MADISON, Wis. — Following Governor Tony Evers’ decisive victory tonight, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler has released the following statement:
“Tonight’s results in Wisconsin’s gubernatorial and state legislative races represent a stunning victory, not just for Democrats in Wisconsin, but for democracy in America.
Governor Tony Evers and Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez won decisively, exceeding the Governor’s 2018 margin. Democrats appear to have prevented Republicans from securing a veto-proof supermajority in the Assembly. These wins transcend history in a state that almost always denies the governorship to the party that controls the White House. More than that, Governor Evers’ win—and the preservation of his power to veto legislation—ensures that free and fair elections can continue to prevail in the most pivotal state in the Electoral College. Losses in Wisconsin tonight could have proven catastrophic to the American experiment. Instead, Wisconsinites from every corner of the state chose freedom and democracy.
Governor Evers’ victory is, centrally, the result of his fundamental decency and his record of consistently doing the right thing despite a relentless partisan onslaught by his opponents. It is also the result of a superb campaign, conceived and executed masterfully by a remarkable team, a party infrastructure with talented staff and dedicated volunteers, and unswerving allies in labor, grassroots organizations, and in every community. And it is a rejection of the Trumpian divisiveness and extremism advanced by Tim Michels and Republicans in the state legislature. It is time for the Wisconsin GOP to join Governor Evers and return to Wisconsin’s best values of civility and integrity.
The last time Wisconsin voted for a Democratic candidate for Governor while a Democrat sat in the White House was 1962, with a 1% margin of victory. Governor Evers’ reelection is an endorsement not just of his warmth and humanity, but also of his vision for a state guided by his maxim that what’s best for our children is what’s best for our kids. His faith in the people of Wisconsin and dedication to lifting them up—no matter where they live, what they look like, where they were born, or who they love—has been answered with a resounding affirmation by an electorate that turned out in record numbers. In the work that lies ahead to make Wisconsin a state where all can thrive and where freedom and democracy prevail, Governor Evers has earned a ringing mandate.”
