Sarah Keyeski ( Everson; born October 25, 1970) is an American

mental health counselor A mental health counselor (MHC), or counselor (counsellor in British English), is a person who works with individuals and groups to promote optimum mental and emotional health. Such persons may help individuals deal with issues associated with add ...

and Democratic politician from

Columbia County, Wisconsin Columbia County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 58,490. Its county seat and largest city is Portage, Wisconsin, Portage. The county ...

. She is a member of the

Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after those ...

, representing

Wisconsin's 14th Senate district The 14th Senate district of Wisconsin is one of 33 districts in the Wisconsin Senate. Located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Richland County, Wisconsin, Richland and Sauk County, Wisconsin, Sauk counties, along with most of ...

since

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

Biography

Sarah Keyeski was born Sarah Everson, at La Crosse, Wisconsin, in October 1970. She was raised on her family's farm near Cashton, Wisconsin, in neighboring Monroe County. After graduating from high school, she earned her bachelor's degree from Luther College in Iowa. She went on to obtain her master's degree from

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

in Illinois, and was then certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor. She returned to Wisconsin and worked as a

Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Sun Prairie is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 35,967 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the most populous suburb of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison and is part of the Madison metropolitan area. ...

, for more than a decade. In 2017, she moved to a home just outside the city of

Lodi, Wisconsin Lodi ( ) is a city in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,189 at the 2020 census. Lodi is part of the Madison metropolitan area. History The scenic Town of Lodi area had long been a home of Native Americans before ...

, in Columbia County, where she opened a private counseling practice the following year. Seeing the mental health consequences of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Keyeski founded the non-profit "Lift Lodi" to engage members of the community in volunteer opportunities to beautify the city and surroundings. Keyeski decided to make her first bid for public office in 2024, after the Wisconsin Legislature adopted a dramatic redistricting plan which significantly affected her area of the state. Keyeski declared a run for

in the redrawn 14th Senate district. The redistricting had drawn 14th district state senator

Joan Ballweg Joan A. Ballweg (''née'' Gottinger; born March 16, 1952) is an American business owner and Republican politician from Green Lake County, Wisconsin. She served four years as a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 14th Senate distri ...

out of the district, but Ballweg declared her intention to relocate to maintain residency and run for re-election. Keyeski was unopposed in the Democratic primary. In the general election, the 14th Senate district was one of the most competitive races in the state. Keyeski prevailed with about 51% of the vote.

Personal life and family

Sarah Everson took the last name Keyeski when she married Rodney Keyeski. They have six children together and reside in the town of

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (2024)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 2024

References

External links

Official website

Campaign website

Lift Lodi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keyeski, Sarah 1970 births Living people People from Monroe County, Wisconsin People from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Politicians from Dane County, Wisconsin People from Lodi, Wisconsin Politicians from Columbia County, Wisconsin Luther College (Iowa) alumni Northwestern University alumni Mental health professionals Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century members of the Wisconsin Legislature