Wikler, Dem legislative leaders say Harris-Walz ticket boosting Wisconsin Dems’ chances in November

State Dem Party Chair Ben Wikler told reporters today the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket is creating excitement, including a surge in volunteers and large turnout at nominees’ events, like last night’s rally in Milwaukee. 

That, he said, means good things for Dem candidates in downballot contests. 

“This is a tipping point, turning point moment for the state of Wisconsin, and that’s true not just at the presidential level, and in Tammy Baldwin’s reelection, and then the 1st and 3rd, who knows? Maybe the 8th. Who knows which congressional districts?” he said to reporters after the Wisconsin delegation’s breakfast today. “It’s also true in our state Legislature that has been calcified for so long by a gerrymander meant to keep voters out and keep Republicans in. Now voters will have the final say, and voters are voting to move forward.”

Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein, D-Middleton, echoed that sentiment. 

“I would say that at the beginning, I was saying that a lot of the energy was coming from our candidates on the doors. We were talking and listening to what people wanted, and it was really exciting,” she said. “But now there’s a fusion at the top, and it’s just exploding. We’re getting so much excitement at the bottom and at the top of the ticket that I’m really excited for our chances.”

Hesselbein predicted Dems would get close this year to retaking the Senate–predicting 15 seats–and seal that effort in two years. 

“We’re going to get really close this year in the Senate, but then in two years, we’re actually going to be able to flip the Senate, because the numbers there are even better than they are for this year,” she said.

Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, praised the effort Wikler is leading to help Dems flip the Assembly.  

“We have hundreds of organizers who are out working every day with our candidates knocking on doors for the entire ticket, including state legislative candidates,” she said. “And then, of course, we all know that Ben and the state party are incredible fundraisers, and they are going to make sure our candidates have the air support that they need to get their message out to voters and can counter Republican misinformation about our candidates.”

She said Dems are running candidates in 97 out of 99 districts and are serious about her prediction Dems would retake the Assembly. She said under the new legislative maps, 52 of the districts went for Dem Gov. Tony Evers in 2022. 

“So the path is right there. We’ve got a number of new blue seats coming to us with the maps. And then, of course, there are a number that are right in the middle,” she said. “We’re going to go fight for them. Those are seats we can win if we knock on the doors and we directly connect with voters. And our candidates are doing that every single day.”