MADISON — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler is stepping down after a six-year run.
In his departure letter, Wikler called the state party “in extraordinary shape.”
“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.”
Under Wikler’s leadership, the party boosted fundraising and helped Democrats win 12 out of 15 statewide races since 2019, including Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford’s victory in the state Supreme Court election last week.
Wikler’s current term ends in June. Earlier this year, he ran unsuccessfully to be the next Democratic National Committee chairman. Wikler is not ruling out future runs in politics and told WisPolitics he’s interested in running for public office some day.
Former state Democratic Party Executive Director Devin Remiker announced he’s running to replace Wikler.
Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki has suggested he’s considering a run. He released the following statement Thursday:
“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.”
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.
