of those offices except district attorney. The bill also requires the Elections Commission to establish and implement a process by which the commission verifies the authenticity of such sworn statements filed with the commission.
Read the full summary Show less
The bill additionally requires that a person withdrawing his or her candidacy for for national or statewide office pay a fee of $1,000 to the Elections Commission. A person withdrawing his or her candidacy for an office that is not elected statewide must pay a fee of $250 to the commission.
Under the bill, a person who intentionally makes or files a false statement withdrawing a person’s candidacy is guilty of a Class G felony, the penalty for which is a fine not to exceed $25,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 10 years, or both.
Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report.
Who's behind it
18 representatives are its . All 18 are Republicans.
1 more lawmaker .
See all 19 names Hide the names
Authors (18)
- Dave Armstrong · Republican, Assembly
- Lindee Brill · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Brooks · Republican, Assembly
- Barbara Dittrich · Republican, Assembly
- Chanz Green · Republican, Assembly
- Rick Gundrum · Republican, Assembly
- Karen Hurd · Republican, Assembly
- Joel Kitchens · Republican, Assembly
- Dan Knodl · Republican, Assembly
- Rob Kreibich · Republican, Assembly
- Dave Murphy · Republican, Assembly
- Jeff Mursau · Republican, Assembly
- Amanda Nedweski · Republican, Assembly
- Jerry O'Connor · Republican, Assembly
- Jim Piwowarczyk · Republican, Assembly
- Shae Sortwell · Republican, Assembly
- David Steffen · Republican, Assembly
- Ron Tusler · Republican, Assembly
Signed on in support (1)
- Van Wanggaard · Republican, Senate
What it would cost
State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.
Versions and amendments
Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.
How lawmakers voted
There were 5 votes on this bill.
Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote on an amendment
Passed, 5 to 0 · May 7, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections vote to recommend it
Passed, 6 to 0 · May 7, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate Committee on Licensing vote to recommend it
Passed, 3 to 2 · Oct 10, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote on an amendment
Passed, 18 to 15 · Oct 14, 2025
No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.
Official motion: “Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15”. Official record · This vote on its own page
Senate vote to pass it
Passed, 19 to 14 · Oct 14, 2025
See how each of the 33 senators voted Hide the names
D: Democrat, R: Republican
Yes (19)
- Chris Kapenga (R, 33)
- Cory Tomczyk (R, 29)
- Dan Feyen (R, 20)
- Devin LeMahieu (R, 9)
- Eric Wimberger (R, 2)
- Howard Marklein (R, 17)
- Jesse James (R, 23)
- John Jagler (R, 13)
- Julian Bradley (R, 28)
- Kristin Dassler-Alfheim (D, 18)
- Mary Felzkowski (R, 12)
- Patrick Testin (R, 24)
- Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R, 19)
- Rob Hutton (R, 5)
- Rob Stafsholt (R, 10)
- Romaine Quinn (R, 25)
- Sarah Keyeski (D, 14)
- Steve Nass (R, 11)
- Van Wanggaard (R, 21)
No (14)
- André Jacque (R, 1)
- Bob Wirch (D, 22)
- Brad Pfaff (D, 32)
- Chris Larson (D, 7)
- Dianne Hesselbein (D, 27)
- Dora Drake (D, 4)
- Jamie Wall (D, 30)
- Jeff Smith (D, 31)
- Jodi Habush Sinykin (D, 8)
- Kelda Roys (D, 26)
- LaTonya Johnson (D, 6)
- Mark Spreitzer (D, 15)
- Melissa Ratcliff (D, 16)
- Tim Carpenter (D, 3)
Official motion: “CONCURRENCE”. Official record · This vote on its own page
What happened
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Oct 31, 2025
The new law was published.
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Oct 31, 2025
The governor signed it. It became 2025 Wisconsin Act 43.
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Oct 29, 2025
Sent to the governor.
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Oct 14, 2025
The Senate passed it too, 19 to 14.
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Oct 10, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 3 to 2.
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Sep 18, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Jun 27, 2025
Sent to the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.
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Jun 24, 2025
The Senate received it.
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Jun 24, 2025
The Assembly passed it.
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Jun 24, 2025
The Assembly adopted it.
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May 7, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.
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May 7, 2025
The committee voted to recommend passing it, 6 to 0.
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Apr 8, 2025
The committee held a public hearing.
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Feb 28, 2025
A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.
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Feb 17, 2025
Sent to the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
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Feb 17, 2025
Introduced in the Assembly.
See the official record, word for word Hide the official record
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Introduced by Representatives Steffen, Armstrong, Brill, Brooks, Dittrich, Green, Gundrum, Hurd, Kitchens, Knodl, Kreibich, Murphy, Mursau, Nedweski, O'Connor, Piwowarczyk, Sortwell and Tusler; cosponsored by Senator Wanggaard
- Feb 17, 2025 · Assembly
Read first time and referred to Committee on Campaigns and Elections
- Feb 28, 2025 · Assembly
Fiscal estimate received
- Apr 8, 2025 · Assembly
Public hearing held
- Apr 15, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Steffen
- May 6, 2025 · Assembly
Executive action taken
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Report Assembly Amendment 1 adoption recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 5, Noes 0
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Report passage as amended recommended by Committee on Campaigns and Elections, Ayes 6, Noes 0
- May 7, 2025 · Assembly
Referred to committee on Rules
- Jun 20, 2025 · Assembly
Withdrawn from Committee on Rules and referred to calendar of 6-24-2025
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Read a second time
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Assembly Amendment 1 adopted
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered to a third reading
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Rules suspended
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Read a third time and passed
- Jun 24, 2025 · Assembly
Ordered immediately messaged
- Jun 24, 2025 · Senate
Received from Assembly
- Jun 27, 2025 · Senate
Read first time and referred to committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs
- Sep 18, 2025 · Senate
Public hearing held
- Oct 8, 2025 · Senate
Executive action taken
- Oct 10, 2025 · Senate
Report concurrence recommended by Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs, Ayes 3, Noes 2
- Oct 10, 2025 · Senate
Available for scheduling
- Oct 13, 2025 · Senate
Placed on calendar 10-14-2025 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senators Larson, Carpenter, Dassler-Alfheim, Drake, Habush Sinykin, Hesselbein, L. Johnson, Keyeski, Pfaff, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wall and Wirch
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a second time
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Senate Amendment 1 rejected, Ayes 18, Noes 15
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered to a third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Rules suspended to give bill its third reading
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Read a third time and concurred in, Ayes 19, Noes 14
- Oct 14, 2025 · Senate
Ordered immediately messaged
- Oct 14, 2025 · Assembly
Received from Senate concurred in
- Oct 20, 2025 · Assembly
LRB correction (Assembly Amendment 1)
- Oct 20, 2025 · Assembly
Report correctly enrolled on 10-20-2025
- Oct 29, 2025 · Assembly
Presented to the Governor on 10-29-2025
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Report approved by the Governor on 10-31-2025. 2025 Wisconsin Act 43
- Oct 31, 2025 · Assembly
Published 11-1-2025
Terms on this page
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act. More in the glossary
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary
Author
A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.
Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary
From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source
Wisconsin Act
The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.
Official term: Act
Legislative Reference Bureau
The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.
Official term: LRB analysis
Signed on in support
Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.
Official term: Cosponsor
Cost estimate
A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.
Official term: Fiscal estimate
Roll call
A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.
Official term: Roll call vote