Wisconsin Democrats pick Remiker to lead party into 2026
(The Center Square) – Members of the Wisconsin Democratic Party elected Devin Remiker as chairman, positioning him to lead the party through the 2026 midterm elections.
The election comes after current chairman Ben Wikler, who has led the party since 2019, said he would not seek another term.
Remiker, the former party executive director, said he was “honored” to win the Democrats’ support and that he wants to figure out “how we can all work together to best support Democrats in every corner of this state.”
He defeated 3rd Congressional District party chairman and La Crosse County party co-chairman William Garcia and Milwaukee-area communications operative Joe Zepecki over two rounds of ranked-choice ballot voting.
The party convention, titled “WisDems Convention: The Road to 2026,” focused heavily on next year’s elections and particularly on winning a trifecta in Madison.
“We are just 18 months away from a trifecta and 18 months away from history,” Remiker said. “Let’s hit the gas and when we win, it won’t be an accident. It will be because we put in the work.”
Republicans have held a majority in both chambers of the Wisconsin State Legislature since the 2010 elections.
However, Democrats see a potential opening after Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed new legislative maps into law in 2024.
The party’s choice to elect Remiker will help shape its strategy in the swing state next year as the governor’s seat, a state Supreme Court seat, the attorney general’s office, and several competitive congressional and state legislative seats hang in the balance.
Wikler voiced his support for Remiker to succeed him at the convention, crediting his political experience in the state.
“It was Devin who made the plan to fight back when Elon Musk came to town. It was Devin who figured out how to make it backfire,” Wikler said about the April state Supreme Court race which resulted in Susan Crawford beating Brad Schimel, whom Musk supported and campaigned for.
Wikler concluded, “Remiker is brilliant. He’s an organizer. He’s kind. He gets rural. He gets grassroots, and he knows how to fight in a moment when we need a fighter.”
One of the party’s major areas for improvements moving forward is its communication strategies, according to Remiker.
“The information age kind of divides people’s attention into different groups, into different buckets and niche interests,” Remiker said.
He added that the party needs to work on “connecting the dots about how politics impacts nearly everything in everyone’s lives.”
On the campaign trail, Remiker touted a “72 County Strategy” plan to focus on the party’s local and statewide development.
Remiker said the party should focus on key local races, unique to each county’s needs.
“There is one thing that we can do, and it is elect Democrats at all levels to send a message to Donald Trump and Republicans in this state that we will not stand for their divide and conquer politics any longer,” Remiker said during his speech. “We will win big.”
Remiker is set to officially become party chairman when Wikler leaves the role in July.
A spokesperson for the Wisconsin GOP did not immediately respond for comment at the time of publication.
