Sheehan Wins Re-election to 26th District Seat
Joe Sheehan retained his State Assembly seat in Sheboygan County, defeating Republican challenger John Belanger.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
Joe Sheehan won re-election to the 26th District State Assembly seat on Tuesday. He defeated Republican John Belanger, a former Sheboygan Common Council member, by a comfortable margin among Sheboygan County voters.
Why it matters
The result keeps the 26th District Assembly seat in Sheehan's hands and gives Wisconsin voters continuity in the state Assembly representation for the district. The race offers a snapshot of how Sheboygan County voters returned an incumbent over a challenger with local government experience.
Sheehan won by a comfortable margin among Sheboygan County voters, though the source does not report exact vote totals. The precise district-wide margin and final certified count were not included in the reporting.
The players
Joe Sheehan
Sheehan is the state representative for Wisconsin's 26th Assembly District, retaining the seat after the 2026 election.
John Belanger
Belanger is a Republican and former Sheboygan Common Council member who lost the 26th District Assembly race.
The details
Sheehan defeated Belanger, who was challenging the incumbent for the 26th District seat. Sheehan issued a statement after the results were known, and the outcome was reported the following day.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Election held and Sheehan re-elected to the 26th District Assembly seat.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Sheehan issued a post-election statement and the result was reported.
Political Context
The 26th District race follows the pattern of Wisconsin Assembly contests in which incumbents are returned to office in districts they have held. Belanger's background on the Sheboygan Common Council represented the local-government challenge to a sitting state legislator.
For Sheboygan County and the surrounding 26th District, the result means the current representative continues in the state Assembly seat. Residents will be represented by the same legislator for the next term without a change in office.
The takeaway
Incumbency held in this race, and the result shows that a local officeholder can retain a state Assembly seat even against a challenger with municipal government experience. Voters interested in the district's representation can follow future legislative activity from the seat.
Further reading
For more on how state legislative races are decided, browse Elections coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sheboygan's Country B93.
