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James Paul "Jimmy" Anderson (born August 26, 1986) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Fitchburg, Wisconsin. He served four terms as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Wisconsin's 47th Assembly district from 2017 to 2025.

Early life and car accident

Jimmy Anderson was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised and educated in Patterson, California; he graduated from Patterson High School in 2004. He went on to attend California State University, Monterey Bay, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 2008. He continued his education at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

On August 24, 2010, while visiting his family in California for his 24th birthday, Anderson and his family were involved in a severe car accident when a drunk driver ran a stop sign, traveling at more than 60 miles per hour, and rammed the Anderson family's SUV. Jimmy's parents and younger brother were all killed in the accident; Jimmy was paralyzed from the chest down. The drunk driver also died in the accident. After months of physical therapy, learning to breath and swallow again, Anderson regained some limited use of his arms and hands. After a year off to recuperate from his trauma, Anderson returned to his law studies and earned his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 2012.

Anderson sued the government of Stanislaus County, California, in 2011. The suit alleged that the county shared liability in the accident because it had failed to improve safety at that intersection after an 2005 petition from county residents. The county eventually settled with Anderson in 2014, paying him $8.25 million. His lawyer, however, noted that his ongoing medical expenses would likely eat up the entire settlement.

Political career

Anderson's advocacy, and his interactions with the health insurance industry, led him into politics. Anderson would frequently talk about how important the Affordable Care Act was in his own life, and how he had reacted to Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker campaigning against the health care law. Noting that his home district state representative, Democrat Robb Kahl, had voted for Walker in the 2010 election, Anderson announced that he would make his first bid for elected office to launch a primary challenge against Kahl in 2016. Kahl announced a month later that he would not run for re-election. Ultimately two other Democrats joined the primary contest in the overwhelmingly Democratic district; Anderson prevailed by 496 votes over Fitchburg city councilmember Julia Arata-Fratta. He went on to win four terms in the Assembly, serving from 2017 to 2025.

In 2019 and 2020, Anderson had a very public dispute with the Wisconsin Assembly speaker, Robin Vos, over floor rules which he suggested were discriminating against people like him with limited mobility. Vos ultimately relented, but included the change in a package of other partisan rule changes which Anderson was ultimately forced to vote against; the rule changes passed without Democratic support.

In November 2023, Anderson's state senator, Melissa Agard, announced that she would run for Dane County executive in 2024, and would therefore not run for re-election to the Wisconsin Senate. The open seat in the heavily Democratic 16th Senate district attracted all three incumbent state representatives living within that Senate district to jump into the Democratic primary and forgo their Assembly re-elections. Anderson was the first to join the race, announcing his candidacy in December 2023, followed by Melissa Ratcliff of Cottage Grove and 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 won the primary with 52% of the vote.

Personal life

Anderson married Ashley Kay Renay; they divorced in 2019.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2016–2022)

Wisconsin Senate (2024)

References

1. ^ "Representative Jimmy Anderson". Wisconsin Legislature. 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
2. ^ Carlson, Ken. "Legal settlements cost county $12.4 million". The Modesto Bee. p. A1, A14. Retrieved January 8, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
3. Opoien, Jessie (2016-08-09). "Jimmy Anderson wins three-way Democratic primary in 47th Assembly District". The Capital Times. Retrieved 2019-12-04.
4. "Democrat Says Lame-Duck Session Violated Open Meetings". The Daily Tribune. January 10, 2019. p. A4. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Kahl won't seek re-election in the 47th Assembly District". Marshfield News-Herald. May 7, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ Canvass Results for 2016 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. September 30, 2016. p. 43. Retrieved January 8, 2025 – via Wisconsin Elections Commission.
7. ^ Canvass Results for 2018 General Election - 11/6/2018 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. February 22, 2019. p. 21. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
8. ^ Canvass Results for 2020 General Election - 11/3/2020 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 18, 2020. p. 19. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
9. ^ Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 30, 2022. p. 19. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
10. "Republicans won't let Democrat in wheelchair phone in". Associated Press. July 29, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
11. Conklin, Melanie (October 10, 2019). "Assembly set to take another major Republican power grab". Wisconsin Examiner. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
12. "State Rep. Anderson announces State Senate candidacy". Fitchburg Star. January 3, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
13. Kelly, Jack (March 18, 2024). "Assembly Democrats line up for open state Senate seat". Wisconsin Watch. Retrieved January 9, 2025.
14. ^ County by County Report - 2024 Partisan Primary (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2024. p. 8. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
15. "Dane County Case Number 2019FA000453 In RE the marriage of James Paul Anderson and Ashley Kay Renay Anderson". Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. 2019. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
16. Canvass Results for 2016 General Election - 11/8/2016 (PDF) (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. December 22, 2016. p. 19. Retrieved January 8, 2025.

External links

• Profile at Vote Smart
• Jimmy Anderson at Ballotpedia

• 1986 births
• Living people
• Politicians from El Paso, Texas
• People from Fitchburg, Wisconsin
• California State University, Monterey Bay alumni
• University of Wisconsin Law School alumni
• Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly
• Wisconsin lawyers
• Politicians with paraplegia
• American politicians with disabilities
• Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Wisconsin
• 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature