Update: With the signing into law Monday of new Wisconsin legislative maps, Joan Fitzgerald has announced she will be running in the new Assemble District 46, which does not include Whitewater. Prior to the change in maps, the candidate was running in District 33. 

Editor’s note: information below has been provided by a political candidate announcing her intention to run for office. Other candidates wishing to run for political office will have equal opportunity to announce their intensions. 

Jefferson County Board Supervisor Joan Fitzgerald has announced that she is a Democratic candidate for the 33rd state Assembly District seat in the fall election.

“I am running for state Assembly to bring responsive, collaborative, and common sense representation to Madison,” Fitzgerald said in a press release. “We can make positive change happen if we elect representatives who are committed to listening to their constituents. We can solve tough challenges if we focus on what is best for the people we serve. And, we can move Wisconsin forward by standing up for our shared values.”

Fitzgerald is a retired high school math teacher who taught in the School District of Jefferson for 33 years. In addition to teaching, she mentored new teachers, chaired the Math Department, coached the Academic Decathlon team and was named to a number of districtwide committees, according to the release.

She was a member of the Jefferson Education Association, serving as president, vice president, treasurer and a member of the Negotiations Team.

Fitzgerald was appointed to the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors in 2019, elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2022. She represents District 26, which includes Wards 1 and 2 in the city of Fort Atkinson.

“As a member of the board, I have focused on supporting our local businesses, investing in our parks, carefully managing taxpayer dollars, protecting the environment and ensuring Jefferson County continues to grow responsibly,” Fitzgerald noted in the release.

She cited communications equipment for the sheriff’s office, renovation of the Jefferson County Courthouse, expansion of the Interurban Bike Trail, a new Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility and $5 million in grants to improve high-speed internet connectivity as notable achievements during her tenure on the county board.

“My colleagues on the Jefferson County Board and I have shown what we can accomplish when we work together,” Fitzgerald said in the release. “Imagine what we can do at the state level if we apply the same ‘let’s-get-it-done’ attitude.”

She noted that there will be new legislative maps in place for the fall election.

“Whatever those lines are – unless Fort Atkinson is moved into the district with an incumbent Democrat – I will run a strong, positive, and winning campaign,” Fitzgerald said. “I am excited to get this campaign started – hearing from voters, sharing ideas, building support, being out in our community every day.”

Fitzgerald and her husband of 35 years, Jerry, have two grown children, Sam, 32, and Marie, 29. Both are graduates of Fort Atkinson public schools.

For more information, the campaign’s website is www.joanfitzgeraldforassembly.com.

The 33rd Assembly seat currently is held by Republican Scott Johnson of Jefferson. He was elected to the seat in 2022.

The 33rd Assembly District includes the communities, in part or full, of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Milton, Helenville, Hebron, Sullivan, Oakland and Palmyra. A portion of the city of Whitewater, which resides in Jefferson County, also is included.