With Wikler stepping aside, who's in line to lead Wisconsin Dems?

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wisconsin Democrats are still celebrating their win in last week's state Supreme Court election, which ensured liberals will control the court for at least the next three years. The state party's chair, Ben Wikler, said Democrats' momentum sealed his decision to not seek a fourth term.

Instead, Democrats will pick a new party leader when they gather in June for the state Democratic convention in Wisconsin Dells.

"I am deciding to step away from the party 'cause I think, as an organization leader, you should pass the torch when things are on the upswing," Wikler told CBS 58 in an interview Thursday.

Wikler announced Thursday afternoon he won't seek re-election. He'd been leading the party since 2019, overseeing dozens of staff and thousands of volunteers.

It's a full-time job, and Democratic strategist Sachin Chheda said Wikler excelled at each of the key facets, including communications, campaign organizing and fundraising.

"They serve as a spokesperson for the Democratic Party and a surrogate for all the Democratic Party officials and candidates," Chheda said. "And they also have to raise a lot of money to help pay for those campaign ads that we all hate to see on television and on the internet."

Both Chheda and State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) pointed to the success Wikler had in three state Supreme Court races during his time as chair. 

Not only did Jill Karofsky, Janet Protasiewicz and Crawford all win their races as the progressive candidate, they each captured 55% of the vote. It's an impressive feat win Wisconsin, since five of the last seven presidential elections here were decided by less than one percentage point.

"Being able to show that you can win a landslide in Wisconsin is something that, you know, even now as it happens, it's still shocking," Larson said. "But he was able to do that with regularity."

Chheda and Larson mentioned changes to the state's legislative maps as something that will part of Wikler's long-term legacy. Winning the Supreme Court majority led to the court striking down maps drawn by Republican lawmakers. 

While the GOP still holds a majority in both the Assembly and Senate, its margins are much narrower compared to the near supermajorities they once held. Democrats now believe they have a shot at winning control of the Senate in 2026.

Even Republicans tip their hat to Wikler. Milwaukee County GOP Chair Hilario Deleon said he believes the Democratic National Committee should have picked Wikler to be its leader instead of Ken Martin. Deleon was sure to note Democrats did not succeed last fall, as President Donald Trump carried the battleground state on his way to winning a second term in the White House.

"He's had many successes throughout his time as chair, although he did not win in 2024 against President Trump," Deleon said. "He did try running for national chair, and I thought it was a mistake that the Dems did not pick him, with his skills and his outlook and understanding of how swing states work."

Who replaces Wikler?

Devin Remiker, who previously served as the state party's executive director before joining Kamala Harris' campaign as an advisor, announced Thursday he's running for party chair. Milwaukee-based strategist Joe Zepecki issued a release hinting at a possible run.

"We need more effective communicators, period. I've given long, serious thought to how we do that and up our game," Zepecki wrote. "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."

Zepecki said he was unavailable for an interview Thursday.

Remiker and Zepecki were among five names Chheda said he'd been hearing as possible candidates to succeed Wikler. Chheda also listed the state party's first vice chair, Felesia Martin, who also serves Milwaukee County Board, the state party's 3rd Congressional District chair, William Garcia of La Crosse, and Glendale Mayor Bryan Kennedy, who also served on the Democratic Municipal Officials national board.

"I think those are the five names I've heard the most recently," Chheda said. "And I think all of them bring something to the table."

Kennedy said in a text message Thursday he's considering a run for state party chair, adding, "watch for something" to be released.

Wikler's next move

Wikler said he plans to start writing a book. As for whether he'd run for office, Wikler pushed aside rumors he's eyeing a run for governor next year. While Wikler said he supports Gov. Tony Evers, he kept the door open to a future bid when asked whether he'd ever entertain running for statewide office.

"I could imagine running for office at some point in the future," Wikler said. "I do think it really matters who runs for office and who serves in political office."

Wikler said he doesn't expect to endorse anyone in the race to replace him at the party's June convention. 

He added his parting advice to Democratic leadership is to not get complacent following another Supreme Court election rout.

"This is a moment of crisis for our democracy nationwide, even though it's a bright moment for Democrats in Wisconsin," Wikler said. "And there's a lot of work to be done."