
Ruth Conniff: Wisconsin’s blue wave and the post-Trump era
The lesson of the 2026 midterms was that regular people are not powerless in the face of this aggressive, anti-democratic regime. There is still time and hope left for our country.
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The lesson of the 2026 midterms was that regular people are not powerless in the face of this aggressive, anti-democratic regime. There is still time and hope left for our country.

om Tiffany never really had a chance. The national carnage for the Republicans in 2026 even took out GOP officials in staunchly red states. A swing state like ours didn’t have a shot at surviving the purge.

Tony Evers has been one hell of a governor.

The result will be higher taxes, higher energy bills, higher housing costs and a state government that grows while family budgets shrink.

Now, for the first time, Tuesday’s election is producing a Legislature that reflects the actual will of Wisconsin voters because of the politically neutral election maps enacted in 2024.

Don’t let the sound of the blue tsunami drown out what happened in Wisconsin.

After Tuesday’s nationwide electoral rout, Republicans face a choice. They can steer towards becoming a credible conservative alternative again, or remain a personality cult bobbing about in a self-created bubble of chaos and bombast. With a shrinking electorate.

People power, not political power, is the mandate going forward.

The GOP is the party of smaller government. The Democrats are the party of bigger government. But often the issues & messaging highlighted by Republican candidates and party leaders doesn’t reflect this. This is why the GOP lost in Wisconsin and around the nation.

Michigan’s next senator overcame a tidal wave of racism and money—and made history.

Civic leaders should use this groundswell of community pride to help create a new agenda for the future that lifts up the lives of all citizens.

We don’t blame Donald Trump for the washout in Tuesday’s mid-term elections as much as we blame his enablers.

Tiffany, Van Orden lose

The rural-urban divide that played out in these midterms was often described as a conflict between different economic interests or political preferences. But the deeper conflict may concern what it means to belong as an American.

Environment should not be a partisan issue, but it often becomes so. The results of Tuesday’s election did bring more clout to the party that historically has favored the environment. But it’s up to us to make sure the new majority Democrats make it a priority in the coming months.

State aid that isn’t keeping up with costs is fueling the trend for districts across Wisconsin to place ballot initiatives asking local voters to voluntarily increase their property taxes to close gaps in operational funding.

Wisconsin’s members of Congress should take a hard look at Section 5010 and the competitive disadvantage it can create for producers here at home. It’s time to clean up the federal tax code, and that means sweeping away clutter like the foreign liquor loophole.

Five years after lawmakers proposed peer review, the DNR shows why it’s needed.

We must continue to value curiosity and give researchers the resources necessary to pursue the answers, wherever they may lead.

There was an election for a new governor, proposed constitutional amendments.

The lesson of the 2026 midterms was that regular people are not powerless in the face of this aggressive, anti-democratic regime. There is still time and hope left for our country.

om Tiffany never really had a chance. The national carnage for the Republicans in 2026 even took out GOP officials in staunchly red states. A swing state like ours didn’t have a shot at surviving the purge.

Tony Evers has been one hell of a governor.

The result will be higher taxes, higher energy bills, higher housing costs and a state government that grows while family budgets shrink.

Now, for the first time, Tuesday’s election is producing a Legislature that reflects the actual will of Wisconsin voters because of the politically neutral election maps enacted in 2024.

Don’t let the sound of the blue tsunami drown out what happened in Wisconsin.

After Tuesday’s nationwide electoral rout, Republicans face a choice. They can steer towards becoming a credible conservative alternative again, or remain a personality cult bobbing about in a self-created bubble of chaos and bombast. With a shrinking electorate.

People power, not political power, is the mandate going forward.

The GOP is the party of smaller government. The Democrats are the party of bigger government. But often the issues & messaging highlighted by Republican candidates and party leaders doesn’t reflect this. This is why the GOP lost in Wisconsin and around the nation.

Michigan’s next senator overcame a tidal wave of racism and money—and made history.

Civic leaders should use this groundswell of community pride to help create a new agenda for the future that lifts up the lives of all citizens.

We don’t blame Donald Trump for the washout in Tuesday’s mid-term elections as much as we blame his enablers.

Tiffany, Van Orden lose

The rural-urban divide that played out in these midterms was often described as a conflict between different economic interests or political preferences. But the deeper conflict may concern what it means to belong as an American.

Environment should not be a partisan issue, but it often becomes so. The results of Tuesday’s election did bring more clout to the party that historically has favored the environment. But it’s up to us to make sure the new majority Democrats make it a priority in the coming months.

State aid that isn’t keeping up with costs is fueling the trend for districts across Wisconsin to place ballot initiatives asking local voters to voluntarily increase their property taxes to close gaps in operational funding.

Wisconsin’s members of Congress should take a hard look at Section 5010 and the competitive disadvantage it can create for producers here at home. It’s time to clean up the federal tax code, and that means sweeping away clutter like the foreign liquor loophole.

Five years after lawmakers proposed peer review, the DNR shows why it’s needed.

We must continue to value curiosity and give researchers the resources necessary to pursue the answers, wherever they may lead.

There was an election for a new governor, proposed constitutional amendments.