ABOUT

Representative Melissa Ratcliff is a Democratic candidate for the new Wisconsin Senate District 16 which includes Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, half of McFarland, Stoughton, Deerfield, Lake Mills, Cambridge, Fort Atkinson, Marshall, and Waterloo.

A working mom and the only woman in the race, she has a proven record as an effective leader who gets results. In the State Assembly, she has championed reproductive freedom, fair maps, expanding broadband, rights and safety for LGBTQIA+ communities, and services for veterans and seniors. She is a strong voice for the people she represents and the communities she serves.

Born in Green Bay and raised in Wausau, Melissa worked third-shift in a warehouse before earning her paralegal certificate (2000). She worked for 24 years at the same law firm ending her career there in 2024 to become a full-time legislator.

She was elected to three terms to the Cottage Grove Village Board (2018-2022) and three terms to the Dane County Board (2018-2024). She was elected in a competitive five-way primary to the State Assembly in 2022.

In the State Assembly, Melissa has gotten a great deal done, even while in the minority. She has worked to make housing more affordable, expand access to broadband, prevent and reduce the disparities in childhood obesity, increase funding for roads and public safety, make our communities safe for our trans and non-binary communities, provide more funds to help domestic violence survivors and push back on Republican efforts to eliminate diversity, inclusion, and equity.

Melissa lives in Cottage Grove with her children, Daniel (19) who attends MATC and Addy (15) who attends Monona Grove High School.