Wisconsin › Kenosha County › Wisconsin Assembly District 65
2 candidates are tracked for Wisconsin Assembly District 65 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Valerie Kretchmer and Ben DeSmidt. Candidate information follows official Kenosha County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Valerie Kretchmer (Republican), Ben DeSmidt (Democratic) meet on the November 3 ballot; Ben DeSmidt 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.
Valerie Kretchmer is a business professional with a background in budgeting, procurement and operational efficiency, and a longtime Pleasant Prairie resident, per her campaign website. She has served on the Pleasant Prairie Parks Commission, working on ADA-compliant playground design at Prairie Springs Park, and previously ran for the Kenosha Unified School District Board.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Focus on education fundamentals and reform special education funding
- Support accountability and community-driven policing for safer neighborhoods
- Provide real tax relief and responsible spending for affordability
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-07.
Campaign site →
Ben DeSmidt taught at Carthage College from 2005 to 2020 and co-owns Union Park Tavern in Kenosha, per his official legislator biography. He describes himself as a fourth-generation elected official in Wisconsin. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
