Wisconsin Voters Usher in New Era for Reproductive Freedom, Electing Pro-Reproductive Health Governor and Legislative Majorities
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin invested more than $800,000 in voter communications, knocked on nearly 96,000 doors and reached more than 725,000 voters
MADISON, WI — Wisconsin voters delivered a historic victory for reproductive freedom Tuesday, electing David Crowley as governor and flipping both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature, creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect and expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion.
According to preliminary election results, Democrats secured an 18–15 majority in the Senate and a 53–46 majority in the Assembly.
“Yesterday, Wisconsin voters made a powerful choice about the future of our state,” said Tanya Atkinson, President of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. “No matter where we live, what we look like, or how much money we make, we all deserve the freedom to make decisions about our own lives, care for the people we love, and build a good future for our families. That includes the freedom to make personal health care decisions without interference from politicians.”
“For years, Wisconsin families have lived with the consequences of politicians inserting themselves into deeply personal medical decisions. We have fought in courtrooms, at the Capitol, and in communities across the state to protect access to essential health care. Now, Wisconsin voters have given us an extraordinary opportunity to move beyond defending our freedoms and begin securing them for future generations.”
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin congratulates Governor-elect David Crowley, Lieutenant Governor-elect Sarah Godlewski, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State-elect JoCasta Zamarripa, and the reproductive freedom champions elected to the Wisconsin Legislature.
A transformational election for reproductive freedom
Tuesday’s results mark a fundamental shift in Wisconsin’s political landscape.
Democrats flipped three Senate seats and eight Assembly seats, including victories by PPAWI-targeted candidates Robyn Vining, Jenna Jacobson and Trevor Jung in the Senate, and Ben Gruber, Ben Brist, Becky Nichols, Dan Bukiewicz, Brandy Tollefson and Jeremiah Fredrickson in the Assembly. Planned Parenthood Action Fund candidates Rebecca Cooke and Mitchell Berman also defeated two anti-reproductive health members of Congress, doubling the size of pro Planned Parenthood leaders in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation.
These victories create a historic opportunity to advance policies that protect reproductive freedom, eliminate medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion, and expand access to affordable, comprehensive reproductive health care.
“This election was about more than which candidates would hold office. It was about the kind of Wisconsin we want to build,” said Atkinson. “A Wisconsin where someone facing a pregnancy complication can get the care they need without political interference. Where families have access to affordable health care. And where every young person knows they have the freedom to determine their own future.”
PPAWI’s grassroots electoral program reached voters across Wisconsin
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin Political Fund mounted a significant statewide voter engagement program during the 2026 election cycle, investing more than $800,000 in voter communications and reaching more than 725,000 voters through organizing, direct mail, digital outreach and text messages.
The organization’s 2026 electoral program included:
95,930 doors knocked by canvassers across Wisconsin.
9,967 direct voter conversations about reproductive freedom and health care.
168 individual canvassers participating in the program.
96 volunteers contributing 270.5 volunteer hours.
49 election events engaging communities across the state.
536,439 mail pieces delivered to voters.
12 targeted legislative races in competitive districts across Wisconsin.
160+ social media posts across platforms (FB, IG, Threads & TikTok)
220,000+ organic impressions with an avg. 9.5% engagement rate
24 voter contact emails sharing election-related information on candidates and reproductive healthcare reaching more than 53,000 recipients
PPAWI’s voter engagement efforts reached communities including Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse, Appleton and Green Bay, combining direct conversations with a comprehensive voter communications program.
“Our organizers and volunteers showed up in communities across Wisconsin because they understood what was at stake,” said Atkinson. “They knocked on nearly 96,000 doors, had almost 10,000 conversations with voters, and brought our message directly into homes across the state. These conversations helped connect the issues people care about most — their health, their families and their futures — to the choices they made at the ballot box.”
Turning electoral victories into lasting protections
For years, Wisconsin’s reproductive health advocates have been forced to defend against restrictions and fight to restore access to care. The incoming administration and Legislature now have an opportunity to take meaningful steps toward establishing durable protections for reproductive freedom.
PPAWI looks forward to working with Governor-elect Crowley and legislative leaders to advance policies that protect abortion access, remove medically unnecessary barriers to reproductive health care, and ensure that all Wisconsinites can get the care they need.
“The voters have opened the door. Now it’s time to deliver,” said Atkinson. “We have a responsibility to turn this historic opportunity into real protections that make a difference in people’s lives. This is a new day for Wisconsin, and our work is just beginning.”
About Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI) is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin. PPAWI engages in legislative and educational activity and works to elect candidates to office that support these goals.
