Stephanie Stuve Bodeen

Stephanie Stuve Bodeen is the Democratic candidate for the Wisconsin State Assembly, District 70, in the November 3, 2026 general election, facing incumbent Republican Nancy VanderMeer. A writer and former teacher, she says she has published more than a dozen children's books.[1][2][3]

Stephanie Stuve Bodeen earned a high school diploma from Lincoln High School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 1989, and a graduate degree from Spalding University in 2003.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, she said she grew up on a dairy farm and attended a small public school in Jackson County, and that she served in the Peace Corps in Tanzania with her husband, a Navy veteran, before teaching senior high social studies and then staying home to raise their two daughters.[3] She said her first children's book was published in 1998, followed by more than a dozen others, and that she has given presentations and run writing workshops at schools and libraries in the United States and more than a dozen other countries.[3]

Stuve Bodeen advanced from the Democratic primary on August 11, 2026, with 4,158 votes in an uncontested race.[1] She said in the survey that she decided to run soon after her father's death in March.[3] Her three stated campaign messages were education, including full funding for public schools and a higher special education reimbursement rate; healthcare; and affordability, including raising the minimum wage, closing corporate tax loopholes and imposing a wealth tax.[3] Ballotpedia lists the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO among her endorsements.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.