Wisconsin Dems rally around Lassa to fill Obey’s seat

Five days after long-serving Wisconsin Rep. Dave Obey announced he’d be retiring after 21 terms in the U.S. House, state Democrats have their replacement candidate: Julie Lassa, a state senator from Stevens Point, threw her hat into the ring Monday. While other state politicians have been mentioned for the seat — including Rep. Louis Molepske, Jr. of Stevens Point and Rep. Donna Seidel of Wausau — CQ says top Democrats are “rallying around” Lassa. “Julie Lassa will be our nominee and we will win the 7th congressional district of Wisconsin,” a party source told CQ, which rates the race as “leans Democratic.”

Lassa’s candidacy follows a meeting with Obey’s staff and Democratic officials over the weekend. “Julie emerged as the consensus candidate,” state Democratic Party chair Mike Tate told Politico Monday. “Anyone can still run, but I think Julie’s going to be an outstanding candidate and I think she’ll be the nominee,”

Lassa has served in the Wisconsin Senate since 2003 and was elected to the Assembly in 1998. She faces GOPer Sean Duffy, attorney general in northern Wisconsin’s Ashland County, one-time reality-TV cast member, and winner of a crowdsourced endorsement by Tim Pawlenty’s Freedom PAC.