Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford
Food service worker; small business owner; Madison alder
Democrat
Madison
Elected Experience
Madison City Council (2023-present)
Q&A with the Candidate
Why should voters elect you?
District 76 deserves a legislator who will fight like hell for working people and our democracy. I don’t have the typical background of someone who runs for the Assembly. I’ve worked for $2.33 an hour plus tips in the food service industry. I’ve experienced homelessness and gone without healthcare for most of my life. I don’t just see the struggles our neighbors face — I live them. Our perspective is missing in government, and that’s exactly what I will bring. As an alder, I’ve secured over $60 million for affordable housing, expanded mental health services, and passed a moratorium on data centers. I’m ready to take that fight to the state so we can lower costs and protect our rights from this authoritarian federal government.
What is the top issue in your district? How would you address it?
Affordability. The cost of everything keeps going up and people are being priced out of the communities they love. As someone who works multiple jobs and can barely afford rent, I know what that feels like. Our state government can be doing so much more to lower costs and make life affordable. We need to raise the minimum wage and tie it to inflation, cap healthcare and utility costs, build truly affordable housing, and fully fund our public schools so we can end this referendum madness and finally lower property taxes. And we need to stop giving tax breaks to billionaires. I believe in Wisconsin where we take care of each other and we can all get ahead. That’s what I am fighting for.
How should Wisconsin government operate differently than in the past?
We deserve a government that works for working people, not billionaires and big corporations. Republicans have controlled the legislature for the past 15 years and look where it’s gotten us. The cost of everything is out of control and our democracy is under attack like never before. But we have a real opportunity this year to elect a new legislature. Instead of just being a barrier, our state government can focus on making our lives better. In the Assembly, I’ll fight for a living wage, real property tax relief, universal healthcare and childcare, fully funded public schools, and housing we can afford. We can deliver bold, progressive change in Wisconsin, but we need to elect leaders with a backbone and the will to do it.
What is your favorite fun Wisconsin history fact?
Wisconsin was the very first state in the country to pass a law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. As Wisconsin's first transgender state legislator, I will work to build on that legacy. In this climate of attacks against transgender people, representation has never been more important. I won’t just be representing the people of District 76, but also every queer and trans kid across Wisconsin who doesn’t see themselves in government. I will fight to expand our 1982 non-discrimination law to include gender identity and expression and advance a positive, proactive agenda for full LGBTQ+ equality in our state. Wisconsin should be a progressive beacon for our democracy and civil rights. We have led before, and we can lead again.