| Gae Magnafici | |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| State Assembly: | Wisconsin |
| District: | 28th |
| Term Start: | January 7, 2019 |
| Predecessor: | Adam Jarchow |
| Birth Name: | Gae Leila Wycoff |
| Birth Date: | 14 July 1952 |
| Birth Place: | Amery, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Party: | Republican |
| Spouse: | Thomas Magnafici |
| Children: | 2 |
| Residence: | Dresser, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Alma Mater: | Sauk Valley Community College (AA) |
| Profession: | Nurse, business owner, legislator |
Gae Leila Magnafici (née Wycoff; born July 14, 1952) is an American nurse and politician, currently serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Polk County and part of St. Croix County. A Republican, she was first elected in 2018.
Magnafici was born in Amery, Polk County, Wisconsin, and raised on a farm in the neighboring community of Deronda. She graduated from Amery High School and earned her Associate degree in Applied Science from Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Illinois. She became a registered nurse in 1982.[1]
Prior to receiving her RN certification, she worked for twelve years caring for developmentally disabled patients. Since that time, she worked for 35 years as a pediatric nurse, most recently at Children's Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minnesota, before retiring in 2017.[2]
In 2018, she ran for Wisconsin State Assembly to replace Adam Jarchow, who was not seeking another term.[2] She was unopposed in the primary election and went on to defeat her Democratic opponent in the general election, carrying 59% of the votes.[3]
In 2020, Magnafici was re-elected to a second term, defeating Democrat Kim Butler in a rematch of the 2018 election.[4]
In 2021, Magnafici proposed legislation to prevent the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Technical College System from requiring on-campus students to be vaccinated or regularly tested against COVID-19 in order to access campus buildings.[5]
On January 5, 2021, Magnafici was one of 15 Wisconsin state legislators, all Republican, who signed on to a letter asking then Vice President Mike Pence to delay the counting of electoral votes on January 6.[6]
In 2022, Magnafici was re-elected to a third term, defeating former Democratic state senator Patty Schachtner.
In 2024, Magnafici was moved into the 75th district as a product of redistricting, and declined to seek re-election. In the primary she endorsed Duke Tucker, who went on to defeat two other Republican opponents and defeated Democrat Jane Kleiss in the general election.[7] [8] [9]
Magnafici sits on the board of the Polk County, Wisconsin, board of supervisors as a Citizen Member.[10]
Gae is married to Thomas Magnafici, they reside and own a small business in Dresser, Wisconsin. They have two adult children.
| Year | Election | Date | Elected | Defeated | Total | Plurality | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | General[11] | Republican | 14,441 | 59.01% | Dem. | 10,028 | 40.98% | 24,473 | 4,413 | ||||
| 2020 | General[12] | Republican | 21,678 | 63.93% | Dem. | 12,230 | 36.06% | 33,911 | 9,448 | ||||
| 2022 | General[13] | Republican | 16,494 | 62.48% | Dem. | 9,901 | 37.51% | 26,397 | 6,593 | ||||