Joel Kitchens
Wisconsin State Assemblymember, District 1 since 2014. Ran in 7 elections between 2014 and 2024, winning 7. Re-elected in 2026. Next on the ballot in 2028.
- In office
- 12 yrs
- Since 2014
- Bills became law
- 23
- 122 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.0%
- Chamber median 0.0%
- With party
- 100%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +14.7
- Won 2026
- Next election
- 2028
- Nov 7, 2028
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Education · chair
- Agriculture
- Environment
- Health, Aging and Long-Term Care
- Tourism
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Administration, Department of — Agency and general functions · Became law Apr 2026
Housing · Became law Apr 2026
Immigration · Became law Apr 2026
Health Services, Department of — Health · Became law Apr 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Kitchens sits in the Wisconsin State Assembly
Kitchens is closer to the center than 9% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Ben Franklin, Barbara Dittrich, Treig Pronschinske
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 5:09 PM ET
With Kitchens’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans100%
- Cosponsorships of the other party's bills47%
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: Kitchens’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Kitchens | 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 Kitchens 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 State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+14.7 | R+15.0 | −0.3 |
| 2024 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+23.9 | R+15.0 | +8.9 |
| 2022 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+25.0 | — | — |
| 2020 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+23.7 | — | — |
| 2018 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+36.9 | — | — |
| 2016 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+20.3 | — | — |
| 2014 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 | Won | R+13.5 | — | — |
| 2014 | Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 (primary) | Won | +16.4 | — | — |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $77.2K
- Spent
- $50K
- Cash
- $64.1K
Source: Wisconsin Ethics Commission filings through Oct 31, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 1:46 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Joel Kitchens for Assembly State | Active |
Source: Wisconsin Ethics Commission filings through Oct 31, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 1:46 AM ET
Seats Kitchens has held
- Wisconsin State Assembly, District 1 · since 2014
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Kitchens has run against
- Renee Paplham (D) · 2026 election, won
- Roberta Thelen (D) · 2022 election, won
- Kim Delorit Jensen (D) · 2020 election, won
- Lynn Utesch (D) · 2016 election, won
- Joe Majeski (D) · 2014 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)
How we know Kitchens
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/e127b754-c756-4017-a414-83cff1bb30f5
- Wikidata Q18749046
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET