Wisconsin › Dane County › Wisconsin Assembly District 51
3 candidates are tracked for Wisconsin Assembly District 51 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Nathan Tataje, Todd Novak and Ben Gruber. Candidate information follows official Dane County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Nathan Tataje (American Solidarity), Todd Novak (Republican), Ben Gruber (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Todd Novak is the sitting member, per the Wisconsin Elections Commission's incumbent listing and the Legislature's roster. Wisconsin has no runoffs; the August 11 partisan primary set each party's nominee, and unopposed nominees still print. The field is the Wisconsin Elections Commission's certified Candidates on Ballot list for the November 3, 2026 general election (read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Nathan Tataje is a first-generation American whose parents immigrated from Peru and Nicaragua, and he lives in rural Arena, per his American Solidarity Party candidate page. He serves as Grand Knight of Knights of Columbus Council 7811 and describes his campaign as rooted in working-class experience rather than a political career.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Permanent property tax relief through a dedicated Rural School Endowment
- Protecting local zoning authority from state and corporate overreach
- Environmental stewardship regarding large-scale data centers' impact on property values and aquifers
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-06.
Campaign site →
Todd Novak has served as Mayor of Dodgeville since 2012 and previously worked as government and associate editor of the Dodgeville Chronicle, per his official legislator biography. He was appointed to the Southwest Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission and was first elected to the Assembly in 2014. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
Ben Gruber has worked as a volunteer EMT, firefighter, paramedic, police officer and conservation warden, per his campaign website. He grew up in a rural, working-class family as the oldest of three children.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Lowering everyday costs for families
- Rebuilding rural communities and protecting natural resources
- Strengthening workers' right to organize
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-06.
Campaign site →
