Behnke launches reelection bid, courts Menominee County voters

Elijah Behnke opened his reelection campaign by telling supporters in Pulaski that the job is less about slogans than about helping local governments solve problems, from jail planning to public complaints about state decisions. The May 14 fundraiser at Scolly’s Hometown Pub drew about 50 people and marked the start of his bid for a fourth term in the Wisconsin Assembly.

That campaign launch matters in Menominee County because every voter there is inside Assembly District 6, along with most of Shawano County and parts of western Oconto, northeast Waupaca and northwest Brown counties. The district was drawn in the 2024 redistricting cycle under 2023 Wisconsin Act 94, and Menominee County is one of its most distinctive pieces: Wisconsin’s least populous county, with 4,255 residents in the 2020 census and an estimated 4,199 on July 1, 2025.

The county seat is Keshena, and Menominee County government says the county’s boundaries are essentially coterminous with the Menominee Indian Reservation, except for Middle Village. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction describes the county and reservation boundaries as nearly identical, a reminder that Assembly races here touch tribal, county and state interests at the same time.

Behnke used his kickoff to highlight the kind of constituent work he says defines the office. He described conversations that can range from county board members and sheriffs raising concerns about a new jail to residents who simply want elected officials to hear their complaints. For Menominee County voters, that puts a spotlight on how he would handle public safety, county infrastructure and access to state resources in a county where local and tribal government responsibilities often overlap.

He also pointed to a bill he is proud of that updated manufactured-home licensing rules and policies, a project he said came after a request from North Country Homes in Bonduel. NEW Media reported that Paige Huntington-Dreier and her brothers, who own the business, approached him earlier this year about regulations they viewed as outdated. A legislative document tied to the bill says it would update licensing requirements for manufactured home communities and improve consumer information in LicensE, the state’s public lookup system.

The fundraising invite listed Rep. Adam Neylon, Rep. Brent Jacobson and Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner as special guests, underscoring the party and law-enforcement network behind Behnke’s start. For Menominee County voters, the question now is whether that coalition translates into attention for Keshena, Middle Village and the reservation border communities that sit at the center of District 6.