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Jodene K. "Jodi" Emerson (née Deinhammer; born August 3, 1972) is an American activist and Democratic politician from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the 91st Assembly district since 2019.
Jodi Emerson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the 91st district | |
| Assumed office January 7, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Dana Wachs |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jodene K. Deinhammer August 3, 1972 Eau Claire, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Julian Emerson (m. 1993) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Eau Claire, Wisconsin |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin–River Falls (attended) |
| Website | Official website |
Jodi Emerson was born Jodene Deinhammer in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in August 1972. She was raised and educated and lived nearly her entire life in Eau Claire, graduating from Eau Claire's Memorial High School in 1990. Emerson attended University of Wisconsin–River Falls for two years before starting a family. She has been a PTA president and Girl Scout troop leader.
Emerson has been an adjunct instructor on human trafficking topics at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.[1]
Emerson was a legal assistant in a law office and worked as the Director of Public Policy and Community Relations for Fierce Freedom, a nonprofit advocacy organization that worked to address human trafficking. Emerson has been an anti-trafficking advocate and author of a number of successful bipartisan pieces of legislation, including Senate Bill 344, Senate Bill 396, Senate Bill 618, Assembly Bill 16, Assembly Bill 186, Assembly Bill 435, and Act 367.[2][3][4]
Emerson also developed a statewide program to train hotel workers to spot the signs of human trafficking and co-chaired the development of the statewide community response protocol on human trafficking.[5][6][7] In 2015, Emerson was appointed to serve on Wisconsin's Anti Human Trafficking Task Force.[8] Emerson has also been a member of the Wisconsin Anti-Trafficking Consortium and the Wisconsin Anti-Trafficking Advisory Council, serving as a frequent guest speaker and panelists at churches, schools and libraries across the midwest.[9]
In March 2018, Emerson announced her run for District 91 of the Wisconsin State Assembly. The seat was held by Dana Wachs at the time, but was he was not seeking reelection due to his run for governor.[10] Emerson was endorsed by EMILY's List, Fair Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, State Senator La Tonya Johnson, State Representative Jill Billings, former State Representative Kristen Dexter, and the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Organization for Women.[11]
Emerson currently serves on the following committees in the Wisconsin State Assembly:
- Committee on Aging and Long-Term Care
- Committee on Colleges and Universities
- Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Committee on Family Law
- Committee on International Affairs/Commerce
Jodi Deinhammer took the last name Emerson when she married Julian Emerson in 1993.[12] Julian Emerson is a reporter with the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. They have two adult daughters.
Wisconsin Assembly (2018–present)
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Primary[13] | Aug. 14 | Jodi Emerson | Democratic | 2,648 | 37.10% | Thomas Vue | Dem. | 1,890 | 26.48% | 7,138 | 758 |
| Eric Larsen | Dem. | 1,778 | 24.91% | |||||||||
| Rich Postlewaite | Dem. | 814 | 11.40% | |||||||||
| General[14] | Nov. 6 | Jodi Emerson | Democratic | 17,512 | 66.47% | Echo Reardon | Rep. | 8,798 | 33.39% | 26,347 | 8,714 | |
| 2020 | General[15] | Nov. 3 | Jodi Emerson (inc) | Democratic | 18,758 | 61.86% | Charlie Walker | Rep. | 11,530 | 38.03% | 30,322 | 7,228 |
| 2022 | General[16] | Nov. 8 | Jodi Emerson (inc) | Democratic | 16,465 | 64.61% | Josh Stanley | Rep. | 8,995 | 35.30% | 25,484 | 7,470 |
| 2024 | General[17] | Nov. 5 | Jodi Emerson (inc) | Democratic | 17,712 | 51.52% | Michele Magadance Skinner | Rep. | 16,610 | 48.32% | 34,377 | 1,102 |
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