WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today EMILYs List announced Wisconsin as a key target in its 2026 State Power Plan, a bold and dynamic initial investment of $15 million to secure Democratic governing majorities across nine key states by recruiting, investing in, and supporting women candidates up and down the ballot in 2026.
“The Republican chaos coming out of Washington is wreaking havoc on Wisconsinites. Democrats need governing power in order to hold the line against Republicans’ assault on the economy, our health care, and our everyday lives. EMILYs List is taking an aggressive approach to building Democrats’ state power in Wisconsin with bold candidates who know exactly what’s at stake,” said EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler.
State Power Plan Highlights
- In 2026, Democrats will need to protect open governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state seats and can flip another seat on the state supreme court. Because of the fair legislative maps approved by a newly progressive state supreme court, we have a real shot at flipping the state Senate and state Assembly — delivering governing power to Democrats in Wisconsin for the first time since 2008.
- To date, EMILYs List-endorsed candidates in Wisconsin include:
- Susan Crawford, Wisconsin Supreme Court (Won)
- Chris Taylor, Wisconsin Supreme Court
- Robyn Vining, Wisconsin Senate (SD-05)
- Jenna Jacobson, Wisconsin Senate (SD-17)
- Lori Palmeri, Wisconsin state Assembly (AD-54)
- Jodi Emerson, Wisconsin state Assembly (AD-91)
- Fueled by our clean sweep across Virginia and New Jersey in 2025, EMILYs List is focusing its initial $15 million on nine states where there are overlapping electoral imperatives this cycle, from electing governors, attorneys general, secretaries of state, and state legislative majorities, to winning state supreme court races that position Democratic pro-choice women to make an immediate impact and build for future cycles.
- Races in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin represent the foundation of our work this cycle. These nine key states are places where we are already using our deep expertise and innovative tactics to recruit strong candidates and help them build strategic, winning campaigns. They are where EMILYs List investments will make the greatest impact in coming out of this cycle with governing majorities.
- In addition to securing Democratic centers of power that make an immediate impact, EMILYs List will take the offensive in other state races to build a backstop to Republican extremism. That includes: holding onto a governing coalition in the Alaska House; breaking the Republican supermajority in the Kansas House; preventing a Republican supermajority in the Nebraska Senate; flipping both chambers in New Hampshire’s state legislature; and flipping state supreme court seats in states like Ohio, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, and Montana.
- We know that the key to winning in 2026 will be a dynamic approach to this work, one in which we will continually evaluate and examine places and races where we have real opportunities to achieve governing power in November 2026.
