Wisconsin Democrats are hoping to flip majority control of the Legislature and retain the governor's seat this year. That would give them full control of the Statehouse for the first time in 16 years.
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There are easy fixes to save money and stay warmTrump signs a law returning whole milk to school lunchesFewer Americans sign up for Affordable Care Act health insurance as costs spikeDutch court hears arguments in Nexperia mismanagement case that upset the global auto industryMeet the succulents that look like dolphins and heartsNew DHS rule aims to shorten visa wait times abroad for religious workers serving US congregationsEEUU suspende procesamiento de visas para 75 países cuyos ciudadanos podrían necesitar asistenciaWisconsin’s Democratic Gov. Tony Evers discusses his call on the Republican-controlled Legislature to act on a broad array of his priorities in his final year in office on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Madison, Wis. MADISON, Wis. — Talk to any Wisconsin Democrat about their hopes for 2026 and it’s not long before the T-word comes up.for governor and a favorable midterm election cycle this year may allow them to take back total control in the Statehouse for the first time in 16 years.in the 2010s, when Wisconsin slashed taxes, reduced the power of labor unions and started requiring voters to show identification at the polls. Republicans acknowledge that Democrats have a clear shot at running the table, which would allow them to expand Medicaid, increase funding for public schools and restore collective bargaining for public workers. “It’s a difficult time in national politics,” Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer told The Associated Press, “but we’re hopeful about the future and have been working for many years to be in a position where a Democratic trifecta is possible in Wisconsin and our state is able to go in a new direction.”Republicans solidified political control in the state in 2010, when they gained majorities in the state legislature and Scott Walker was elected governor.with Wisconsin natives Reince Priebus leading the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 and Paul Ryan becoming U.S. House speaker from 2015 to 2019. Walker championed conservative policies in the state, helped by state legislative maps that tilted the playing field in Republicans’ favor. He was briefly seen as a frontrunner to be the party’s presidential candidate, but he bowed out of the race before any primary votes were cast as Donald Trump bulldozed his way to the 2016 nomination.“If there’s a Democratic trifecta, Republicans in Wisconsin have to be ready for all kinds of things that they fought for for decades to be long gone,” said Brian Reisinger, who worked on one of Walker’s campaigns. “Let’s finally get a blue trifecta in Wisconsin in 2026!” Mandela Barnes, one of the leading Democratic candidates and a former lieutenant governor and 2022 U.S. Senate candidate, said in a December fundraising plea. Current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, another leading candidate, struck a similar chord in a social media post.Democrats look to bounce back after Trump win Wisconsin remains a fiercely contested battleground state, and Trump won there in 2016 and 2024. However, Democrats hope that a strong showing this year will give them momentum before the 2028 presidential race. Republican U.S. Reisinger, who has also worked for Johnson, said “the reality is that the electorate is going to remain evenly divided for a long time.” Right now the governor, Tony Evers, is a Democrat, but Republicans have a majority in the Assembly and Senate.“A lot of the ingredients for success are there, but there’s no guarantees,” said strategist Melissa Baldauff, who formerly worked for Evers . “It’s not going to be just the nature of things lining up for this to be a good year for Democrats. That doesn’t guarantee anything. It takes a lot of hard work, it takes good candidates.”on it in an April election. In another sign of Democratic momentum, the liberal candidate this week reported raising 10 times as much as her Republican-backed opponent.seeking a third term. Democrats have never held the Wisconsin governor’s office for more than eight years in a row. The crowded field on the Democratic side features Barnes and Rodriguez, plus two current lawmakers, the top elected official in Milwaukee County, the former state economic development director and Evers’ former top aide. Barnes, who lost the 2020 Senate race to Republican Sen. Ron Johnson by just under 27,000 votes, is seen by many to be the frontrunner.to get into the race in July, reported Thursday that she raised $650,000 for the year. Barnes was expected to report his fundraising totals later Thursday. Presumptive Republican frontrunner U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a staunch supporter of Trump, said he has raised more than $2 million since getting in to the race in September. He faces Josh Schoemann, the Washington County executive, in the Republican primary. Schoemann, who is far less known and has a smaller base of support than Tiffany, raised $1 million last year.The November election is the first where all the legislative seats are under district boundary lines in new maps ordered by the state Supreme Court to replace more Republican-friendly ones.Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, whose job it is to recruit and support candidates to maintain the majority, expressed confidence even if it’s a year when there is “wind at our face.” He also faulted Democrats for spending too much time focused on “anti-Trumpism” and not what they would do if elected.Longtime Wisconsin liberal activist Scot Ross encouraged Democrats to put forward a plan for “real substantial change to get people excited.” “Trifecta isn’t a strategy and it’s not a message,” he said. “I love that Dems in Wisconsin want to talk aggressively about getting power, but people have to believe you will use that power to actually make your lives better.”Bauer is the AP’s Statehouse reporter covering politics and state government in Madison, Wisconsin. He also writes music reviews.
Tony Evers Wisconsin Scott Walker Donald Trump Ronald Johnson U.S. Democratic Party U.S. Republican Party Elections Liberalism Courts General News Local News For Apple WI State Wire Greta Neubauer Sara Rodriguez Paul Ryan Melissa Baldauff U.S. News Reince Priebus Robin Vos Josh Schoemann Politics Brian Reisinger Tom Tiffany U.S. News
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