Rep. Mike Bare, District 60
Rep. Mike Bare is an incumbent candidate who is involved in a contentious primary, and he has the Action Fund’s full support due to his strong stance on state/church separation.
Bare, who is not religious, says that religion should play “no role whatsoever” in public policy decisions. He expresses “full and unconditional support” for abortion access, and opposes public funding of school voucher programs for religious schools.
Bare is a former longtime aide to progressive former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold. He has served on the Dane County Board and the Verona City Council. Bare is a small business owner and runs the Biergarten at Olbrich Park in Madison. Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Bare worked at the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, advocating for Wisconsin’s low-income population on equitable access to healthcare and housing security.
Assembly District 80, a solidly Democratic district, is southwest of Madison, including the communities of Verona, Cross Plains and part of Middleton.
Rep. Bare must win his primary election on August 13 in order to advance to the general election in November.