Green Bay Reporter

The new bill authored by State Rep. Steffen seeks to establish procedures for candidates withdrawing from specific Wisconsin elections, aiming to ensure transparency and accountability in the process, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE)".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill establishes new procedures for candidates withdrawing from elections for certain offices in Wisconsin that are filled at the general election, excluding the district attorney. Candidates wishing to withdraw must file a sworn statement with the Elections Commission, attesting to their withdrawal, and pay a fee of $1,000 for national or statewide offices or $250 for non-statewide offices. The commission will verify these statements' authenticity. Filing a false withdrawal statement is classified as a Class G felony, punishable by a fine up to $25,000 or imprisonment up to 10 years, or both. Additionally, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report due to these changes.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Van H. Wanggaard (Republican-21st District), Representative Lindee Rae Brill (Republican-27th District), Representative Robert Brooks (Republican-59th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Chanz J. Green (Republican-74th District).

David Steffen has co-authored or authored another seven bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Steffen graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1995 with a BA.

Steffen, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2015 to represent the state's 4th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Chad Weininger.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB35	02/17/2025	Withdrawal of candidacy for certain offices filled at the general election and providing a penalty. (FE)