WisDems Chair Ben Wikler Addresses 2024 State Convention

MADISON, Wis. — Tonight, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler joined with Democrats across Wisconsin and the country to open its 2024 State Convention at Milwaukee’s Potawatomi Casino Hotel.

See below for excerpts from Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

“As Democrats, we’re fighting for the freedom to make our own health care decisions, without politicians threatening to jail our doctors. The freedom to choose our leaders, without MAGA extremists overturning election results. The freedom to learn, in safety; to organize in our workplaces; and to retire with dignity. 

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“This year, Wisconsin voters will decide the fate of American democracy. And because Wisconsin is once again the tipping point state, through your work, your dedication, the hours you spend knocking on doors, the heart-to-heart conversations you have with friends and family—you have a superpower. Your time for the next 150 days will shape the rest of your life. The rest of all our lives.

“The Republicans know the stakes in Wisconsin. That’s why they put their national convention here—just two miles and six weeks away. It’s why Trump hired Ron Johnson’s top strategist to run his 2024 presidential campaign. The same guy who ran the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth twenty years ago. It’s why Republicans are racing to learn from their past mistakes, which means, in turn, that we have to redouble our efforts. 

“The path to the White House runs through Wisconsin. The path to the White House runs through Wisconsin. And so, too, does the path to the Senate majority. Republicans know that.  They took one look at the political juggernaut known as Tammy Baldwin and decided they didn’t have any Wisconsin Republicans ready for prime time… so they recruited a mega-millionaire California banker to pump tens of millions of his own dollars into his campaign. Eric Hovde may not like Wisconsin voters, but he’s shown that he’ll pay anything to get voters to like him.  Are we going to let him get away with it? NO!

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“Because this year, thanks to your relentless dedication, our state legislative candidates are finally running on fair maps. For the first time in twenty years, we have a state Senate candidate in every single district. And by the way, out of the 16 districts that are up, Republicans only have candidates in 11. 

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“Mark my words. We have a path to the majority—and the end of the Robin Vos era. Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer, her team, and the amazing class of Assembly Democrats held off every GOP attempt to override the filibuster. They’ve now recruited candidates in 97 seats—far surpassing the GOP’s 84. They’re running a massive, hugely impressive operation in every corner of our state—exploding the GOP lie that Wisconsin Democrats only live in Madison and Milwaukee. They need to flip 15 Assembly seats to gain the majority. And because of fair maps, at long last, whichever party wins a majority of the vote, probably wins a majority of the seats.

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“This year, Wisconsin isn’t just the tipping point—we’re at a turning point. This is the year we smash the GOP’s undemocratic hold on our legislature. This is the year we elect candidates at every level who will never try to overturn an election, who will never take away our freedom to make our own decisions about our own bodies—and will always work to make Wisconsin the most pro-voter, pro-democracy state in America. You know, for all our differences, most Wisconsinites want the same things. Affordable health care, clean air and water, a stable climate, common sense gun policies, peace and public safety, inclusion and equity, a rural revival, family-supporting jobs in every zip code, legal marijuana, reproductive freedom, and the right to organize a union. In short, freedom and opportunity and liberty and justice for all.

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“For too long, these common sense goals have felt like pipe dreams. Now, this year, your work puts these aspirations, and so many more, within reach. This year. These next 150 days—this is our moment. This is our 75th Convention. We carry the values and dreams of our party’s founders and all who have added their labor along the way. And then we, too, will pass the torch. 75 years from now, the year will be 2099. My six-year-old son Jack will be 81. Let’s pour everything we’ve got into this year—so that, in that far-off time, Wisconsin Democrats can look back at 2024 as a turning point in the neverending fight for freedom, and celebrate a year when the champions of freedom, decency, and democracy made history yet again.”