State Rep. Jessie Rodriguez announced she will not seek reelection to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2026.
In a statement released today, Rodriguez said:
“After a great deal of reflection and many conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection this fall. Serving the people of the 21st Assembly District has been on the greatest honors of my life, which makes this decision deeply difficult. But there are seasons when the right decision is also the hard decision, and for me, this of one of those seasons.”
Rodriguez, a Republican from Oak Creek, has served in the Legislature since winning a special election in 2013. She is currently in her seventh term representing the 21st Assembly District.
The district covers the south side of Milwaukee and includes Oak Creek. She served her third biennium on the powerful Joint Committee on Finance. Rodriguez is also a member of the State Fair Park Board and the Wisconsin Center District Board.
Born in Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador, Rodriguez moved to the United States with her family in 1985 during the civil war. She later settled in Milwaukee, graduated from Hamilton High School and earned a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies and Spanish from Marquette University.
In the 2024 general election, Rodriguez won reelection with about 51 percent of the vote. The same district, however, supported Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris over Donald Trump.
Her decision opens the south Milwaukee suburbs seat ahead of the November 2026 election.
