Katrina Shankland (born August 4, 1987) is an American community organizer and Democratic politician from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 71st Assembly district since 2013. She is a current candidate in the 2024 Democratic primary for United States House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district.
Katrina Shankland | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 71st district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Molepske |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 4, 1987 Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jed |
| Education | University of Wisconsin–Marathon County Marquette University University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (MS) |
| Website | |
Biography
Katrina Shankland was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, in 1987, and raised in rural Wittenberg, Wisconsin. As a child, she participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, after winning Wisconsin's Badger State Spelling Bee in 2000.[1] She graduated from Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School in 2005, and was valedictorian of her class.[2][3] She went on to attend University of Wisconsin–Marathon County and Marquette University, before earning her bachelor's degree in political science and Latin American studies from University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2009. She continued her education after joining the Assembly, and earned her master's degree in 2019 from University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.[3][4]
While working on her bachelor's degree, she was employed with Learning Enterprises International, a non-profit focused on promoting teaching through international programs.[5][failed verification] After graduating from college, she was employed for several years as a coordinator for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.[6] She also became involved as a community organizer for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and was active for the campaign of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett in the 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election.[3]
In the midst of the recall election, Shankland entered the Democratic primary race for Wisconsin State Assembly in the 71st Assembly district. The 71st district was being vacated by State Representative Louis Molepske, who was leaving the Assembly to run for district attorney instead. The open seat in the Democratic-friendly 71st district ultimately attracted nine candidates. Shankland narrowly prevailed with 27% of the vote in the crowded August primary, with a winning margin of only 44 votes.[7] In the general election, she faced fellow first-time candidate Patrick Testin, carrying 60% of the vote and taking the seat for the 2013–2014 term.[8][9] She was reelected without opposition in 2014, 2016, and 2018, and defeated challengers in 2020 and 2022 to win a fifth and sixth term.[10][11]
On October 2, 2023, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Shankland planned to launch a campaign for United States House of Representatives in 2024, challenging first-term Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden in Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district.[12] Shankland confirmed the news and officially announced her campaign for Congress the next day.[13] Immediately after announcing her campaign, she announced that she had been endorsed by seven union locals in the congressional district, including electrical, railroad, iron, education, and firefighters unions.[4]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Assembly
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Primary[7] | Aug. 14 | Katrina Shankland | Democratic | 1,383 | 26.96% | Corey D. Ladick | Dem. | 1,339 | 26.10% | 5,130 | 44 |
| Jeri McGinkey | Dem. | 836 | 16.30% | |||||||||
| Andrew Logan Beveridge | Dem. | 771 | 15.03% | |||||||||
| David J. Verhage | Dem. | 319 | 6.22% | |||||||||
| Tom Mallison | Dem. | 142 | 2.77% | |||||||||
| Robert L. Steinke | Dem. | 118 | 2.30% | |||||||||
| Laura Hauser-Menting | Dem. | 117 | 2.28% | |||||||||
| Hans Schmid | Dem. | 101 | 1.97% | |||||||||
| General[8] | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland | Democratic | 17,619 | 60.82% | Patrick Testin | Rep. | 11,279 | 38.94% | 28,968 | 6,340 | |
| 2014 | General[14] | Nov. 4 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,134 | 97.79% | 17,521 | 16,747 | ||||
| 2016 | General[15] | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 21,834 | 98.90% | 22,076 | 21,592 | ||||
| 2018 | General[16] | Nov. 6 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 20,548 | 97.75% | 21,022 | 20,074 | ||||
| 2020 | General[10] | Nov. 3 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 17,753 | 55.51% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 14,206 | 44.42% | 31,979 | 3,547 |
| 2022 | General[11] | Nov. 8 | Katrina Shankland (inc.) | Democratic | 15,930 | 57.05% | Scott C. Soik | Rep. | 11,976 | 42.89% | 27,923 | 3,954 |