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Wisconsin Dems prepare to control Capitol for first time in 16 years
The state of Wisconsin is in for big changes on so many parts of daily life. Democrats are preparing to control the Wisconsin Capitol for the first time in 16 years.
MADISON, Wis. - The state of Wisconsin is in for big changes on so many parts of daily life. Democrats are preparing to control the Wisconsin Capitol for the first time in 16 years.
Getting ready for 2027
What To Know:
Democrats were tight-lipped about what exactly they would do first. A week after Election Day, Gov.-elect David Crowley met behind closed doors with the soon-to-be-majorities in the Assembly and then the Senate. After one meeting, he dodged FOX6 questions about what the legislature should tackle on day one.
On Jan. 4, 2027, the first Democratic trifecta in 16 years will be sworn in, as the party keeps the governor’s office and flips control of the Wisconsin Senate and flips control of the Wisconsin Assembly.
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Democratic leaders who did talk after private meetings didn't give much on their plans for the first days. Leaders said they wanted to talk to their new majorities.
Issues to tackle
What To Know:
They did talk about tackling affordability and legalizing marijuana. The future Wisconsin Assembly speaker also talked about free school meals for all kids, investing in public schools, lowering property taxes, and regulating prescription drug costs.
On Nov. 10, legislative Democrats picked their new leaders. The Assembly’s next speaker will be State Rep. Greta Neubauer of Racine, the first woman to ever serve as Wisconsin speaker. The next Wisconsin Senate majority leader will be State Sen. Dianne Hesselbein of Middleton, while the next Senate president will be State Sen. Mark Spreitzer of Beloit.
"Making sure that we fully fund our schools and don't force them to keep going to referendum. Making sure we have better ways to fund our local governments, tackling AI and data center regulation, making healthcare, childcare, and housing more affordable, protecting our environment, and so much more," Spreitzer said of their priorities.
"We will chart a new path forward for our state, taking this mandate and doing everything in our power to move Wisconsin forward. We are going to lower costs, build great schools, and protect people's rights," Neubauer said.
Wisconsin election: Democrats win control of State Legislature
For the first time since 2011, Democrats now have control of the Wisconsin Legislature after winning several key races during the 2026 midterm elections.
Republicans also meet
The other side:
Republicans also met in closed door sessions, including lawmakers who lost reelection like State Rep. Bob Donovan of Greenfield.
"I'm not optimistic. I don’t like their agenda, I think it's bad for the state," Donovan said of the Democrats who will take over the legislature. "I'm hopeful that the Republicans will be a little more aggressive. I believe we have a lot of the right answers, and our platform is the best to pursue for prosperity."
A blue wave swept many Republicans out of office, not only in Wisconsin, but nationwide, including in some reliably Republican states like Texas and Kanas. Voters again and again said their number one issue was the economy, and they took out their anger on Republicans.
"We, of course, want to address the affordability challenge that Wisconsinites are facing. We heard about this every single day on the campaign trail. We know that we need to deliver for the people of this state, and we understand that we have a mandate to lower costs and help families make ends meet in the state of Wisconsin. We, of course, will also be focused on protecting our rights and freedoms and strengthening our democracy in Wisconsin," said Neubauer.
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"I heard at the doors, too, from folks. I had one woman say: 'Bob, I can't even vote for a good Republican this go-around.’ And I think that says it all," Donovan explained. "People were frustrated at the cost of living, and the gas prices, as Clinton said: 'It's the economy, stupid." Well, they're right. It was. And so, it was hard for Republicans to overcome that national trend, certainly. Trump came up quite often, and issues of gas prices and the cost of living, so certainly, those were big issues and difficult to overcome."
New majority
What's next:
The new governor and lawmakers will be sworn into office on January 4, 2027.
Democrats will hold 53 seats to Republicans' 46 seats in the Wisconsin Assembly.
Democrats will hold 18 seats to Republicans' 15 in the Wisconsin Senate.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jason Calvi and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Mark Spreitzer, Greta Neubauer, and Bob Donovan.