Constituents demand Rep. Murphy provide proof he lives within the district's boundaries

(This has been updated to include a new address posted on Rep. Murphy's legislative page the afternoon this story ran)

A group of citizens in Assembly District 56, including the challenger for the seat last year, are asking Rep. Dave Murphy to verify that he lives within the district’s boundaries.

At a press conference at Plamann Park on Wednesday afternoon, two constituents who have filed complaints with the state attorney general, and Emily Tseffos, who challenged Murphy for his seat in 2024, questioned the legitimacy of Murphy’s representation of the district and demanded he provide an address to verify he is within compliance.

They are not questioning that he lived in the district when he won re-election last November, only whether he currently resides in the district, which the Wisconsin Constitution mandates for elected representatives. The story first appeared in the Appleton Post-Crescent on Sept. 12.

Murphy purchased a home on East Bald Eagle Drive in June after selling his Greenville residence and also lists a residence on North Lake Road on his legislative page. Both addresses are within the 52nd Assembly District. (Update: Murphy's legislative page was updated to now show a Hortonville address)

“With a year-and-a-half left in your term, it is time to be accountable to the people of AD 56,” demanded Ann Muenster, one of the speakers at the press conference. “Where do you live and where is your integrity? What we are exposing today is serious, pure and simple. When elected officials ignore the law, the public trust in our democracy is diminished.”

Mike Pexa, an administrative aide in Murphy’s office, insisted Murphy currently lived within the district boundaries, though provided no address. Asked about the Lake Road address on his legislative page, Pexa said, “I don't have his address committed to memory, but I believe there was a mistake with that. He has purchased a home outside of the district, but he is currently living in the district.”

Asked if Murphy has resided within the district the entire time he was representing it, Pexa said, “Absolutely, yes.”

'Accountability is not optional'

Jerry Iverson told the people assembled that he had reached out to Murphy’s office via email last month, asking him to resign. The response he received said merely, “Representative Murphy did not move out of District 56.” 

Tseffos spoke last. She said she got to know many residents of the district after going door to door over the course of more than six months last summer and fall. She knows their issues, she said, adding they deserve a representative who lives in their district.

“I've walked roads from Greenville to Center right behind me, back roads and Maple Creek to neighborhoods in Appleton, and I stood on porches in barns and on front steps, and I met thousands of good, hard-working people who are doing their best every single day. There's a mom in Greenville I met who has a grown child on Medicaid, a husband on hospice and a level of stress that most of us can't imagine. I talked with farmers in Maple Creek and Ellington who are worried about losing everything because of unstable markets and a state government that simply doesn't advocate for them like they should. I sat with parents trying to get services for their kids who feel like they have to fight every step of the way just to be heard, and I met retirees who have spent their entire lives contributing to this community. They're on fixed incomes now, and every time they go to the grocery store or pay an energy bill, they are watching their budget shrink and wondering if anyone in Madison is paying attention. 

“These are the people of the 56th assembly district. They are honest. They are hard working. They play by the rules, and they deserve a representative who does the same.”

A member of the media on hand Wednesday said Murphy told her earlier in the day that he was renting a room inside the district until his current term is over.

“I'd say, I think that what we need to see is his receipts,” Tseffos said. “We brought the receipts. We have them so you can say what you want all day, but until you have documentation proving that the trust has already been broken.”

LouAnn Graf was on hand as a concerned constituent of Murphy’s. She said she saw this as part of something larger in the nation.

“I mean, this is just a small little piece here in Appleton and Grand Chute and Greenville,” she said. “But it's a bigger piece of what's happening in the nation in general. It just breaks my heart how things are going. These people are asking for him to just come forward and be honest. They're giving him another chance to own up to it.”

Tseffos, who is considering another run for the seat in 2026, says accountability is not optional.

“Representation is not a technicality,” she said. “It is the foundation of trust between the people and their government. So today, we're asking for something simple. That is the truth. Representative Murphy, if you've moved and you are leasing outside the district, do the right thing. Be honest with your constituents, step aside so the people of the 56th can elect someone who actually lives here and is ready to do the job.”