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Melissa Amy Ratcliff (née Larsen; born November 1976) is an American Democratic politician from Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 16th Senate district since 2025. She previously served in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 46th Assembly district during the 2023–2024 term. Before being elected to the Legislature, she served six years as a member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors and four years on the Cottage Grove village board.

Biography

Melissa Ratcliff was born Melissa Larsen and was raised in Wausau, Wisconsin. She graduated from Wausau East High School in 1995. She earned her paralegal certification from Madison Area Technical College and was a paralegal for 24 years at Eisenberg Law Offices in Madison, Wisconsin.

Political career

In the Spring of 2018, Ratcliff won her first public office when she was elected to the Cottage Grove village board. Later that year, in the summer of 2018, incumbent Dane County board member Danielle Williams resigned her seat in order to accept a job as a lobbyist for the county government. The Dane County board chair, Sharon Corrigan, chose Ratcliff from a number of applicants to fill out the remainder of Williams' term, and Ratcliff's selection was ratified by a vote of the county board on September 6, 2018. She was subsequently elected in spring of 2019 to finish the term, elected to a full term on the board in the 2020 Spring election and was re-elected in 2022.

Just after the Spring 2022 election, incumbent state representative Gary Hebl announced he would retire after nine terms in the Assembly. Within hours of his announcement, Ratcliff entered the race for the Democratic nomination in Hebl's 46th Assembly district. Ultimately, four other candidates would also join the Democratic primary contest in the heavily Democratic district. Ratcliff centered her experience with local and county government, and ultimately prevailed in the primary with 36% of the vote. Her opponent in the general election was Andrew McKinney, who she had earlier defeated in the April 2022 county board election. She ultimately won 70% of the vote in the general election.

In 2023, incumbent state senator Melissa Agard announced she would run for Dane County Executive rather than seeking another term representing the 16th Senate district. The 16th Senate district was one of the safest Democratic districts in the state, comprising about half of the city of Madison. The 2024 redistricting act shifted the district to a slightly more competitive configration, shifting out of the city of Madison and into the eastern and southern suburbs, but the district remained heavily Democratic. The heavily Democratic Senate district attracted all three incumbent state representatives in the district, including Ratcliff, to forgo their Assembly re-elections to instead enter the Democratic Senate primary. Jimmy P. Anderson of Fitchburg was the first to announce, followed quickly by Ratliff and then Samba Baldeh, of Madison. All three were progressive Democrats, running on a similar policy platform of expanding Medicaid and defending abortion rights, so the race would ultimately come down to personalities and coalitions. Ratcliff prevailed, taking 52% of the vote. She was unopposed in the general election and was sworn in as state senator on January 6, 2025.

Personal life and family

Melissa Larsen married Daniel Kartes in August 1995, but ultimately divorced three years later. Subsequently, she married Philip Ratcliff and took his last name. Melissa and Philip Ratcliff have two children together and reside in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. They were divorced in June, 2023.

Electoral history

Dane County Board (2020, 2022)

Wisconsin Assembly (2022)

Wisconsin Senate (2024)

References

1. ^ "Kartes-Larsen". Wausau Daily Herald. March 19, 1995. p. 47. Retrieved December 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Candidate Q&A: Assembly District 46 Democratic Primary". Wisconsin State Journal. June 30, 2022. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
3. ^ "About Melissa". Melissa Ratcliff for Assembly. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
4. Becker, Abigail (September 7, 2018). "Dane County Board confirms Melissa Ratcliff as District 36 supervisor". The Capital Times. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
5. De Laruelle, Scott (April 13, 2022). "Hebl won't seek re-election; Ratcliff to run for 46th district seat". The Stoughton Courier Hub. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
6. Canvass Results for 2022 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2022. pp. 41–42. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
7. Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 21, 2022. p. 19. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
8. "State Rep. Anderson announces State Senate candidacy". Fitchburg Star. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
9. Kelly, Jack (March 18, 2024). "Assembly Democrats line up for open state Senate seat". Wisconsin Watch. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
10. ^ County by County Report - 2024 Partisan Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2024. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
11. Dane County Case Number 1998FA000833 Melissa Kartes vs Daniel Kartes (Report). Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
12. 2020 Spring & Presidential Preference Election - County Supervisor District 36 - Official Canvass (Report). Dane County Clerk. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
13. 2022 Spring Election - County Supervisor District 36 - Official Canvass (Report). Dane County Clerk. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
14. Canvass Results for 2022 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2022. pp. 41–42. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
15. Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 21, 2022. p. 19. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
16. County by County Report - 2024 General Election (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 27, 2024. p. 8. Retrieved November 30, 2024.

External links

• Campaign website
• Official (county) website
• Melissa Ratcliff at Ballotpedia
• Melissa Ratcliff at Wisconsin Vote
• Profile at Vote Smart

• 1976 births
• Living people
• People from Wausau, Wisconsin
• People from Cottage Grove, Wisconsin
• Politicians from Dane County, Wisconsin
• Madison Area Technical College alumni
• County supervisors in Wisconsin
• Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators
• Women state legislators in Wisconsin
• 21st-century American women politicians
• 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature