Why I Exited the WisDems Chair Race

I Chose Not to Go Negative — and Ultimately, Not to Run

In 2017, I ran for Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin after devastating losses in 2016 — including the presidency, a Senate race, and further erosion of our state legislative presence. I challenged the incumbent because I believed we needed to change the way we operated as a party. I ran a hard campaign — and yes, a negative one — because I felt the stakes were too high to ignore what wasn’t working. Despite feeling uncomfortable with the negative rhetoric, I stood by that campaign tactic to the end, but I also learned a lot from it.

Eight years later, the party is in a very different place. Under Ben Wikler’s leadership, we've rebuilt a strong infrastructure, brought in record-breaking fundraising, elected progressive justices to our Supreme Court, and flipped key legislative seats. I entered the 2025 Chair race not out of dissatisfaction with the party, but because I believed I could continue that progress — and deepen it by grounding our platform in the voices of everyday Wisconsin voters.

But the nature of this race changed quickly. As the field became more crowded, I began to assess the real path forward — and what it would take to win. I realized something difficult: the only way to gain ground would be to draw a sharp contrast between myself and other leading voices in the race, namely a messaging consultant who has long shaped the public voice of the party, and a longtime party insider and former staffer.

Let me be blunt. I believe that a party driven by consultants and insiders risks losing touch with the people it’s supposed to serve. We’ve seen the consequences of building our message in Washington-style war rooms rather than in union halls, community centers, college campuses, and tribal councils. We poll well on the issues, but we keep falling into defensive traps set by Republicans — because we’re reactive, not proactive. And often, it's the voices of polished professionals that drive that narrative.

I feared that if I stayed in the race, my only path to victory would be to launch an aggressive critique of their roles and their influence over party direction. However, I also believe that right now — with Trump in the White House and the future of our democracy at stake — our state party cannot afford a public fight that tears at our unity.

So I made a choice: not to fight a campaign that would have to go negative. Not to damage a party that I care deeply about. Not to win at the cost of weakening the very coalition we need to grow.

I will support whoever wins, and help them focus on listening to voters, not consultants — so we can all move forward together.