Ben Franklin
Wisconsin State Assemblymember, District 88 since 2024. Lost re-election in 2026; leaves office in January 2027.
- In office
- 1 yr
- Since 2024
- Bills became law
- 22
- 100 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.0%
- Chamber median 0.0%
- With party
- 100%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- −8.7
- Lost 2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Veterans and Military Affairs · vice chair
- Committee on Jobs and Economy
- Corrections
- Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Speaker's Task Force on Protecting Kids
- Urban Revitalization
- Ways and Means
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Income tax — Deduction · Became law Jun 2026
Interstate compact · Became law May 2026
Housing · Became law Apr 2026
Income tax — Credit · Became law Apr 2026
Immigration · Became law Apr 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Franklin sits in the Wisconsin State Assembly
Franklin is closer to the center than 9% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Barbara Dittrich, Treig Pronschinske, Karen Hurd
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:09 PM ET
With Franklin’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans100%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills43%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Wisconsin State Assembly.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Franklin’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Franklin | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2026 | SB 176: Relating to: an income and franchise tax exemption for broadband expansion grants and for… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 60–34 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | SB 291: Relating to: making certain child care expenditures eligible for the business development… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 63–31 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | SB 36: Relating to: an income tax exemption for cash tips paid to an employee. (FE) | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 60–31 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | AB 180: Relating to: requiring the Department of Health Services to seek any necessary waiver to… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 71–22 |
| Feb 18, 2026 | SB 785: Relating to: including information about investigations of license holders in an online… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 66–32 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Franklin was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wisconsin Assembly District 88 | Lost | D+8.7 | D+0.4 | −8.3 |
| 2024 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 88 | Won | R+0.7 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $1.9M
- Spent
- $73.2K
- Cash
- $15.9K
Source: Wisconsin Ethics Commission filings through Oct 28, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 1:46 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Franklin For Wisconsin State | Active |
Source: Wisconsin Ethics Commission filings through Oct 28, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 1:46 AM ET
Seats Franklin has held
- Wisconsin State Assembly, District 88 · since 2024
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Franklin has run against
- Brandy Tollefson (D) · 2026 general, lost
- Christy Welch (D) · 2024 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)
How we know Franklin
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/04b709c6-b487-49c1-9bcf-dfbbc7082beb
- Wikidata Q131374896
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:51 PM ET