On this last day of 2024, look over the horizon: Trump’s inauguration is in 20 days. The DNC chair election is in 32 days. And the most important election of the spring, the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, is in 91 days. Are you ready? 

At WisDems, we’re getting ready for a Supreme Court race that’ll define the future of freedom and democracy in 2024’s closest state. If you can chip in now, you’ll help us spread the word that the Democratic Party looks out for all Wisconsinites. Chip in here.

You might be looking with dread at January 20, the dark day of Trump’s second inauguration. We’re bracing for Trump’s sore-winner victory lap, as he crows about his attendance numbers (no matter what they are)-and then starts cranking out awful executive orders.

Even before January 20, we’ll be forced to endure the heated confirmation battles in Congress over Trump’s cynical and grossly unqualified choices for his administration, all hand-picked to wreak havoc and dismantle the government.

Then there’s the stuff that follows Trump’s swearing in. The promise of mass deportations on Day One. The rollout of the damaging policies of Project 2025/Agenda 47. The rigging of the country to benefit the superwealthy. 

We’ll need to be ready-to fight for working people.

We’ve been through a Trump presidency before, and we know one thing: Trump is bad at being president. 

He’ll implement horrific policies. He’s also bound to fail at many of them.

It’s vital to keep the pressure on Trump and the MAGA regime.

That’s a year-round effort.

At WisDems, we know how to fight back-by communicating and organizing everywhere in Wisconsin, all the time, fight by fight, from big ticket races for governor, U.S. House, and Senate to every race down ballot.

And this kind of organizing works.

In 2024, Wisconsin reelected Senator Tammy Baldwin, and flipped 14 State Legislative seats blue-this despite Dems losing the presidency by the smallest margin of all states that went for Trump.

In a national red-shift year, WisDems still racked up wins-thanks to year-round organizing.

If you want to help contribute to Democrats winning in Wisconsin, you have the superpower to fuel our efforts by donating to WisDems. Won’t you chip in?

That brings me to the next stop on our calendar of important dates in 2025. On February 1, the Democratic National Committee will make a decision as to who will lead them into the next era. You may be familiar with one of the candidates.

I’m running for DNC Chair because building a permanent campaign-organizing and communicating year-round, in every place and on every platform-is a strategy we can implement nationwide. 

The end of the MAGA era won’t just come from letting the clock run out on Trump’s second term. It will only end if we’re fighting up and down the ballot and winning for the next four years. 

To change our politics-to be able to win and deliver change that directly touches people’s lives-means taking local politics seriously. Taking state politics seriously. Taking infrastructure-building seriously. 

Our job is to build not just a 50-state strategy-but 50 *state strategies*-a strategy for every state party (including DC, territories, Dems Abroad) that maps out the key fights before us and what it will take to win. It will look different in every state.

Downballot races have upballot consequences. 

If Republicans hadn’t taken over the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2022, then gerrymandered that state, right now Democrats would have a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The 448 members of the Democratic National Committee will vote on February 1 to choose their new chair. I’m running for DNC Chair because it’s time for us to unite, fight, and win. 

And through it all, we’ve got to be fighting 110% for the strategy for my own beloved state-the closest state in the country in 2024, which faces a pivotal decision on April 1. 

If the GOP wins Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race, they could re-rig WI as surely as they re-rigged NC. 

Wisconsin’s April 1 Supreme Court election will fill a seat opening up due to a retirement-and determine the majority.

This will be the first critical election in the new Trump era, the one you could most directly affect right now.

The stakes could not be higher. 

In 2023, Wisconsin overwhelmingly elected a pro-democracy state Supreme Court candidate-whose win flipped our majority. With a new majority, the court stopped taking marching orders from the WI GOP and followed the rule of law. 

Now, the majority’s up for grabs again.

Whoever wins the WI Supreme Court race on 4/1 will cast the tiebreaking vote in 4-3 cases-cases which decide if WI will keep defending democracy & our core freedoms or backslide again.

A shift back to a right-wing court majority could undo all the progress we’ve made since 2023.

The GOP is offering up some reheated MAGA stew: far-right candidate Brad Schimel, who served-disastrously-as Attorney General under Scott Walker.

A list of Schimel’s misdeeds can be found at bradschimel.org.

As Scott Walker’s Attorney General, “Bad Brad” Schimel:

- attacked reproductive freedom
- ignored 1000s of untested rape kits, denying justice to survivors of sexual violence
- sued to kill the Affordable Care Act
- fought to protect the GOP’s obscene gerrymandered maps

Brad Schimel would ensure that Wisconsin courts back whatever MAGA nightmares Trump might have in store for our state. It’s a safe bet that Schimel would seek to weaponize the courts to undermine Wisconsin voters, democracy, and the rule of law. 

Meanwhile, WisDems endorses Judge Susan Crawford for the state Supreme Court. Her record demonstrates her belief in the rule of law, our Constitution, and bedrock principles of freedom, democracy, and justice.

A little background on Susan Crawford: a native of Chippewa Falls, she started her career as an Assistant Attorney General with the Wisconsin DOJ, where she prosecuted hundreds of tough cases, holding criminals accountable.

After serving as a prosecutor for nearly a decade, Crawford held leadership positions at Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Department of Natural Resources before being named chief legal counsel to Governor Jim Doyle.

After serving in WI state government, Judge Crawford became a private practice attorney, where she defended Wisconsinites’ core rights and freedoms.

Judge Crawford currently sits on the Dane County Circuit Court, and has presided over tough trials, including homicide, sexual assault, and domestic violence. She prioritizes following the law and getting facts right, ensuring fair trials to all who appear in her courtroom.

If we help Judge Crawford defeat Brad Schimel for the WI Supreme Court seat, we have a chance for democracy to flourish in Wisconsin. Let’s ensure every Wisconsinite knows why she’s the best choice. One way to help: donate to Judge Crawford’s campaign here.

WisDems will be on a huge statewide push to get the word out about Susan Crawford and you can be a part of it. Sign up to volunteer here: wisdems.org/volunteer

The best way to face down the new year is to fight and win in April.

WisDems will work tirelessly to make sure every Wisconsin voter knows the truth about Brad Schimel, Susan Crawford, and the stakes in this race. Chip in here. 

So that’s it: three key dates. 

January 20: we put the “ugh!” in “inauguration.”

February 1: DNC Chair election. 

April 1: the all-on-the-line Wisconsin Supreme Court election. 

That’s how we kick off 2025.

Happy New Year. Let’s win some elections.  

--
Ben