Wisconsin Democratic leader Ben Wikler enters the race to lead the national party
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ben Wiklerchairman of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, said Sunday he has joined the race to take the lead national party after an election which brought Donald Trump and the Republicans to power in Washington.
“In Wisconsin, we have built a permanent campaign,” Wikler said in his candidacy announcement. “We organize and communicate year-round in all corners of the state – rural, suburban, red, blue and purple areas.”
Since losing control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, Democrats have been looking for new leadership to tackle the country’s problems, with the added challenge of four more years of a Trump presidency.
So far, the other announced candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee are Ken Martin, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and vice chairman of the national party, and Martin O’Malley, a former governor of Maryland and current social security party. administrator. The DNC will choose her successor in February, an election that will speak volumes about how the party wants to present itself for another four years. Trump at the White House.
Wikler, who was elected state chairman in 2019, cites his experience leading the party’s efforts in a state that shifted less toward Trump than other battleground states in 2024 and where Democrats won key downballot races.
He said that during his tenure, Democrats flipped the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and re-elected Tony Evers as governor. This year, the state returned Sen. Tammy Baldwin for a third term and regained 14 state legislative seats, which he said puts Democrats on track for a majority in both chambers in 2026.
“What made a difference in Wisconsin can make a difference everywhere,” Wikler said.
Wikler, 43, has served as a Washington director for MoveOn.org, a progressive advocacy group, and as a campaign manager for Avaaz, a group that mobilizes members to address issues such as poverty, climate change and human rights.
Wikler told CNN’s Inside Politics Sunday that Democrats need to show Americans that “we are on their side and show who the Republicans are for. If we don’t do that, we are going to lose.”
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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.