Voters across central and eastern Wisconsin are preparing to head to the polls on November 3 to select their representative for the state Capitol in Wisconsin Assembly District 39. The legislative contest features incumbent Republican state Representative Alex Dallman, who is seeking another term in office, facing off against Democratic challenger Michael Skivington in a race that spans multiple rural and suburban communities.
Assembly District 39 encompasses a wide geographic footprint across several counties. In Fond du Lac County, the district includes western municipalities such as the city of Ripon, the villages of Rosendale, Brandon, and Fairwater, alongside the towns of Ripon, Rosendale, Eldorado, Metomen, Springvale, Lamartine, and Alto. Beyond Fond du Lac County, the legislative territory extends across all of Green Lake and Marquette counties, as well as portions of Adams, Columbia, and Winnebago counties.
Republican incumbent Alex Dallman, 34, currently resides in Markesan and serves as a full-time legislator. Dallman was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020 and has spent the past several years representing the district’s interests in the state legislature in Madison. Prior to his legislative tenure, he completed his undergraduate studies at Edgewood University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 2015.
Throughout his time in public life, Dallman has maintained ties to numerous local and political organizations. His community and civic involvement includes serving as the former chairman of the Green Lake County Republican Party, along with active affiliations with the Green Lake County Farm Bureau, the Berlin Conservation Club, the National Rifle Association, and St. John's Lutheran Church in Markesan.
In making his case for reelection, Dallman emphasizes his legislative track record and his position as an advocate for rural constituents. He points to past state achievements, including tax cuts and investments in infrastructure, while arguing that a strong rural presence is required in Madison to push back against government bureaucracy and state spending growth. He notes that remaining accessible to local residents remains a core commitment of his tenure.
Dallman’s platform centers on promoting economic growth and local affordability. He advocates for reducing state regulations and cutting taxes to foster a competitive commercial climate and open new business markets. Additionally, his campaign highlights priorities such as safeguarding the agriculture and tourism sectors as key regional economic drivers, boosting technical and career education, defending Second Amendment rights, upholding election integrity, and supporting pro-life policies.
Addressing property taxes is another central focus for Dallman. He identifies property tax burdens as a critical challenge for Wisconsin residents and advocates for state-level reforms to the school funding system. According to Dallman, addressing the funding formula is necessary to alleviate the financial pressures placed on local property taxpayers while maintaining functional educational systems.
Challenging Dallman is Democrat Michael Skivington, a 57-year-old resident of the Town of Green Lake who works as an independent real estate agent. Skivington brings prior local governance experience to the campaign, having served two terms as a supervisor on the Green Lake County Board.
Skivington boasts a lengthy career in education alongside his work in real estate. His academic credentials include a doctorate in education obtained from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006, a master’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2002, and an undergraduate degree in sociology from UW-Oshkosh earned in 1997. Over his professional career, he has worked as a high school educator for grades 9 through 12, taught as a college professor, and lived and studied abroad, utilizing his bilingual English and Spanish language skills.
On a personal level, Skivington has been married for 36 years to his wife and real estate partner, Carol. The couple has two adult children: Claire, an attorney who graduated from UW Law and co-founded an AAU basketball program with her husband Derrick, and Spencer, a public school teacher and UW-Oshkosh graduate. Skivington has also been an active member of the Federated Church of Green Lake for over 25 years, serving as an usher, a member of the Diaconite Board, and a volunteer cook for local events.
Skivington’s decision to enter the race is grounded in his perspective on representative governance and the electoral process. He maintains that active political participation and robust competition are fundamental components of a healthy democratic system. In his view, competitive elections push candidates to perform better and ultimately make elected officials more responsive and accountable to their constituents.
Both candidates enter the race with clean legal records. Campaign disclosures confirm that neither Dallman nor Skivington has any criminal convictions, pending charges, or conflicts of interest associated with their candidacies.
The race presents District 39 voters with distinct choices regarding background and vision for state representation. While Dallman emphasizes conservative policy solutions, tax relief, deregulation, and his established legislative record in Madison, Skivington offers a perspective shaped by decades in public education, local county government experience, and an emphasis on political accountability.
As the November 3 election approaches, residents across Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Adams, Columbia, and Winnebago counties will decide which candidate will carry the district’s voice into the Wisconsin State Assembly for the upcoming legislative term.
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