Wisconsin 2026 elections: Republican Julie Helmer challenges freshman Democratic incumbent Karen DeSanto in 40th Assembly District

Prior to redistricting, the 40th Assembly District included parts of Waushara and Wautoma counties in a red area of the state.

The redrawn 40th has a completely new look.  It now incluces parts of Sauk and Columbia counties, including the cities of Portage, Baraboo, Prairie du Sac, and Sauk City.   The new 40th tends to lean Democratic.

 Maps and election results:  Ballotpedia 

in 2024, Karen DeSanto flipped the newly redrawn 40th Assembly District by 8 points.  Her opponent:  Jerry Helmer, husband of her 2026 challenger Julie Helmer.  

Related election posts:

1st Assembly District.  (6/11/2026)

2nd Assembly District.  (6/14/2026)

3rd Assembly District.  (6/15/2026)

4th Assembly District.  (6/17/2026)

5th Assembly District.  (6/18/2026)

6th Assembly District.  (6/20/2026)

7th Assembly District.  (6/21/2026)

8th Assembly District.  (6/21/2026)

9th Assembly District.  (6/22/2026)

10th Assembly District.  (6/23/2026)

11th Assembly District.  (6/23/2026)

12th Assembly District.  (4/17/2026)

13th Assembly District.  (6/25/2026)

14th Assembly District.  (6/25/2026)

15th Assembly District.  (6/25/2026)

16th Assembly District.  (4/17/2026)

17th Assembly District.  (6/30/2026)

18th Assembly District.  (6/30/2026)

19th Assembly District.  (7/1/2026)

20th Assembly District.  (7/1/2026)

21st Assembly District.  (5/8/2026)

22nd Assembly District.  (7/5/2026)

23rd Assembly District.  (7/5/2026)

24th Assembly District.  (4/19/2026)

25th Assembly District.  (7/6/2026)

26th Assembly District.  (4/17/2026)

27th Assembly District.  (7/7/2026)

28th Assembly District.  (7/8/2026)

29th Assembly District.  (7/10/2026)

30th Assembly District.  (7/11/2026)

31st Assembly District.  (7/12/2026)

32nd Assembly District.  (7/13/2026)

33rd Assembly District.  (7/15/2026)

34th Assembly District.  (4/24/2026)

35th Assembly District.  (4/15/2026)

36th Assembly District.  (7.16.2026)

37th Assembly District.  (4/20/2026)

38th Assembly District.  (7/17/2026)

39th Assembly District.  (7/18/2026)

44th Assembly District.  (5/5/2026)

50th Assembly District.  (4/24/2026)

53rd Assembly District.  (4/29/2026)

58th Assembly District.  (4/12/2026)

59th Assembly District.  (4/10/2026)

60th Assembly District.  (4/10/2026)

69th Assembly District.  (4/29/2026)

71st Assembly District.  (4/28/2026)

81st Assembly District.  (5/2/2026)

82nd Assembly District.  (4/15/2026)

92nd Assembly District.  (5/7/2026)

93rd Assembly District.  (4/11/2026) 

97th Assembly District.  (4/23/2026)

99th Assembly District.  (4/18/2026)

17th Senate District.  (4/14/2026)

23rd Senate District.  (4/15/2026)

31st Senate District.  (4/15/2026)

It’s a warming world (scooping water from the Seine edition)

Map:  The Local

Headline:  New York Times, 7/17/2026

Catherine Porter reports:

For almost two decades, French firefighting pilot Alexandre Jauffret’s routes were mostly contained to the hottest part of mainland France, the area around its southeastern coastline. He generally used his plane to scoop water from the Mediterranean Sea, or rivers and lakes nearby, and dump it on wildfires a short flight from the coast. 

Not any more. 

This week, he led his squadron of firefighting planes to take water from the Seine River in northern France and drop it on blazes in the forests of Fontainebleau, roughly 30 miles from the French capital. 

“We never expected this,” said Mr. Jauffret, 59, a former military pilot who transitioned from fighting wars to fighting fires in 2007. “Before, it was the south that was burning. Now, it’s the whole of France that is burning, or could burn.”  [emphasis added]

Related posts:

May-July 2026

Extreme heat kills.  (7/18)

Montana heat wave:  Billings and Miles City set all-time high-temperature records. (7/14)

Salt Lake City his all-time record with a high temperature of 109.  (7/13)

Welcome to Our Warming World: Boundary Waters Minnesota edition.  (7/13)

Unprecedented heat wave kills millions of chickens in France. (7/10)

Western Europe experiences its hottest-ever June.  (7/10)

Unprecedented European heat wave.  (6/27)

What climate change feels like in the Dadu district of Pakistan.  (6/13)

Climate change turned up the heat on Planet Earth (May 2026 worldwide edition).  (6/11)

50 -- count 'em! -- 50 cities in India were the world's hottest spots on April 27, 2026.  (5/12)

April 2026

If right-wing parties gain control, then Europe will only get hotter (b/w Looney Tunes at the Heartland Institute).  (4/30)

Climate change forces  cities to use plastic instead of ice in new skating rink.  (4/12)

Lack of snowpack in western states raises concerns of drought and wildfires this summer.  (4/10)

United States experiences its hottest March ever.  (4/9)

Record heat puts Arctic sea ice at lowest recorded winter level.  (4/4)

2026 Southwest U.S. heat wave joins list of "most astonishing weather events" of 21st century.  (4/4)

Wyoming experiences its warmest winter in its recorded history then gets hit with a blinding spring blizzard.  (4/4)

Denver experiences its hottest March ever, breaking 14 records in the process.  (4/2)

March 2026

United States weather:  9 states experience record-warm winter, 0 states experience record cold winter.  (3/21)

Historic, unprecedented, extreme, record-smashing heat wave envelopes Western United States.  (3/21)

Hong Kong joins the list of 2025-2026 winter weather hot spots.  (3/4)

It was a extremely wet and hot summer in Australia.  (3/4)

Add Denver to the list of Western cities that experienced one of its warmest Februarys.  (3/2)

HOT HOT HOT:  Las Vegas records its warmest winter ever.  (3/3)

And the heat just keeps on comin' in Phoenix Arizona.  (3/3)

February 2026

Boogying our way to doomsday in a climate denier administration:  Phoenix Arizona is experiencing its hottest winter ever.  (2/28)

Southern Hemisphere is HOT HOT HOT.  (2/12)

Much of the rest of the world broiled while residents of Europe and North America froze their asses off.  (2/11)

Alaskans in Anchorage are having a heat wave.  A record heat wave!  (2/7)

Warmest December ever in Phoenix, Arizona:  2025.  (2/6)

They're having a heat wave in Greenland.  A record heat wave!  (2/6)

Australians just lived through their 4th hottest January on record.  (2/3)

January 2026

While the United States shivers, it's hotter than hell in Australia.  (1/31)

Climate change as a matter of fact:  That's why it's called "extreme weather".  (1/29)

MISCREANT PREACHERS: Sexual misconduct with a minor in the Name of the Lord (#353 in a series)

 

Mugshot and headline:  WTHI Terre Haute, 7/16/2026

Chris Essex reports:

The Terre Haute Police Department arrested Tracy Hamilton, 62, after detectives said they became aware of the allegations earlier in the week. 

According to court documents, Hamilton is a pastor. 

Through their investigation, police said they learned Hamilton was involved in an ongoing sexual relationship with an underage girl.

"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister."  (1 John 3:10)

Other miscreant preacher posts (which cover a multitude of sins):

July 2026

Emmanuel Marchica.  (7/18)

Thomas J. Tucker III.  (7/17)

Kevin Jones.  (7/16)

Richard Renaldo Garcia.  (7/15)

John Camardo III.  (7/14)

David Mercer.  (7/12)

Eddy Noelsaint.  (7/11)

Jeffrey Nowak.  (7/10)

Noel Walker.  (7/9)

Daniel Rabon.  (7/5)

George Finney.  (7/3)

Jeremiah Busby.  (7/1)

June 2026 (23)

Joshua Peter VanderKlok.  (6/26)

Isaiah Banks and Bryan Jackson.  (6/25)

Tony Spell.  (6/24)

Charles Barton Lewis.  (6/23)

Timothy Clinton Pruitt Sr.  (6/22)

C. J. Johnson.  (6/21)

Jackson Lahmeyer.  (6/19)

Reggie Joiner.  (6/18)

Jose Briseno.  (6/18)

Nicholas Rains.  (6/17)

David Ritchie.  (6/16)

Michael Lee Lucas.  (6/14)

Jose Seez.  (6/13)

Winston Batino. (6/12)

Alonzo Diego Fuller Jr.  (6/11)

Derek Nelson.  (6/9)

Scott Willmore.  (6/9)

Alan Chambers.  (6/9)

Jerry Maynard Sr.  (6/7)

Christopher Walter.  (6/7)

Elie Dorcius.  (6/6)

Richard Storey.  (6/6)

Anthony Odiong.  (6/6)

May 2026 (10)

Randon Carroll.  (5/23)

Robert Byrnes.  (5/19)

Christopher Riggs.  (5/17)

Charbel Jamhoury.  (5/11)

Jason Lee Allen.  (5/9)

Terry Reed.  (5/8)

Thomas Allen Hicks.  (5/7)

Billy Stephen Turner.  (5/4)

Douglas James Smallwood.  (5/3)

Richard Channing Shealy.  (5/2)

April 2026 (19)

Leslie Williams.  (4/29)

Joshua Trent.  (4/28)

Emilio Alberto Esperanza-Pacheco. (4/27)

Charlie Heffelfinger.  (4/26)

Archbishop Steve Wood.  (4/24)

Philip Vaught.  (4/23)

Kevin Johnson.  (4/18)

Marcus Eichelberger.  (4/17)

John Tyler Moreland.  (4/16)

Kenneth Anderson.  (4/13)

Troyce Hernandez.  (4/10)

Rodney Gibson and Kawiana Young.  (4/9)

Angelo Musicaro.  (4/8)

Ryan Pena.  (4/7)

David Kenneth Demenge.  (4/5)

Lawrence Turnbull.  (4/4)

Robert Glossenger.  (4/3)

Andrew Showers.  (4/2)

Luke Cunningham.  (4/1)

March 2026 (29, a new monthly record)

Alex Montealegre. (3/30)

Marcus Davy Jeffrey.  (3/29)

Misi Tagaloa.  (3/28)

Da'Qwone Hill.  (3/27)

Zachary King.  (3/26)

Bienvenido Lopez.  (3/25)

James Randolph.  (3/24)

Craig and Megan Hagin.  (3/23)

Aidan Smith.  (3/22)

Laurence LaPointe.  (3/21)

Curtiss Tolefree Jr.  (3/19)

Stephanie Remington.  (3/18)

Chuck Brown.  (3/17)

Timothy Thomas.  (3/16)

Patrick Anderson.  (3/15)

Christopher Willett.  (3/14)

Korey Lavergne.  (3/13)

Aaron Lockman.  (3/12)

Marco Zamora.  (3/11)

Bishop Emanuel Shaleta.  (3/10)

Catholic Diocese of Providence.  (3/9)

Mikah Brondyke.  (3/8)

Greg Locke.  (3/7) 

Ted Shuttlesworth.  (3/6)

Lorenz Roseman.  (3/5)

Brian Tome.  (3/4)

Nathan and Jonathan Peternel.  (3/3)

Lisa Levy.  (3/2)

Michael LaMarca.  (3/1)

February 2026 (23, a new monthly record)

Jerrod Geistdorfer.  (2/28)

Caleb Flynn.  (2/26)

Adrian Derrell Davis.  (2/25)

Tyrell Brown.  (2/24)

Myron Chorbajian.  (2/23)

Jonathan Elwing.  (2/22)

Garrett Harmon.  (2/21)

Cedric Monteze Sharp.  (2/20)

Elco Vallier.  (2/19)

David Rodgers. (2/17)

Robert and Jaclyn Dell.  (2/16)

Rod Loy.  (2/15)

Milton Otto Martin III.  (2/14)

William Robbins.  (2/13)

Robert Whipley.  (2/12)

Jose Luis Lopez-Hernandez.  (2/11)

David Lloyd Walther.  (2/10)

Brad Daniel Swink.  (2/9)

Junior Andrew Bennett.  (2/8)

Reymundo Almarez.  (2/7)

Anthony Bazemore.  (2/6)

Isaiah Teague.  (2/5)

Troyce Hernandez.  (2/4)

January 2026 (14)

Michael Mohr.  (1/30)

Brian Carn Jr. (1/22)

Matthew Masiewicz.  (1/21)

Rubel Martinez. (1/20)

Wesley Brobeck.  (1/19)

Theodore Gabrielli.  (1/18)

Korey Lavergne.  (1/17)

Michael Howard.  (1/16)

Jeffrey Anthony Charles.  (1/14)

Ricky Lee Taylor Jr.  (1/11)

Joshua Price.  (1/10)

Jordan Henderson.  (1/9)

Bruce Neal.  (1/8)

Donnie McClurkin.  (1/7)

December 2025 (15)

Enrique Molina.  (12/30)

John Paul.  (12/19)

Joseph Lyle Campbell.  (12/18)

James Watford.  (12/17)

Kenneth Edwards Jr. (12/16)

Doug Overmyer.  (12/13)

Milton Martin III.  (12/11)

Joseph Herzing.  (12/10)

Michael McMullen.  (12/9)

Robert Sullivan.  (12/8)

Danny Varnadore.  (12/7)

Roger Scalice.  (12/6)

Carter August Thomas.  (12/4)

James Stockton.  (12/3)

Michael Martin.  (12/2)

November 2025 (16):

Mark Vega.  (11/28)

Stephen Santeli Castro.  (11/26)

Jesus Gabriel Saldana.  (11/25)

Kenneth McFarland.  (11/24)

Yersson Solarte.  (11/23)

Jason Allen.  (11/21)

Glenn Rosenbaum.  (11/17)

Adolfo Castillo.  (11/16)

Donald Aaron Axtell.  (11/15)

Quintilo Segrero.  (11/14)

Matthew McGinley.  (11/11)

Christian News reports on the rampant number of child sexual abuse in the Name of the Lord by miscreant preachers in 2025.  (11/8)

Eli Regalado.  (11/7)

Andrew Ervin.  (11/6)

Elmer Baca Flores.  (11/4)

Michael and Vickie Hall.  (11/2)

Jason Andrew Swick.  (11/1)

October 2025 (15)

Joshua David Kemper.  (10/31)

Lindsey Whiteside.  (10/25)

Robert L Carter.  (10/23)

Daniel Kellan Mayfield.  (10/22)

Xamie Reyes.  (10/20)

Luis Sosa.  (10/19)

Silas Shelton.  (10/17)

Mark Francis Ford.  (10/16)

Michael Ritchason.  (10/11)

Adrian David.  (10/9)

Gary Thomas Keesee.  (10/8)

Virgil Mozee.  (10/7)

Kevin Curtis Jones.  (10/4)

Robert Morris.  (10/3)

Ryan McElrath.  (10/2)

September 2025 (10)

Jon Paul Sheptock.  (9/27)

Macario Garcia.  (9/26)

Matthew Stephen Masiewicz.  (9/25)

Nathan Wayne Walker.  (9/21)

John McKinzie.  (9/20)

Isaac Tilden.  (9/19)

Diego Fuller.  (9/17)

Walter Sevillano.  (9/13)

Bernadel Semexant (9/12)

Aaron Williams, Jr.  (9/11)

August 2025 (7)

Neal Creecy.  (8/22)

Shelton Burkart.  (8/15)

Jacob Ryan Barnett. (8/9)

Thomas Pinkerton.  (8/8)

Kendrick Oakley.  (8/7)

Clemente Olvera Guerrero.  (8/5)

Nelson David Ochoa Vasquez.  (8/2)

July 2025 (11)

Brett Jarad Monroe.  (7/31)

Stanley David Jay. (7/30)

William Jones. (7/26)

Eli Regalado.  (7/23)

Kenneth Flowers.  (7/18)

John Gibson.  (7/15)

Jonathan Nguyen-Young.  (7/12)

Nelson Alexander Chay.  (7/9)

Devin Cyrus Carroll.  (7/8)

Francier Obando Pinillo.  (7/5)  

Roy Andrews.  (7/3)

June 2025 (11)

Clarence Barry Hungerford.  (6/30)

Christopher Cassell.  (6/27)

Justin Rhodes.  (6/26)

Edward Gabrielli.  (6/25)

Parrish Terry.  (6/24)

Albert Benjamin Wharton.  (6/18)

Dominic Foor.  (6/14)

Ryan McElrath.  (6/10)

Jim Mustain.  (6/7)

Nelson Alexander Chay.  (6/4)

Nathan Roach.  (6/3)

May 2025 (11)

Mitchell Summerfield.  (5/31)

Daniel Lamppin.  (5/30)

Alan Buresh.  (5/29)

Myron Chorbajian.  (5/28)

Shaun Donald Hertlein.  (5/20)

Christopher Whitehead.  (5/16)

Daniel Champ.  (5/13)

Paul Dyal. (5/11)

Yersson David Solarte Basto.  (5/10)

Leo Parker.  (5/8)

Aaron Luke Bradley.  (5/7)

April 2025 (7)

Gregory Jones.  (4/30)

James Vincent Henry.  (4/28)

Brad Swink.  (4/12)

Jaime Arriaga.  (4/10)

William Galbreath.  (4/9)

Darren Day.  (4/8)

Elmer Baca-Flores.  (4/6)

March 2025 (17)

Matthew Lee Richards.  (3/30)

Joshua Lucero.  (3/26)

Jeffrey Summers.  (3/24)

Sergio Guardia.  (3/22)

Marvin Upton.  (3/21)

Rodger Strong.  (3/20)

Britt Taylor.  (3/19)

Christopher Willett.  (3/16)

Daniel Menelaou.  (3/15)

Robert Morris.  (3/14)

Jose Saez Jr.  (3/12)

Stricjavvar Strickland.  (3/11)

Terrance Owens Elliott.  (3/10)

Waymon Jordan.  (3/8)

Stephen Hutto. (3/5)

Charles Brinson.  (3/4)

Michael Eguino.  (3/1)

February 2025 (9)

Jesse Santos.  (2/26)

Richard Lee Sentell.  (2/22)

Ruel Barbee.  (2/16)

Ashley James Crouse.  (2/15)

Lee B. Patrick.  (2/14)

Charles Thessing.  (2/12)

Timothy Nall.  (2/7)

Dwight Suttles.  (2/6)

Jimmie Whaley Jr.  (2/5)

January 2025 (14)

Adrian Daugherty.  (1/29)

John Fiedler.  (1/26)

James McMillan.  (1/25)

Jeffrey Merrow.  (1/18)

Johel LaFaurie.  (1/17)

Jeff Taylor.  (1/16)

Dallas Majewski.  (1/15)

Bruce Hollen.  (1/14)

Francier Obando Pinillo.  (1/13)

Michael Ronald Goble.  (1/11)

Timothy Nall.  (1/9)

Kevin Robert McDonald.  (1/5)

Arturo Laguna Camas.  (1/4)

Lindsey Whiteside.  (1/3)

 

December 2024 (14)

Edward Monk.  (12/23)

Joshua Lough.  (12/22)

Ignazio Medina.  (12/20)

Anthony Odiong.  (12/19)

James Gorman Houston III.  (12/18)

Richard Broom McGee.  (12/17)

Danny Duane Pitts.  (12/12)

Vincent Bishop.  (12/9)

Arturo Alarcon.  (12/8)

Hunter Eubanks.  (12/7)

Daniel Kellan Mayfield. (12/6)

Roy Shoop.  (12/5)

Zachary Joseph Radcliff.  (12/3)

Rodney Martin Locklear.  (12/2)

November 2024 (19)

James McMillan.  (11/30)

Stephen Melton. (11/29)

Charles Sulivant.  (11/24)

Geoffrey Carter.  (11/22)

John Radcliff.  (11/21)

Garrett Harmon.  (11/20)

Aleta Grace Pearson.  (11/17)

Edward R. Monk.  (11/16)

Victor Hernandez-Pineda.  (11/15)

George Bell.  (11/14)

Jose Mora.  (11/13)

William Pounds.  (11/12)

Edward-Richard Hines.  (11/11)

Charles Randall.  (11/9)

Jackson Gatlin.  (11/7)

Harold Norman Cole, Jr.  (11/5)

Gateway Church quartet.  (11/4)

Thomas Moriarty.  (11/3)

Charles Goff.  (11/1)

October 2024 (25)

Stephen Johnson.  (10/27)

Josh Howerton.  (10/26)

Craig Stone.  (10/26/2024)

Steven Lawson. (10/25).  

Scott Crenshaw.  (10/25)

Byron Copeland.  (10/25)

Josiah Anthony.  (10/25)

Ronald Goines.  (10/24)

Tony Cammarota.  (10/24)

Robert Morris.  (10/24)

Luke Cunningham.  (10/24)

Mike Buster.  (10/23)

Tony Evans.  (10/23)

Terren Dames.  (10/23)

James Randolph.  (10/23)

Zachary Joseph Radcliff.  (10/22)

Timothy Charles Rupard.  (10/21)

Matt Queen.  (10/18)

James Vincent Henry.  (10/17)

Pheguel Pierre Louis.  (10/16)

Roy Shoop.  (10/12)

Matthew Lynn Dedmon.  (10/8)

John K. Amanchukwu Sr.  (10/5)

Rodney Martin Locklear.  (10/3)

Gabriel Mills.  (10/3)

September 2024 (16)

Prince Amala Jesuraja Jebamalia Selvaraj.  (9/27)

Marvin Scales. (9/27)

John Raymond.  (9/27)

Roby Cruz-Hernandez. (9/26)

Juan Barrios.  (9/23)

Demiro Johnson.  (9/22)

Glen Dean McCoy.  (9/22)

James Swanson.  (9/21)

William Dunfee.  (9/21)

Steven Lawson.  (9/20)

Andrew Lovisone.  (9/19)

Jeffrey Duane Smith,  (9/19)

Rocky Goodwin.  (9/19)

William Johnson.  (9/17)

Tim Ballard.  (9/13)

Apollo Carreon Quiboloy.  (9/13)