# Ben DeSmidt

Ben DeSmidt is a Democratic member of the Wisconsin House for district 65.

- Party: Democrat
- Seat: Wisconsin House, district 65
- Serving since: 2025-01-06
- Current term: WI 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/d4c9b78d-bb0b-40e8-b717-f606299c9737

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/d4c9b78d-bb0b-40e8-b717-f606299c9737 (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

DeSmidt voted against the majority of Wisconsin House Democrats 11 times; party unity 95.4%, in the bottom quarter of the Wisconsin House (average 97.6%).

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score −0.61 (standard error 0.03), from 515 donors and 196 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 53% of State House Democrats score lower.

## Votes (WI 2025–26 session)

245 roll calls. Attendance 100% (Wisconsin House 97.7%). Party unity 95.4% (97.6%). 11 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2026-05-13 · voted yea · PASSAGE · AB 1 Relating to: an income tax subtraction for qualified tips and for qualified overtime compensation; state aid for school districts; surplus refund… · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2026S1/AB1/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · CONCURRENCE · SB 181 Relating to: a levy limit exemption for regional emergency medical systems and eligibility for the expenditure restraint incentive program. (FE) · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/SB181/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · PASSAGE · AB 659 Relating to: tuition and fee remission or grants for certain veterans and their dependents enrolled in the University of Wisconsin System, a technical… · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB659/
- 2026-02-19 · voted nay · PASSAGE · AB 997 Relating to: funding for the Department of Financial Institutions for contributions to Trump accounts and making an appropriation. (FE) · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB997/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · CONCURRENCE · SB 439 Relating to: levy increase limit for the village of Oregon and the towns of Oregon and Rutland. (FE) · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/SB439/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · PASSAGE · AB 812 Relating to: allowing more than 35 percent of the area within a tax incremental district in the Village of Somers to be used for residential use. (FE) · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB812/
- 2026-02-19 · voted nay · PASSAGE · AB 870 Relating to: adopting changes to the federal Internal Revenue Code for state tax purposes and modifying administrative rules related to such changes.… · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB870/
- 2026-02-19 · voted nay · PASSAGE · AB 996 Relating to: contributions by the Department of Financial Institutions to Trump accounts. · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB996/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · PASSAGE · AB 957 Relating to: Internet crimes against children law enforcement and making an appropriation. (FE) · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB957/
- 2026-02-19 · voted yea · CONCURRENCE · SB 501 Relating to: creating a veterinary loan repayment grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board and exempting from taxation amounts… · pass · https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/SB501/

## Legislation (WI 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 389 bills: 389 reached committee, 44 passed one chamber, 13 passed both, 13 became law. Cosponsored 0. 13.9% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Wisconsin House 45.2%; rank 68 of 99).

Recent sponsored bills:

- AB 1214: Relating to: prior authorization for treatment of severe misalignment or malocclusion of teeth under health insurance policies and plans. (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1214/
- AB 1187: Relating to: preference in state and local government contracts and procurement for materials manufactured in the United States. (FE) (in committee, 2026-04-08) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1187/
- AJR 151: Relating to: proclaiming February 2026 as Black History Month. (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AJR151/
- AJR 146: Relating to: state contracts for stationery and printing (first consideration). (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AJR146/
- AB 1178: Relating to: regional transit authorities and making an appropriation. (FE) (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1178/
- AB 1176: Relating to: general equalization aids, the reimbursement rate for special education costs, excluding special education reimbursement from certain per pupil… (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1176/
- AB 1152: Relating to: entering into an agreement among the states to elect the president and vice president of the United States by means of a national popular vote. (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1152/
- AB 1161: Relating to: online services accessed by minors, minors’ personal data, and granting rule-making authority. (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1161/
- AB 1104: Relating to: requiring school boards to compensate teachers for time spent on nonclassroom services. (FE) (in committee, 2026-03-30) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1104/
- AB 1157: Relating to: pupil discrimination and private schools participating in a parental choice program or the Special Needs Scholarship Program, discrimination… (in committee, 2026-03-23) https://openstates.org/wi/bills/2025/AB1157/

## Campaign money (2026 cycle)

Itemized receipts $39.6K (State House Democrats median $40.4K). 95% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Links

- Official site: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2025/legislators/assembly/2894
- Campaign site: https://www.benforwisconsin.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571767015855
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenforAssembly
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-desmidt-875b5443/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/d4c9b78d-bb0b-40e8-b717-f606299c9737