Dane County Supervisor Brett Hulsey clinched the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin's 77th district assembly, as reported by the Associated Press.
Hulsey received 44 percent of the vote in the race to claim the seat currently held by the retiring state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison.
Black has a legacy of being a champion for the environment in the legislature, and Hulsey, who founded Better Environment Solutions, an energy and environmental consulting firm, has stated that he would follow in Black's footsteps and make the environment his top priority.
Fellow County Board Supervisor Dianne Hesselbein claimed 30 percent of the vote. Hesselbein and Hulsey split area endorsements from fellow Board Supervisors to former and current Madison mayors. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz supported Hulsey, and former mayor Paul Soglin backed up Hesselbein.
During the campaign, Hulsey issued a UW protection plan to eliminate furloughs and increase state investment in the state university system. He also intends to put in place a massive lake cleanup effort and to reduce blue-green algae threats.
Three others ran for the nomination, including attorney Fred Wade, entrepreneur John Imes, and former Middleton Mayor Doug Zwank. They received 17 percent, 5 percent, and 3 percent of the vote, respectively.
Hulsey will face Republican David Redick and the Green Party candidate Ben Manski. So far, Manski has focused on his community activist credentials for the assembly seat in November.
Redick has been marketing himself as a Ron Paul-esque candidate, and wrote a book named Monetary Revolution-USA supporting a gold standard currency.
The 77th Assembly District covers most of campus, West Madison, and Middleton.
Another decisive local primary took place Tuesday night with the Republican nomination for the Second Congressional District going to businessman Chad Lee.
Lee garnered 53 percent of the vote against former UW-Madison instructor Peter Theron, who received 47 percent.
Lee, a self-proclaimed ""defender of the Constitution"" who states on his website that believes in limited government, will face current U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, in the general elections.
