📝 Take me home Thursday?!

🏇 The Race for Senate Is On

• Wisconsin businessman Eric Hovde officially launched his bid for the U.S. Senate against Wisconsin Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin Tuesday. This is the real estate developer’s second attempt for a senate seat, he first ran in 2012 but lost in the GOP primary to former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who ultimately lost to Baldwin.
• Hovde is the first major Republican candidate to announce his campaign and the question of whether others will challenge him still remains. Other potential Republican candidates include Scott Mayer, a Franklin businessman, and former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke. [Channel 3000]

🗳️ Dane County’s Primary Results

• On Tuesday, voters across Dane County flexed their civic muscles in local primaries. Voters picked their top candidates for Dane County Board District 13, which covers part of the UW-Madison campus, and District 36, which represents Cottage Grove.
• In District 13, voters decided incumbent Jay Brower will face Travis Austin in April. Brower handily won the primary, earning nearly 68% of the vote. Austin received roughly 19% of votes.
• In District 36, David Peterson and Loreen Gage came out on top in the three-way primary, both earning about 37% of votes.
• Tuesday’s primary was just the start of the political season in Wisconsin. All seats on the Dane County Board will be up for election in April. After that, all eyes turn toward the August primary and November presidential election.
• Like numbers? You can dig into all of the election results here. [Wisconsin State Journal, Dane County]

🏫 Evers Signs Off On Direct UW Admission

• Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law this week that will grant Wisconsin's top high schoolers direct admission to the Universities of Wisconsin. Under the new law, seniors in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class would automatically be admitted to any UW school, except UW-Madison. Seniors in the top 5% would be guaranteed admission to all UW schools.
• Wisconsin schools will start tracking student rankings in the 2024-25 school year but the first direct admission process will start in the 2025-26 cycle. [Cap Times]

Yes, I know it’s a Thursday, but any day of the week can be a Take Me Home Tuesday if you truly believe.

This week, the Dane County Humane Society would like to introduce you to Mustache. This sweet boy is a shy adult who was found roaming in Cambridge late last month. He’s been hiding in a staff office, but began coming out with the help of a Churu treat – or two. He’s also recently started to show his playful side, especially with wand toys. Mustache is looking for a patient family who will give him time to adjust to his new surroundings and spoil him with love and a treat — or several.

Inside Madison’s Local Grain Movement

When Wisconsin first became a state, it was one of the largest wheat producers in the country. Now, closer to two centuries later, southern Wisconsin is seeing a revival of interest in small grains. Not just wheat, but buckwheat, rye, spelt, oats and other grains are increasingly being grown locally for their taste and nutrition rather than large-scale production. From tortillas to bread to spirits, there’s a growing interest in tasty grains from the Madison area.