(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Democratic Party leader is looking for a promotion.
Chairman Ben Wikler on Sunday announced that he is running to be Democratic National Committee chairman.
“If we’re going to take on Donald Trump, Republican extremists, and make progress as a country, we need the Democratic Party to be stronger,” he said in a statement. “I have led the Democratic Party of Wisconsin for the last five years, helping to transform it into an organizing, fundraising, and winning machine, and I’m now running for chair of the Democratic National Committee to supercharge our work in every state.”
Wikler took over in 2019 and has overseen a string of victories.
That includes President Joe Biden’s victory in the state in 2020, Gov. Tony Evers’ reelection in 2022, Janet Protasiewicz’s Wisconsin Supreme Court victory in 2023, and both U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s reelection in November, and the election of nearly a dozen new Democratic state lawmakers.
Wikler has also helped create an impressive fundraising operation that has raised more than $200 million since 2019. He also oversaw a get out the vote operation across Wisconsin.
“For Democrats to move forward, we must build a big tent, organize and communicate in every place and on every platform, and find the resources, people, and focus to reach voters who currently get their news about Democrats from Republicans,” Wikler said. “That will be my mission as DNC Chair: Unite. Fight. Win.”
Other candidates to succeed Jamie Harrison are Minnesota Democratic Party Chairman Ken Martin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and New York state Sen. James Skoufis. Martin has been vice chairman behind Harrison.
Wikler said on UpFront on Milwaukee TV over the weekend that Martin has an early lead, but doesn’t have the job sealed-up.
“Ken absolutely starts with a head start,” Wikler said. “He’s been working on this for a while. He’s a friend. I also know that the path to victory is wide open. There are 448 voting members of the Democratic National Committee. I’ve been thrilled by the support I’ve already heard from my calls with folks when I was thinking about running, and a lot of the most effective vote counters don’t count their votes in public.”
Democrats will pick their new leader at their winter meeting in Maryland in February.