deVille running for Congress to protect rights, promote economic protections
She supports single-payer Medicare for all, a $22 minimum wage, free childcare for all, affordable housing, ending Citizens United, and repairing the country’s failing infrastructure. Her guiding light is protecting democracy and holding those accountable who are dismantling it.
Katrina deVille, who is running to represent Congress in northeastern Wisconsin, likes to carry a copy of the Constitution with her when campaigning.
“We've been seeing Republicans, the people who are in power right now, burning this to the ground,” she said, holding it up at a recent event. “I go everywhere with this, because there are some days when I just don't know if it'll still be around if I don't carry it with me.”
deVille, a trans woman, says she is running for a community which is consistently under threat, as well as all victims of discrimination. She cites the over 1,100 anti-trans bills introduced since January 2025 and the many death threats she personally has received.
“I'm a public-facing trans woman, so it is very clear to me how dangerous these times are,” deVille said. “I could sit here on my hands and wait for the group of authoritarianism to come and strangle me to death, or I could go stand out on the front of the stage and scream at them.”
Among the policy issues deVille supports are single-payer Medicare for all, a $22 minimum wage, free childcare for all, affordable housing, ending Citizens United, and repairing the country’s failing infrastructure. Her guiding light is protecting democracy and holding those accountable who are dismantling it.
She is seeking to win the Democratic primary in August and unseat incumbent Republican Tony Wied in November.
deVille grew up in Fond du Lac and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She has been a musician for 35 years and is the leader of a 10-person band called Katrina deVillee and the Nobody Famous. The group has performed in 30 states and seven countries. deVille writes and arranges the music, handles the bookings, and organizes recording sessions. sShe has also owned and run a custom auto body shop for 20 years.
All of that is currently on pause.
“So right now, all that is pushed aside,” said deVille. “I love all those things, but you know, breathing and staying alive kind of takes precedence over that.”
deVille said her experiences out in the world as a member of a travelling band, informed her decision to run.
“I've seen the world,” she said. “I've seen things that are out there. I've thought about running for government for about the last 15 years, but I was so deep into music, and every time I would look, I was pretty convinced that there were adults running the show. And I really don't feel like that anymore. So here I am.”
deVille’s policy positions extend far beyond human rights. She calls herself a Democratic Socialist. Her campaign website outlines a detailed platform, many of whose planks echo those of Bernie Sanders.
“Human Rights and trans rights are what brought me here,” said deVille. “But now that I'm here, I've spent time looking around. I've spent time digging into things like the one big, beautiful bill (the Republican’s HR1 legislation that authorizes deep cuts to the social safety net), and then seeing how draconian and awful it is.”
deVille is running in the 8th Congressional Democratic primary against Rick Crosson and Mark Scheffler. The primary election is on Aug. 11, with the general election on Nov.3.
“I understand that the human rights thing is not immediate for everyone, and I also understand there's so much in this country that's broken. I would rather die standing on my feet fighting than on my knees under tyranny,” said deVille.
deVille running for Congress to protect rights, promote economic protections © 2026 by Carol Lenz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
