WisDems Chair Ben Wikler Announces He Won’t Run for Reelection
MADISON, Wis. — Today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler announced in a letter to Wisconsin Democrats that he would not seek reelection to a fourth term as Chair of the state party. His current term concludes this June.
All Democratic Party of Wisconsin elected offices will be up for election to a two-year term at the WisDems state party convention this June 14-15. Anyone interested in running for state party office can visit wisdems.org/2025convention for more information on how to run.
Read Chair Wikler’s letter below:
It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your Chair.
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.
I’m going to take some time to figure out what’s next, and to spend time with a family that I fiercely love but haven’t seen enough of. I’ll keep you posted at benwikler.com.
As I plan my own next chapter, I have enormous confidence in the phenomenal team at our state party, our superstar volunteers, our elected leaders, and in our mighty coalition. Wisconsin Democrats are in extraordinary shape to win, in 2026 and beyond. Our bench is deep, our staff is world-class, and our grassroots are unstoppable. As Trump, Musk, and the GOP shred our economy, our rights, and our democracy, our mission has never been more urgent.
Wisconsin Democrats will elect their next chair at our state convention in the Wisconsin Dells this June 14-15, and I have no doubt that our party’s core strategy—a permanent campaign that organizes and communicates year-round in every community and in every corner of Wisconsin—will reach new heights and continue to innovate under the banner of the next leadership team.
* * *
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.
That’s exactly what we did.
Democrats swept every statewide race in Wisconsin that fall, for the first time since 1982. Thrilled by that victory, inspired by the neighbor-to-neighbor organizing machine built by my predecessor chair Martha Laning, and infuriated by the lame-duck power grab executed by Walker and the state legislature, I ran for chair in 2019. My platform in that campaign—alongside First Vice Chair candidate Felesia Martin and Second Vice Chair candidate Lee Snodgrass—was FIRE: Fight, Include, Respect, and Empower. That motto would become the core of our approach. For six years, our party’s work to live out those values has been highlighted in my weekly newsletter.
Together, we’ve done so much. We elected Jill Karofsky, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris in 2020; Jill Underly in 2021; reelected Governor Evers, Lt Gov. Rodriguez, Attorney General Kaul, and Secretary of State La Follette in 2022; elected Janet Protasiewicz in 2023; and reelected Senator Baldwin in 2024. When we fell just short in statewide contests, the margins were agonizingly close: Mandela Barnes came within 1% of beating Senator Ron Johnson; Aaron Richardson fell 1.5% short of now-Treasurer John Leiber; and Vice President Harris came within 0.9% of Donald Trump. And then, this spring, we supported Susan Crawford in what became, by far, the most expensive judicial race in American history—and she defeated Brad Schimel, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump by 10%.
In my time as chair, our coalition’s record for winning statewide offices in our recently red-looking state is 12 out of 15. Along the way, we’ve won hundreds of local races at every level of government; defeated an attempted impeachment to defend our new pro-democracy, pro-freedom Supreme Court majority; celebrated fair state legislative maps; and, in 2024, flipped ten Assembly and four state Senate seats—more red-to-blue state legislative flips than any state in the country.
This is the story of a team, and a movement. It’s the product of year-round work by dozens—and at times, hundreds—of full-time party staff, tens of thousands of volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of donors that broke Democratic state party fundraising records. It’s the story of amazing candidates, outstanding campaign staff, and an array of extraordinary allies, facing often wildly long odds—and working together, driven by shared values and enormous stakes, to make the biggest possible difference in elections.
As I often say to our team, the only true measure of our work is the impact it has on people’s lives. Our work has had exactly that kind of impact. I could not be more proud of everyone who has made it possible, or more grateful.
And most of all, I’m grateful to my wife Beth and our kids, Mac, Suzy, and Jack. On my first day as chair, they were seven, four, and one year old. Now they’re thirteen, ten, and seven. They’ve weathered—including primaries (but not specials)—sixteen election days. This work has been a family-wide project (plus help from grandparents!), and I’ve been so lucky to have their unflagging support. I’ve promised each of them that we’ll go on a solo adventure this summer. Meanwhile, our huge dog, Pumpkin, is overdue for some trips to the dog park.
* * *
This is a wrenching time for our country. But in Wisconsin’s path over the last 15 years, we can see what we need to do to fight through it. It’s on all of us to find ways to contain the damage, look out for one another, and build the strength to end the destruction—and then rebuild. I’ll be looking for new ways to contribute to that vital work. As I do, I know the labor of building a great Democratic Party—the last line of defense of our battered but immeasurably valuable democracy—will continue. We will not let our country fall, and we will continue to write the story of Wisconsin’s resurrection as a bastion of progress.
Thanks again to all who have placed their trust in me for these last six years. Here’s to the next chapter.
Ben
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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