Head of Wisconsin Democratic Party Stepping Down

Ben Wikler. Photo from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

One of the most influential figures in Wisconsin politics is stepping back.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW) Chair Ben Wikler announced Thursday he isn’t running for reelection as head of the party.

Wikler, 44, has successfully led the party since 2019. During his tenure he has turned the party into a tremendously effective fundraising machine. The party also won several statewide elections.

“Our state party is now in extraordinarily strong shape, we have secured a pro-democracy Supreme Court majority for at least the next two years, and Democrats are poised to win a trifecta in 2026,” said Wikler in a letter to party members. “Now is the right time for me to take a breath, and to find new ways to advance the fight for a country that works for working people, and one that honors every person’s fundamental freedom and dignity. When my third term as chair ends this June, I will be passing the torch.”

He finished second earlier this year in a race to take over the national Democratic Party. Ken Martin, the head of the Minnesota party, was elected national chair.

Wikler is a native of Madison and a graduate of Harvard University. Prior to leading DP he was a senior advisor at MoveOn.

“I grew up in a Wisconsin that took pride in its rich progressive history. But Scott Walker and the GOP smashed unions, suppressed votes, rigged maps, and sought to lock in permanent control. When I moved home in 2018 to volunteer for future Governor Tony Evers and Senator Tammy Baldwin, Republicans controlled nearly every statewide office, the state Supreme Court, and gerrymandered near-supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Things were—in a word—bleak. But what happened next gives me hope for the whole country in this frightening moment. The story of Wisconsin is a reminder that in the face of an all-out assault on our values, our rights, and our freedom, there’s only one answer: unite and fight,” said Wikler. “That’s exactly what we did.”

Wikler leaves on a high note. While officially nonpartisan, Susan Crawford won the Wisconsin Supreme Court race on April 1 by more than eight percentage points. The only black mark on Wikler’s electoral resume was that Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris in Wisconsin, but Wikler’s ability to generate a strong canvassing operation and better performance than other swing states was seen as an asset in his national party bid.

Wisconsin Democrats will elect a new chair at their convention in June.

Mulitple individuals are expected to enter the race, and Joe Zepecki, a communications professional from Shorewood, has already publicly stated his interest. Zepecki’s name was floated earlier this year when Wikler came close to winning the national chairmanship.

“Every conversation I’ve had about the future of our party gets to the same place: Democrats have got to do better when it comes to how we communicate our message. We need more effective communicators, period. I’ve given long, serious thought to how we do that and up our game. Now, my plan is to spend the next week talking with Party members and leaders across the state about that vision to see if they’re ready to shake things up. Stay tuned,” said Zepecki in a statement.