State Democrats Look to Replace Ben Wikler

Ben Wikler. Photo from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

Three veteran Democrats are vying for a chance to follow a legend as they vie for chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin at the party’s June 14-15 convention in Wisconsin Dells.

State party Chair Ben Wikler, who became so well known nationally that he was almost elected Democratic National Committee chair, announced in April that he would not seek a fourth two-year term as chair. He’ll take a victory lap at the June convention.

“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,” Wikler said in a statement. “I’m going to take some time to figure out what’s next.”

“Big shoes to fill,” one veteran Milwaukee-area Democrat said of the next party chair. “Probably unfillable.”

Building on his national contacts, Wikler raised more than $200 million for party fights in five years. That included former President Joe Biden’s win of Wisconsin in 2020, the re-elections of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers, and wins by two Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates who flipped the court from conservative to liberal. That led to new legislative districts that elected more Democrats. And that liberal court may redraw the state’s eight U.S. House districts.

Democrats running to be the next chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin are Devin Remiker, a former party executive director; consultant and Milwaukee-area party strategist Joe Zepecki; and Third Congressional District Chair William Garcia.

Remiker has been endorsed by Wikler and the party’s two top Democrats in the state Legislature — Sen. Dianne Hesselbein and Rep. Greta Neubauer. Their endorsements may make a difference.

“Wikler’s endorsement is huge and offers a ‘keep the momentum going’ argument,’” the veteran Democrat said. “And Ben’s unparalleled network brings it home for him.”

“The Democratic Party of Wisconsin has taken on and won big fights for the last decade, and Devin has been right there for all of them,” Remiker’s campaign website says. “Devin is running for WisDems chair to strengthen the party from the ground up and ensure we’re ready for the fights ahead. He’s ready on day one to double down on our successes and make the changes needed to prepare our party for what’s next.”

Before the Supreme Court election in April won by Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, Remiker’s supporters say he “generated a flood of grassroots pushback and earned media attention to combat Elon Musk’s attempt to buy the…race.”

Announcing his run for chair, Zepecki said, “My top priorities are strengthening our party to more effectively stand up to Trump and win elections while ensuring we emerge from this process united.”

On his consulting company’s website, Zepecki said he “has spent more than 15 years operating at the intersection of public affairs, strategic communications, and American politics. He is a veteran of three presidential campaigns, statewide campaigns for governor and U.S. Senate, and has worked on campaigns for offices up and down the ballot across the country.”

Zepecki has also been a weekly political pundit on WTMJ-AM radio in Milwaukee and often quoted on Wisconsin politics by national reporters. During President Barack Obama’s first term, he directed communications for the Small Business Administration in Washington.

Zepecki is endorsed by the progressive group Action Network.

Chair of the party’s western Wisconsin congressional district, and the La Crosse County organization, Garcia says he is running “to give a much needed voice to our local, grassroots organizers.”

“With the explosive growth of DPW and rise in national prominence over the last six years, the county parties have been left behind,” Garia said in a statement announcing his candidacy. “The long-term health of DPW depends on local parties having the resources, training and information needed to grow and thrive.”

In a Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) interview, Garcia said state party leadership is “all too top-down.” Garcia told WPR he would spend “six hours a day, eight hours a day” fundraising “because I know how important it is to keep Wisconsin’s Democratic Party strong.”

And Wikler, at age 44? He plans to write a book and won’t run in any primaries against another Democrat. But Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s seat is up in only three years.

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com.