View source for Democratic Party of Wisconsin

{{Infobox political party
| name             = Democratic Party of Wisconsin
| logo             = Democratic Party of Wisconsin logo.svg
| colorcode        = {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| headquarters     = [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], WI
| chairman         = [[Devin Remiker]]
| leader2_title    = [[Governor of Wisconsin|Governor]]
| leader2_name     = [[Tony Evers]]
| leader3_title    = [[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin|Lieutenant Governor]]
| leader3_name     = [[Sara Rodriguez]]
| leader4_title    = Senate Minority leader
| leader4_name     = [[Dianne Hesselbein]]
| leader5_title    = Assembly Minority leader
| leader5_name     = [[Greta Neubauer]]
| seats1_title     = [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]]<br />(Wisconsin seats)
| seats1           = {{Composition bar|1|2|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]]<br />(Wisconsin seats)
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|2|8|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats3_title     = Statewide offices
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|4|5|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats4_title     = Seats in the [[Wisconsin State Senate|Wisconsin Senate]]
| seats4           = {{Composition bar|15|33|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats5_title     = Seats in the [[Wisconsin State Assembly|Wisconsin Assembly]]
| seats5           = {{Composition bar|45|99|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}}}
| seats6_title     = Seats of the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]]
| seats6           = {{Composition bar|4|7|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}| ref={{efn|name=StateCourt|Includes court members identified as part of its "liberal" bloc, backed by Democrats. <ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2025/04/02/who-are-the-wisconsin-supreme-court-justices-susan-crawford/82769893007/|title= Who are the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices? Susan Crawford will replace retiring Ann Walsh Bradley|website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|date=2 April 2025|language=en}}</ref>}}}}
| foundation       = 
| ideology         = {{Nowrap|[[Wisconsin Idea]]<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://madison.com/ct/opinion/column/john_nichols/john-nichols-tony-evers-won-as-the-wisconsin-idea-candidate/article_01f5e4c3-74be-50d8-87d7-0024fee0bb15.html|title=Tony Evers won as the Wisconsin Idea candidate|date=2018-11-11|website=The Cap Times|language=en|access-date=2020-01-31}}</ref><br />[[Modern liberalism in the United States|Modern liberalism]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/d6bd4fb1d65b4f94aa78c6c57d96623b|title=Liberals eye 2020 takeover of Wisconsin Supreme Court|date=2019-02-10|website=[[Associated Press]]|language=en|access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref><br />[[Progressivism in the United States|Progressivism]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/tony-evers-i-m-a-plymouth-progressive-im-not-a-madison-liberal/article_ec1909a8-70ba-5ac9-b07a-89cf1da53587.html|title=Tony Evers: 'I'm a Plymouth progressive, I'm not a Madison liberal'|date=2017-08-27|website=The Cap Times|language=en|access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2018/10/29/659665970/as-more-democrats-embrace-progressive-label-it-may-not-mean-what-it-used-to|title=As More Democrats Embrace 'Progressive' Label, It May Not Mean What It Used To|date=2018-10-29|website=[[National Public Radio]]|language=en|access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref>}}<!--Do not include any additional ideologies without appropriate citations-->
| position         = 
| national         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]
| colors           = [[Blue]]
| website          = {{URL|www.wisdems.org}}
| country          = Wisconsin
| symbol           = [[File:Democratic Disc.svg|100px]]
}}
The '''Democratic Party of Wisconsin''' is the affiliate of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in the U.S. state of [[Wisconsin]]. It is currently headed by chair [[Devin Remiker]].

Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public education, and environmental protection. It currently controls two of Wisconsin's eight [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House]] seats, one of its [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] seats, and the [[Governor of Wisconsin|governorship]]. Additionally, Democratic-aligned justices control a majority on the [[Wisconsin Supreme Court|state Supreme Court]].

==Current leadership==
Party leaders are elected to two year terms at the state party conventions held in odd numbered years.  The current leadership terms expire on July 1, 2027.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://wisdems.org/our-party/officers-staff/ |title= DPW Officers |website= Democratic Party of Wisconsin |access-date= December 26, 2020 }}</ref>
* Chair: [[Devin Remiker]]
* 1st Vice Chair: [[Sarah Godlewski]]
* 2nd Vice Chair: Joshua Taylor
* Secretary: Kim Butler
* Treasurer: [[Randy Udell]]

==History==
{{See also|History of the Democratic Party (United States)|History of Wisconsin}}

===Territorial era===

During Wisconsin's [[Wisconsin Territory|territory years]], [[Jacksonian democracy]] was dominant and, thanks largely to [[Andrew Jackson]]'s reputation and presidency, the Democratic Party was seen as the party of the common man.  State and federal Democrats shared a claim of opposing the "money power" of eastern wealth and central banks, and other Jacksonian policies&mdash;such as the appropriation of new lands from [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American populations]] and the distribution of those lands to new settlers&mdash;bolstered Democratic politicians and helped to establish a durable voter base in the new territories.<ref name="current2">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=50h5zWNW8YsC |title= The History of Wisconsin |volume= II -- The Civil War Era, 1848&ndash;1873 |last= Current |first= Richard N. |author-link= Richard N. Current |editor-first= William F. |editor-last= Thompson |year= 1976 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Historical Society]] |location= [[Madison, Wisconsin]] |isbn= 0-87020-122-0 |access-date= December 26, 2020 }}</ref>   The early Democratic Party in Wisconsin was also seen as championing property, trade, and economic policies which favored the [[lead]] mining, [[Fur trade|fur trading]], and [[lumber]] harvesting laborers who were coming to populate the new territory. This was the base of early Democrats such as Territorial Governor [[Henry Dodge]].<ref name="current2"/>

===Early statehood through the Civil War===

The party continued to expand with the industrialization of cities along the rivers and coasts of Wisconsin and the growth of the urban workforce.  The Democratic Party dominated the first decade of state government, winning 25 of the first 30 elections for statewide partisan offices, while holding large majorities in the [[Wisconsin Legislature]] and among the congressional delegations.<ref name="current2"/>

Frays began to appear in the Democratic coalition, however, as national Democrats were seen as favoring Southern priorities over new states' priorities&mdash;such as federal spending for harbor and railroad improvements.  These issues persisted through the presidencies of Democrats [[James K. Polk]] and [[Franklin Pierce]] as petitions from Wisconsin Democrats fell on deaf ears in Washington.<ref name="current2"/>

Immigration would also become a fault line within the party and the state in these early years.  The Democrats initially thrived on their appeal to immigrant laborers, bolstered by language they had added to the Wisconsin Constitution which allowed new immigrants to quickly attain voting rights.  Their principal opposition, however, the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]], held more nativist positions and over time began exploiting the resentments between immigrants and non-immigrants and between Protestants and Catholics.<ref name="current2"/>  This division also involved the issue of [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]], which was supported by a majority of the Wisconsin voting population in a nonbinding referendum in 1853, but was anathema to immigrant populations.<ref name="current2"/>

The issue of slavery further exacerbated internal Democratic Party divisions as national Democrats pushed policies to abolish the [[Wilmot Proviso]] and allow for the establishment of slavery in new [[U.S. state]]s and territories.  A formal split occurred in 1848, as anti-slavery Democrats broke off and formed the [[Free Soil Party]] along with members of the abolitionist [[Liberty Party (United States, 1840)|Liberty Party]].  The Free Soil Party quickly found a foothold in southeastern Wisconsin, with a base of support from settlers who had arrived in Wisconsin from New England and New York.  The splits significantly diminished the majority of the Democratic statewide vote, but left Democrats still in control of statewide offices.<ref name="current2"/>  State Democrats were able to reclaim some Free Soil supporters and stave off further losses by publicly endorsing more free soil positions, such as a Joint Resolution from the legislature to instruct Wisconsin's congressional delegation to oppose any expansion of slavery into new territories.  But national Democratic policies continued to undermine those efforts, as the [[Compromise of 1850]] and its [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1850|Fugitive Slave Act]] component further inflamed anti-slavery sentiment in Wisconsin and other northern states.<ref name="current2"/>  Anti-slavery emotion was further excited with the arrest of Milwaukee abolitionist newspaper publisher [[Sherman Booth]], who had led a mob to free [[Joshua Glover]] in defiance of the Fugitive Slave Act.<ref name="current2"/>

By 1853, internal factions were publicly lobbing accusations of corruption at fellow Democrats.  Most notably [[Wisconsin circuit courts|Wisconsin circuit court]] judge [[Levi Hubbell]] was impeached at the instigation of fellow Democrat [[Edward G. Ryan]], and [[William A. Barstow]], who was seeking the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1853, was accused of having accepted bribes while in office as Secretary of State.<ref name="current2"/>

Despite the internal divisions, Barstow won the governorship and Wisconsin Democrats were able to maintain power in the state until anti-slavery factions finally coalesced with northern Whigs into the new [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] in 1854.<ref name="current2"/>  The [[Kansas–Nebraska Act]], which repealed the anti-slavery components of the [[Missouri Compromise]], was the final straw for anti-slavery northerners.<ref>Kinnell, Susan K. The Democratic and Republican Parties in America a historical bibliography. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-Clio Information Services, 1984.</ref>

The [[1855 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1855 gubernatorial election]] was tainted by more accusations of corruption and fraud and ultimately had to be settled by the state Supreme Court, where Democrat Edward G. Ryan took a leading role in prosecuting the case against Democratic Governor William Barstow.<ref name="current2"/>  Democratic voting power in the state continued to wane as Republicans won full control of the Legislature in 1856 and retained the governorship in [[1857 Wisconsin gubernatorial election|1857]].  By the time the [[American Civil War]] started, Republicans held every statewide partisan office.

The Civil War further split the state Democratic Party between [[War Democrat]]s and [[Copperhead (politics)|Peace Democrats]]. Despite a strong showing by Democratic candidates in the [[1862 and 1863 United States House of Representatives elections|1862 congressional elections]], Republicans continued to hold full power over state government throughout the war.<ref name="current2"/> Democrats would only hold the governorship for 8 of the next 100 years.

===Late 19th century===

Republicans dominated statewide politics in Wisconsin through much of the post-war 19th century, and cultivated special interests in railroads, the lumber industry, and unionized labor.  Their political power in the state was further enhanced with their ability to deliver significant funding from the Republican-dominated federal government for projects in Wisconsin.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book |url=https://www.lafollette.wisc.edu/images/publications/otherpublications/LaFollette/La%20Follette%20and%20His%20Legacy.pdf |author=Alice Honeywell |title=La Follette and His Legacy |publisher=Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs |date=1984 |access-date=April 4, 2018}}</ref>  Democrats in these years were mostly limited to a few geographic power bases in Dane County, the city of Milwaukee, and in several of the counties along the eastern coast of the state.

Despite being in the ideological minority, Wisconsin Democrats did take advantage of several controversies and Republican excesses to win significant state-wide elections during this period.

Following the [[Panic of 1873]], Democrats allied with [[Liberal Republican Party (United States)|Liberal Republicans]] and members of the [[National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry|Granger movement]] to create a coalition known as the [[Reform Party (19th-century Wisconsin)|Reform Party]].  The coalition elected a majority of the Wisconsin Assembly in 1873 and elected Democrat [[William Robert Taylor]] in the [[1873 Wisconsin gubernatorial election]].  They went on to enact the so-called "Potter Law", which created the [[Office of the Commissioner of Railroads|Wisconsin Railroad Commission]] and enabled significant new regulation of the railroad industry.

Later in the 1870s, as the [[Long Depression]] continued, the [[Greenback Party|Greenback movement]] created another opportunity for Democrats to hold power in the state.  The alliance between Democrats and Greenbackers in the 1878 Wisconsin Legislature led to the creation of the office of [[Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner|state insurance commissioner]].

In 1889, the Republican-dominated state legislature responded to labor agitation by passing what became known as the [[Bennett Law]].  The law was primarily concerned with raising the [[legal working age]] to 13 and mandating that parents and guardians must ensure children between age 7 and 14 were receiving at least 12 weeks of school per year.  However, section 5 of the law became a massive controversy in the state as it defined "schools" as only those institutions which gave instruction in the [[English language]].  Wisconsin, at the time, still contained a large number of schools which gave instructions in German, Polish, and Scandinavian languages.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://archive.org/details/71JensenWinningofmidwest/ |title= The Winning of the Midwest |year= 1971 |publisher= University of Chicago Press |last= Jensen |first= Richard J.  |chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/71JensenWinningofmidwest/page/n142/  |chapter= Education, the Tariff, and the Melting Pot: Cultural Conflict and the Democratic Landslide of 1890 |accessdate= April 23, 2022 }}</ref>

The backlash against the Bennett Law unified disparate cultural, religious, and ideological factions of Wisconsin's German, Scandinavian, Irish, Polish, and Catholic communities, and fueled massive Democratic wave elections in 1890 and 1892.  Democrats won all state-wide offices in those years and sustained majorities in both chambers of the legislature for the first time since 1854.  The Legislative majorities also coincided with the expiration of Senate terms, which allowed them to choose two Democrats to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/bennett-law/  |title= Bennett Law |website= Encyclopedia of Milwaukee - University of Wisconsin&ndash;Milwaukee |accessdate= April 23, 2022 }}</ref>

But as quickly as the Democratic majorities appeared, they evaporated with the [[Panic of 1893]] and the resulting inter-party feuding over [[Free silver|silver currency]].  [[Edward S. Bragg]], who was one of the most prominent and influential Wisconsin Democrats of the late 19th century, famously quit the party after the nomination of [[William Jennings Bryan]] in 1896 and went on to become a supporter of [[Robert M. La Follette Sr.|Robert La Follette]], [[Theodore Roosevelt]], and the rising [[Progressive Era|Progressive]] wing in the Republican Party.<ref name="dnc1896">{{cite news|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/55513851/bragg-on-bryan-nomination-1896/ |title= Bragg on the Warpath |newspaper=  The Oshkosh Northwestern |location= [[Oshkosh, Wisconsin]] |date= July 11, 1896 |page= 1 |access-date= July 17, 2020 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] }}</ref>

Between 1894 and 1932, no Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin received more than 42% of the state-wide vote, and Republicans routinely held super-majority control of both chambers of the Legislature.  Democrats won only 1 state-wide election during that forty year stretch, when [[Paul O. Husting]] won the 1914 election for United States Senate.

===20th century===

The Republicans led by La Follette, and later by his sons, employed many progressive policies in the state of Wisconsin but led to a split within the party, creating the [[Wisconsin Progressive Party]].  Nationally, progressive policies were also ascendant with the masses, and were adopted by prominent Republicans like [[Theodore Roosevelt]] and then by Democrats like [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].  The Democratic Party was nearly relegated to third party status in the state during the early 20th century as Republicans and Progressives were stronger competitors for state offices, and even the Socialist Party surpassed the Democratic party in legislative representation for several years in the early 20th century.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> The Republicans' tight control of Wisconsin politics lasted until the late 1940s, when the [[Wisconsin Progressive Party]] began to collapse and many of the remaining progressives fled to the Democratic Party.  This was facilitated in the creation of the Democratic Organizing Committee, which brought together young liberals and former progressives, such as like [[Gaylord Nelson]], [[James Edward Doyle]], [[Horace W. Wilkie]], and [[Fred Risser|Fred A. Risser]].  The new coalition brought the state party more in line with the progressive policies of the national party.  The Democrats won their first major victory when [[William Proxmire]] was elected in the late 1950s.  Wisconsin in the 1980s and 1990s was characterized by competitive [[Two-party system|two-party politics]] for control of the governorship, other state constitutional offices, the state legislature, and U.S. Senate seats.<ref>Moakley, Maureen. Party realignment and state politics. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1992.</ref>

===21st century===

In the first decade of the 21st century, Wisconsin was fairly evenly divided between Republican and Democratic parties, as both parties held statewide offices and at various times held control of one or both houses of the Legislature.  This changed with the [[2010 Wisconsin elections|2010 election]] when a national Republican wave helped elect a Republican Governor and Republican majorities in the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly.  With full control of state government, one of the Republicans' first acts was the controversial [[2011 Wisconsin Act 10]], the "budget repair bill" which stripped [[collective bargaining]] rights from public employee unions.  Following [[2011 Wisconsin protests|mass protests]] in the state capital, Democratic senators fled the state in an attempt to deny a [[quorum]] and slow down the passage of the bill.  The attempt ultimately failed, but the controversy led to two years ([[2011 Wisconsin Senate recall elections|2011]] & [[2012 Wisconsin Senate recall elections|2012]]) of senate recall elections, and a [[Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election|gubernatorial recall election]].  The recalls gave the Democrats a brief senate majority in 2012, but it was lost to new senate maps in 2012.

The main effect of the 2010 election, however, was that it allowed Republicans to control the [[Redistricting in Wisconsin|redistricting]] process following the 2010 census.  They used this power to draw a substantially [[Gerrymandering|gerrymandered]] map for the 2011&ndash;2021 decade&mdash;a gerrymander that was frequently cited as the worst or one of the worst in the country.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/wisconsin-legislature-jacob-blake-shooting-kenosha-gerrymander-gun-violence-1053561/  |title= Wisconsin's Governor Called a Special Session on Police Reform. Republicans Stopped It After 30 Seconds  |magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] |date= September 1, 2020 |first= Dave |last= Daley |access-date= December 24, 2020 }}</ref>  Under the maps implemented by the Republican redistricting law (2011 Wisconsin Act 43) Democrats have not been able to win more than 43% of either the State Assembly or Senate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/11bb/Stats_History.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2011-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502005402/http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lrb/bb/11bb/Stats_History.pdf |archive-date=2014-05-02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2018, Democrats swept all statewide offices, electing [[Tony Evers]] as Governor, [[Mandela Barnes]] as Lieutenant Governor, [[Josh Kaul]] as Attorney General, [[Sarah Godlewski]] as State Treasurer, and reelecting [[Doug La Follette]] as Secretary of State, while also reelecting [[United States Senator]] [[Tammy Baldwin]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://madison.com/ct/news/local/govt-and-politics/election-matters/wisconsin-democrats-sweep-constitutional-offices-but-republicans-hold-legislative-majorities/article_184b4292-e880-5de3-a01e-5ca73ab23919.html  |title=  Wisconsin Democrats sweep constitutional offices, but Republicans hold legislative majorities |newspaper= [[The Capital Times]] |date= November 7, 2018  |first= Jessie |last= Opoien |access-date= December 24, 2020 }}</ref>  Despite this substantial victory, where Democrats received more than 52% of the popular vote in State Assembly elections, they won only 42% of the State Senate seats and only 36% of Assembly seats.  After [[Donald Trump]]'s upset victory in the [[2016 United States presidential election]]&mdash;when he became the first Republican in 28 years to win Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes&mdash;Wisconsin returned to the Democratic column in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]], and Wisconsin was again identified as one of the most evenly-divided states in the country.

With the state's legislative gerrymander looming large, the party focused on a strategy to replace the map and reform the redistricting process. A major push in the federal courts to try to get a ruling against partisan gerrymandering was defeated by the [[United States Supreme Court]], which ruled in the case ''[[Gill v. Whitford]]'' that partisan gerrymandering was not judiciable by federal courts.

With no remaining hope of striking down the 2011 gerrymander, the party then turned its attention to the 2020 redistricting cycle, where state legislative Republicans would either have to make a deal with Governor Evers on a new map, or let the issue go back to the courts for a remedial solution.  In the intervening years, the state political parties had become increasingly active in the state's technically nonpartisan judicial elections.  It was considered a failure when the Democratic Party could not field a liberal candidate in the [[2017 Wisconsin Supreme Court election]], but they redoubled their efforts in the subsequent years and supported liberal candidates to victory in supreme court elections in 2018 and 2020, bringing the ideological divide down to 4&ndash;3 in favor of conservatives.

As the 2020 redistricting cycle began, Evers sought to gain support for a nonpartisan citizen redistricting commission, similar to a compromise plan utilized in the 1950s to break what had then been a long gridlock over the maps.  Republicans, however, rejected the compromise and continued to pursue a maximalist approach.  With the parties unable to compromise, the issue was sent to the courts.  Democrats sought relief in the federal district courts, which had handled redistricting in Wisconsin in 1982, 1992, and 2002, when the state had previously failed to reach a legislative compromise.  Republicans sought help from the 4&ndash;3 conservative [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]], which had not heard a redistricting case since 1964, and had said as recently as 2002 that they lacked the proper constitutional, legal, or procedural tools to handle redistricting.<ref name="jensen">{{cite court|url= https://cite.case.law/wis-2d/249/706/  |litigants= Jensen v. Wisconsin Elections Board |court= [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]] |date= February 12, 2002 |vol=249 |reporter= Wis. 2d |opinion= 706 |accessdate= December 26, 2023 |via= [[Harvard Law School|Case Law Project]] }}</ref>

Despite that history, the Wisconsin Supreme Court complied with the Republican Party's request and took up the case.  After a messy process, the court ultimately selected a Republican plan, in a 4&ndash;3 vote along ideological lines, which changed very little from the 2011 map.  Under the new map, Republicans expanded their already-substantial legislative majorities and reached a supermajority in the Wisconsin Senate.  A year after the map decision, however, the [[2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court election]] flipped the Wisconsin Supreme Court's majority from 4&ndash;3 conservative to 4&ndash;3 liberal.  The legislative gerrymander was often discussed during the 2023 campaign, and after the election, Democrat-aligned groups promised to revisit the redistricting case in the state court.  The controversy over the maps led to threats from legislative Republicans to impeach the newest justice, [[Janet Protasiewicz]], but after finding little popular or legal support for their impeachment threat, they backed down.  A new challenge to the gerrymander was launched on August 2, 2023, a day after the start of the new court term.  In December 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in the case, ''[[Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission]]'', saying the state legislative maps were unconstitutional and scheduled a process to implement remedial maps before the [[2024 Wisconsin elections]].<ref name="clarke">{{cite web|url= https://www.wicourts.gov/sc/opinion/DisplayDocument.pdf?content=pdf&seqNo=745249  |title= ''Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission'' (2023AP1399-OA) |date= December 22, 2023 |publisher= [[Wisconsin Supreme Court]] |accessdate= December 22, 2023 }}</ref> As part of this process, governor Evers' remedial map was passed by the state legislature, with all but two Democrats voting against, on February 13, 2024. Said remedial maps were then signed by Evers on February 20, 2024.

During this era, the party political coalitions were also shifting in Wisconsin and nationally, as rural voters and white voters without a college education moved toward the Republican Party of Donald Trump, while suburban and college-educated voters fled that party.  Margins shrank in old Republican strongholds in the suburbs around Milwaukee, and turnout soared in overwhelmingly Democratic college towns and overwhelmingly Republican rural communities.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/analysis/2022/11/21/2022-midterm-elections-answered-6-questions-about-wisconsin-politics/69647148007/  |title= The 6 questions the Nov. 8 midterm elections answered about Wisconsin politics
|first= Craig |last= Gilbert |newspaper= [[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]] |date= November 21, 2022 |accessdate= December 28, 2023 }}</ref>

==Ideology==
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is a proponent of the [[Wisconsin Idea]] and includes [[Centrism in the United States|centrists]], [[Conservatism in the United States|conservatives]], [[Modern liberalism in the United States|liberals]], and [[Progressivism in the United States|progressives]]. Top issues for the party include support for workers and unions, strong public education, and environmental protection. Since the 2010 passage of the [[Affordable Care Act]], Wisconsin Democrats have prioritized fully expanding Medicaid in the state, a policy that Republicans have blocked.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Beck |first1=Molly |title=Tony Evers continues to push Medicaid expansion despite Republican opposition |url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2019/06/03/tony-evers-continues-push-medicaid-expansion-despite-republican-opposition/1330044001/ |website=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wahlberg |first1=David |title=Wisconsin Democrats try again for Medicaid expansion |url=https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/health-med-fit/wisconsin-democrats-try-again-for-medicaid-expansion/article_f5ff19ce-d378-552b-9323-68110ca4b760.html |website=Wisconsin State Journal |date=6 August 2019 |access-date=3 December 2020}}</ref>

== Elected officials ==
Democrats hold all statewide offices in Wisconsin except 1 U.S. Senate seat and the state Treasurer's office. The following is a list of Democratic statewide, federal, and legislative office holders as of January 3, 2025:

===Members of Congress===
Democrats hold two of Wisconsin's eight seats in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] and one of Wisconsin's two seats in the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]].

====U.S. Senate====
Democrats have controlled Wisconsin's Class I seat in the U.S. Senate since [[1956 United States Senate elections|1957]]:

<gallery widths="200" heights="200">
File:SenTammyBaldwin (1).jpg|Junior U.S. Senator {{Sortname|last=Baldwin|first=Tammy}} <br /> ([[United States Senate Democratic Conference Secretary]])
</gallery>

====U.S. House of Representatives====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!District
!Member
!Photo
|-
|[[Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district|2nd]]
|{{Sortname|first=Mark|last=Pocan}}
|[[File:Mark Pocan official photo (cropped).jpg|center|frameless|130px]]
|-
|[[Wisconsin's 4th congressional district|4th]]
|{{Sortname|first=Gwen|last=Moore}}
|[[File:Gwen Moore, official portrait, 116th Congress (cropped).jpg|center|frameless|130px]]
|}
=== Statewide constitutional officers ===
*[[Governor of Wisconsin|Governor]]: '''[[Tony Evers]]'''
*[[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin|Lieutenant Governor]]: '''[[Sara Rodriguez]]'''
*[[List of Attorneys General of Wisconsin|Attorney General]]: '''[[Josh Kaul]]'''
*[[Secretary of State of Wisconsin|Secretary of State]]: '''[[Sarah Godlewski]]'''
*[[Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin|Superintendent of Public Instruction]]: '''[[Jill Underly]]'''
<gallery>
File:Tony Evers 191109-(A).jpg|'''[[Tony Evers]]'''
File:Sara Rodriguez 2023 (cropped).png|'''[[Sara Rodriguez]]'''
File:Josh Kaul-13 - 44610449305 (3x4b).jpg|'''[[Josh Kaul]]'''
File:Sarah Godlewski Photo.jpg|'''[[Sarah Godlewski]]'''
File:Jill Underly.jpg|'''[[Jill Underly]]'''
</gallery>

=== [[Wisconsin State Senate|State Senate]] ===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-3}}
* '''SD 3:''' [[Tim Carpenter]]
* '''SD 4:''' [[Dora Drake]] ''(Caucus Vice Chair)''
* '''SD 6:''' [[La Tonya Johnson]]
* '''SD 7:''' [[Chris Larson]]
* '''SD 8:''' [[Jodi Habush Sinykin]]

{{Col-3}}
* '''SD 14.''' [[Sarah Keyeski]]
* '''SD 15:''' [[Mark Spreitzer]] ''(Caucus Chair)''
* '''SD 16:''' [[Melissa Ratcliff]]
* '''SD 18:''' [[Kristin Alfheim]]
* '''SD 22:''' [[Robert Wirch]]

{{Col-3}}
* '''SD 26:''' [[Kelda Roys]]
* '''SD 27:''' [[Dianne Hesselbein]] ''(Minority Leader)''
* '''SD 30:''' [[Jamie Wall (politician)|Jamie Wall]]
* '''SD 31:''' [[Jeff Smith (Wisconsin politician)|Jeff Smith]] ''(Assistant Minority Leader)''
* '''SD 32:''' [[Brad Pfaff]]

{{Col-end}}

=== [[Wisconsin State Assembly|State Assembly]] ===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-3}}
* '''AD 7:''' [[Karen Kirsch]]
* '''AD 8:''' [[Sylvia Ortiz-Velez]]
* '''AD 9:''' [[Priscilla Prado]]
* '''AD 10:''' [[Darrin Madison]]
* '''AD 11:''' [[Sequanna Taylor]]
* '''AD 12:''' [[Russell Goodwin]]
* '''AD 13:''' [[Robyn Vining]]
* '''AD 14:''' [[Angelito Tenorio]]
* '''AD 16:''' [[Kalan Haywood]] ''(Assistant Minority Leader)''
* '''AD 17:''' [[Supreme Moore Omokunde]]
* '''AD 18:''' [[Margaret Arney]]
* '''AD 19:''' [[Ryan Clancy]]
* '''AD 20:''' [[Christine Sinicki]]
* '''AD 23:''' [[Deb Andraca]]
* '''AD 26:''' [[Joe Sheehan (politician)|Joe Sheehan]]

{{Col-3}}
* '''AD 40:''' [[Karen DeSanto]]
* '''AD 42:''' [[Maureen McCarville]]
* '''AD 43:''' [[Brienne Brown]]
* '''AD 44:''' [[Ann Roe]]
* '''AD 45:''' [[Clinton Anderson (Wisconsin politician)|Clinton Anderson]]
* '''AD 46:''' [[Joan Fitzgerald (politician)|Joan Fitzgerald]]
* '''AD 47:''' [[Randy Udell]]
* '''AD 48:''' [[Andrew Hysell]]
* '''AD 50:''' [[Jenna Jacobson]]
* '''AD 52:''' [[Lee Snodgrass]]
* '''AD 54:''' [[Lori Palmeri]]
* '''AD 62:''' [[Angelina Cruz]]
* '''AD 64:''' [[Tip McGuire]]
* '''AD 65:''' [[Ben DeSmidt]]
* '''AD 66:''' [[Greta Neubauer]] ''(Minority Leader)''

{{Col-3}}
* '''AD 71:''' [[Vinnie Miresse]]
* '''AD 73:''' [[Angela Stroud]]
* '''AD 76:''' [[Francesca Hong]]
* '''AD 77:''' [[Renuka Mayadev]]
* '''AD 78:''' [[Shelia Stubbs]]
* '''AD 79:''' [[Lisa Subeck]] ''(Caucus Chair)''
* '''AD 80:''' [[Mike Bare]]
* '''AD 81:''' [[Alex Joers]]
* '''AD 89:''' [[Ryan Spaude]]
* '''AD 90:''' [[Amaad Rivera-Wagner]]
* '''AD 91:''' [[Jodi Emerson]]
* '''AD 93:''' [[Christian Phelps]]
* '''AD 94:''' [[Steve Doyle]]
* '''AD 95:''' [[Jill Billings]] ''(Caucus Vice Chair)''
* '''AD 96:''' [[Tara Johnson]]
{{Col-end}}

=== Mayoral offices ===
* '''[[Milwaukee|City of Milwaukee]]:''' [[Cavalier Johnson]]
* '''[[Madison, WI|City of Madison]]:''' [[Satya Rhodes-Conway]]
* '''[[Green Bay, Wisconsin|City of Green Bay]]:''' [[Eric Genrich]]
* '''[[Kenosha|City of Kenosha]]:''' David Bogdala
* '''[[Racine, WI|City of Racine]]:''' [[Cory Mason]]
* '''[[La Crosse, Wisconsin|City of La Crosse]]:''' Shaundel Washington-Spivey
* '''[[Manitowoc, Wisconsin|City of Manitowoc]]:''' Justin Nickels
* '''[[Superior, Wisconsin|City of Superior]]:''' Jim Paine
* '''[[Glendale, Wisconsin|City of Glendale]]:''' Bryan Kennedy

== County parties ==
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is a membership organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wisdems.org/constitution-and-bylaws|title=Constitution and Bylaws - Democratic Party of Wisconsin|website=www.wisdems.org|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref> Members are organized in 71 county Democratic parties in Wisconsin. Ashland and Bayfield counties are organized as the joint Chequamegon Democratic party.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wisdems.org/county-parties|title=County Parties - Democratic Party of Wisconsin|website=www.wisdems.org|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref>

===List of county parties===
* {{ill|Adams County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543398}}<ref name=county>{{citation |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20200923150746/https://wisdems.org/our-party/more/county-parties/ |url=https://wisdems.org/our-party/more/county-parties/ |archive-date=2020-09-23 |title=County Parties |work=wisdems.org }}</ref>
* {{ill|Barron County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543257}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Brown County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543258}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Buffalo County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543259}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Burnett County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543399}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Calumet County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543400}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Chequamegon Democratic Party|qid=Q99543093}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Chippewa County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550600}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Democratic Party of Clark County|qid=Q99550601}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Columbia County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550603}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Crawford County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543260}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Democratic Party of Dane County|qid=Q99550604}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Dodge County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543262}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Door County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550606}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Douglas County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550608}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Dunn County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550609}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Eau Claire County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550610}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Florence County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550612}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Fond Du Lac County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550618}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Forest County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543405}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Grant County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550619}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Green County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550621}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Green Lake County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550622}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Iowa County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550624}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Iron County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550625}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Jackson County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550627}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Jefferson County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550628}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Juneau County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550630}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Kenosha County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550636}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Kewaunee County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550638}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|La Crosse County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550639}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Lafayette County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550640}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Langlade County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550642}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Lincoln County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543417}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Manitowoc County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550643}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Marathon County Democratic Party|qid=Q99550644}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Marinette County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543275}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Marquette County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543418}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Menominee County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543421}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Milwaukee County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543277}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Monroe County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543422}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Oconto County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543423}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Oneida County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543278}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Outagamie County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543279}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Ozaukee County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543280}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Pepin County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543424}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Pierce County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543281}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Polk County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543282}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Portage County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543283}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Price County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543425}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Racine County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543284}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Richland County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543285}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Rock County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543286}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Rusk County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543427}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Sauk County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543287}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Sawyer County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543428}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Shawano County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543289}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Sheboygan County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543290}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|St. Croix County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543291}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Taylor County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543429}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Trempealeau County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543430}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Vernon County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543292}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Vilas County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543293}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Walworth County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543431}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Washburn County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543294}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Washington County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543297}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Waukesha County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543298}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Waupaca County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543299}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Waushara County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543433}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Winnebago County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543300}}<ref name=county />
* {{ill|Wood County Democratic Party|qid=Q99543301}}<ref name=county />

==Past chairs ==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Chair
! Start Year
! End Year
! Hometown
! Notes
|-
| {{sortname|Joseph|Martin|Joseph Martin (Wisconsin politician)}}
| ?
| 1934
| [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]]
| Resigned in 1934 in order to accept appointment to the [[Supreme Court of Wisconsin]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Three-Cornered Judicial Contest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/510995138 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |publisher=The La Crosse Tribune |agency=Associated Press |access-date=8 April 2025 |date=April 5, 1937}}</ref>
|-
| {{sortname|Jerome F. |Fox }}
| 1948
| 1951
| [[Chilton, Wisconsin|Chilton]]
| Mayor of Chilton (1946&ndash;1952), [[Wisconsin State Assembly|State Representative]] (1931&ndash;1935)
|-
| {{sortname|James E. |Doyle|James Edward Doyle}}
| 1951
| 1953
| [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]
| [[United States federal judge|United States district judge]] for the [[United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin|Western District of Wisconsin]] (1965&ndash;1980)
|-
| {{sortname|Elliot |Walstead |nolink= 1}}
| 1953
| 1955
| 
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Philleo |Nash }}
| 1955
| 1957
| [[Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin|Wisconsin Rapids]]
| [[Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin]] (1959&ndash;1961), Commissioner of the [[United States Bureau of Indian Affairs|U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs]] (1961&ndash;1966)
|-
| {{sortname|Patrick J. |Lucey |Patrick Lucey}}
| 1957
| 1963
| [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]
| [[Governor of Wisconsin]] (1971&ndash;1977) and [[United States Ambassador to Mexico|U.S. Ambassador to Mexico]] (1977&ndash;1979)
|-
| {{sortname|J. Louis |Hanson|nolink= 1 }}
| 1963
| 1967
| [[Mellen, Wisconsin|Mellen]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Richard D. |Cudahy |Richard Dickson Cudahy }}
| 1967
| 1968
| [[Milwaukee]]
| Nominee for [[Attorney General of Wisconsin]] (1968), Judge of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit|U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals]] (1979&ndash;1994)
|-
| {{sortname|James W. |Wimmer |nolink=1}}
| 1968
| 1971
| [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|M. William |Gerrard |nolink=1}}
| 1971
| 1975
| [[La Crosse, Wisconsin|La Crosse]]
| [[University of Wisconsin]] Board of Regents
|-
| {{sortname|Herb |Kohl}}
| 1975
| 1977
| [[Milwaukee]]
| [[List of United States Senators from Wisconsin|U.S. Senator]] from Wisconsin (1989&ndash;2013)
|-
| {{sortname|Michael N.|Bleicher |nolink=1}}
| 1977
| 1979
| [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Joseph W. |Checota |nolink=1}}
| 1979
| 1981
| [[Milwaukee]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Matt|Flynn|Matt Flynn (politician)}}
| 1981
| 1985
| [[Milwaukee]]
| retired partner at [[Quarles & Brady]] and candidate for [[Governor of Wisconsin]] in [[Wisconsin gubernatorial election, 2018|2018]]
|-
| {{sortname|Suellen |Albrecht |nolink=1}}
| 1985
| 1989
| [[Oregon, Wisconsin|Oregon]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Jeffrey A.|Neubauer}}
| 1989
| 1993
| [[Racine, Wisconsin|Racine]]
| [[Wisconsin State Assembly|State Representative]] (1981&ndash;1989)
|-
| {{sortname|Martha |Love}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2019/03/21/democratic-leader-martha-love-dnc-convention-will.html|title=Democratic leader Martha Love: DNC convention will be 'prime time for city'|date=2019|website=Milwaukee Business Journal|language=en|access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>
| 1993
| 1993
| [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]]
|-
| {{sortname|Marlys |Matuszak|nolink=1}}
| 1993
| 1997
| [[Wausau, Wisconsin|Wausau]]
| 
|-
| {{sortname|Mark |Sostarich |nolink=1}}
| 1997
| 2001
| [[South Milwaukee, Wisconsin|South Milwaukee]]
| attorney
|-
| {{sortname|Linda|Honold|nolink=1}}
| 2001
| 2005
| [[Milwaukee]]
| former executive director of [[Citizen Action]] Wisconsin
|-
| {{sortname|Joe |Wineke}}
| 2005
| 2009
| [[Verona, Wisconsin|Verona]]
| [[Wisconsin Senate|Wisconsin State Senator]] for the 27th District (1993&ndash;1999)
|-
| {{sortname|Mike |Tate |nolink=1}}
| 2009
| 2015
| [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin|Milwaukee]]
| former executive director of [[Fair Wisconsin]]
|-
| {{sortname|Martha |Laning}}
| 2015
| 2019
| [[Sheboygan, Wisconsin|Sheboygan]]
| former nonprofit executive and activist
|-
| {{sortname|Ben |Wikler}}
| 2019
| 2025
| [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]]
| former senior advisor to [[MoveOn]]
|-
| {{sortname|Devin|Remiker}}
| 2025
| ''Current''
| [[Reedsburg, Wisconsin|Reedsburg]]
| current chair, former DPW executive director
|}

== See also ==
* [[Republican Party of Wisconsin]]
* [[Politics of Wisconsin]]
* [[Political party strength in Wisconsin]]
* [[History of the United States Democratic Party]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==References==
{{reflist|1}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |title=What Wisconsin Democrats Learned from 2016 |author= Peter Slevin |date=October 10, 2020 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/campaign-chronicles/what-wisconsin-democrats-learned-from-2016 |work= [[Newyorker.com]] }}

==External links==
*[http://www.wisdems.org/ Democratic Party of Wisconsin]
 
{{WisconsinPoliticalParties}}
{{U.S. Democratic Party state parties}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Democratic Party of Wisconsin| ]]
[[Category:Democratic Party (United States) by state|Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Political parties in Wisconsin]]
[[Category:History of Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Political history of Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Progressivism in the United States]]