WisDems: Celebrate Underly as Newly Elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction

Contact: DPW Communications (press@wisdems.org)

MADISON — The Democratic Party of Wisconsin congratulates Dr. Jill Underly on her hard-fought win in the race for State Superintendent of Public Instruction. Dr. Underly’s election is a major victory for supporters of public education across Wisconsin.

“Students, teachers, and families across Wisconsin are the real winners tonight. Dr. Underly has the deep expertise, unwavering dedication to public schools, and clear vision for a more equitable future that Wisconsin needs right now,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. “We’re extremely proud of the work Dr. Underly and thousands of volunteers across the state put into this campaign, and we’re looking forward to working together to safely reopen Wisconsin’s schools and build them back better for students from every background and every region of the state. We’re also gratified that voters have once again rejected cynical attempts to win elections by appealing to hatred and division.”

Trailing in the final run-up to the election, Underly’s opponent, Deb Kerr, attacked transgender students in a transparent attempt to energize her right-wing base. Dr. Underly’s win — despite those tactics — demonstrates the importance of year-round organizing as a highly effective tool to increase voter turnout and equip voters with the information they need to make an informed decision at the ballot box.

DPW made an unprecedented million-dollar investment in this election to ensure that a champion of public schools helms the Department of Public Instruction, and that we continue to build a bench of strong and effective leaders in our state. Volunteers from DPW’s neighborhood teams and county parties, supported by DPW’s year-round organizing team, led tens of thousands of conversations with voters. In addition, DPW’s year-round voter protection operation mobilized to combat GOP efforts to roll back voting rights and ensure everyone could cast a vote.

“We never stopped working after helping to elect President Biden,” added Wikler. “And this election is more proof that year-round organizing works. Tonight’s victory — and the months of work leading up to it — will help build momentum toward 2022, when we will re-elect Governor Tony Evers and end Ron Johnson’s embarrassingly bad political career.”