Germantown Republican Dan Knodl tells WisPolitics he won’t run for reelection to the 8th SD that he won in a special election just last year after being paired in the seat with fellow GOP state Sen. Duey Stroebel.

He said he’ll instead look to run for another seat.

Knodl is one of several legislators who told WisPolitics they’re starting to finalize their intentions for this fall after Dem Gov. Tony Evers signed new maps that either drew them out of the seats they now represent, paired them with another lawmaker or opened a new opportunity.

Knodl said he plans to help recruit candidates for open seats and will consider running for one in the Assembly or the Senate depending on how that effort goes.

There’s no incumbent, for example, in the 98th AD under the new lines. Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee, represented that seat this session. But he was drawn into the 15th AD under the new map with no other incumbents.

Knodl said he has a residence on Pike Lake, which is in the 98th AD.

“I’m looking in the Washington County area or those that are tied to Washington County,” Knodl said, adding he’s interested in the WOW county area. 

Stroebel, meanwhile, told WisPolitics he will run for the 8th SD that he was drawn into with Knodl. Stroebel, a member of the Joint Finance Committee, said he spoke with Knodl about the seat and his colleague “very graciously decided to give me that opportunity.”

Knodl said he plans to back Stroebel “every and all ways that I can.”

The redrawn 8th SD is a 53% GOP district under the new lines, according to numbers from the 2022 election compiled by Marquette University Law research fellow John Johnson. By comparison, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, took 69% of the vote in Stroebel’s old district as he won statewide by 1 point.

Stroebel said he had no concerns about running in a more competitive seat.

“I’m very confident of my chances in that seat,” Stroebel said, adding he never contemplated retiring with a new map.