Hulsey was elected to the
Wisconsin State Assembly's 77th district in 2010 to succeed fellow Democrat
Spencer Black, receiving a plurality of 12,138 votes to 7,761 for
Green Ben Manski, 4,666 for
Republican David Redick, and 372 for David Olson of the
Constitution Party. This was one of only two races in the state where, in an election contested by both major parties, the first and second places were not taken by a Republican and a Democrat. The other was the 25th Assembly district, where the former Democratic incumbent successfully ran as an independent against candidates from both major parties. After a redistricting by the Republican-controlled legislature, the 77th Assembly District boundaries were moved to the east. Since fellow Democrat
Mark Pocan was running for
Tammy Baldwin's Congressional seat, Hulsey ran in the modified 78th Assembly district. As in the 2010 race, the only serious challenge to the Democratic candidate in the 78th was a Green candidate, Jonathan Dedering (officially running as an
independent); the Republicans did not even field a candidate. Hulsey won with 22,853 votes to 7323 for Dedering. The revamped 77th District was in turn taken without opposition by
Terese Berceau (another Democrat), who had previously represented the 76th district. ==Wisconsin gubernatorial campaigns==