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Kristin Alfheim

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Kristin Alfheim
Member-elect of the Wisconsin Senate
from the 18th district
Assuming office
January 3, 2025
SucceedingDan Feyen
Member of the Appleton Common Council from the 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 2021
Preceded byPatti Coenen
Personal details
Born
Kristin M. Dassler

August 1971 (age 53)
Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Jon A. Alfheim
​
​
(m. 1992; div. 2017)​
Children2
ResidenceAppleton, Wisconsin
Alma materNorthland College
OccupationBusinesswoman
Website

Kristin M. Alfheim (née Dassler; born August 1971) is an American businesswoman and politician from Appleton, Wisconsin. Currently serving as a member of the Appleton Common Council, she was elected to the Wisconsin Senate from Wisconsin's 18th Senate district in the 2024 elections. An independent for most of her life, she is now a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and career

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Kristin Alfheim was born Kristin Dassler in Wausau, Wisconsin, in 1971. She was raised and educated in Marathon County, Wisconsin, growing up on her family's beef farm in the town of Weston. She graduated from D.C. Everest Senior High School, in Schofield, Wisconsin, in 1989, then worked at McDonald's for several years, as her first job.[1] Since 1999, she has worked in the realm of financial services, and has owned her own small business as a retirement planner.[2] She worked in volunteer government advocacy for both the Alzheimer's Association and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.[1]

Political career

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In the 2021 Appleton elections, Alfheim ran for the Appleton Common Council for the 11th District without an incumbent and won the election with 70.5% of the vote.[3] She won reelection without a challenger in 2023.[4] During her tenure on the Common Council, Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford has called her "the moderator", due to her status as the swing vote.[5]

In 2022, Alfheim ran for Wisconsin Senate in what was then the 19th Wisconsin Senate district, following incumbent Republican Roger Roth's decision to run for lieutenant governor.[6] She was unopposed in the Democratic primary, and faced freshman state representative Rachael Cabral-Guevara in the general election. The district skewed very favorably for the Republicans, but Cabral-Guevara won by just over 8% of the vote.

Due to the 2024 redistricting, Appleton shifted from the 19th Senate district to the 18th Senate district. The new district comprised the major Fox Cities of Appleton, Oshkosh, Neenah, and Menasha. No incumbent lived within the boundaries of the new district, leaving an open seat.[7] Alfheim announced that she would run again, and this time faced no opposition in the Democratic primary. In the general election, she defeated Republican Anthony Phillips, receiving 53% of the vote.[8][9]

Personal life and family

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Kristin Dassler took the last name Alfheim when she married Jon A. Alfheim in August 1992.[10] They had two children together and were married for about 25 years. Approximately 20 years into her 25 year-long marriage, she began questioning her sexuality, likening her experience to discovering music for the first time.[5] She came out as a lesbian and divorced her husband in 2017. She subsequently married her wife in 2022.

Alfheim and her wife reside in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Electoral history

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Wisconsin Senate, 19th district (2022)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2022 General[11] Nov. 8 Rachael Cabral-Guevara Republican 42,858 54.02% Kristin Alfheim Dem. 36,447 45.94% 79,338 6,411

Wisconsin Senate, 18th district (2024)

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Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality
2024 General[12] Nov. 5 Kristin Alfheim Democratic 46,878 53.25% Anthony Phillips Rep. 41,079 46.66% 88,032 5,799

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kristin Alfheim". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Meet Kris". AlfheimForWisconsin. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Appleton, All Things (April 7, 2021). "04/06/2021 Election Results For Appleton". All Things Appleton. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Wall, Nathan (February 10, 2023). "Wisconsin to hold spring primary election Feb. 21". The Lawrentian. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Wall, Nathan (November 8, 2024). "Local government feature: Kristin Alfheim". The Lawrentian. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Baker, Ben. "What you need to know about Roger Roth, the lieutenant governor nominee running with Tim Michels". Journal Sentinel. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  7. ^ "Feyen campaign: Announces reelection campaign in new 20th Senate district" (Press release). Feyen for Senate. February 27, 2024. Retrieved November 8, 2024 – via Wispolitics.com.
  8. ^ Duke, Behnke (November 6, 2024). "Appleton area election: Tusler, Snodgrass, Murphy among winners in Legislature". The Post-Crescent. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "2024 Wisconsin General Elections Results - State Senate District 18". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  10. ^ "Alfheim-Dassler". Wausau Daily Herald. July 26, 1992. p. 26. Retrieved November 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 7. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  12. ^ County by County Report - 2024 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 9. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
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