Weekly News from Your Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair

 

Dear Fellow Wisconsin Democrats,

Late this summer, we decided to set a goal for off-year organizing of unprecedented ambition: one year out from the election, we would work with our countywide parties and neighborhood action teams to knock on 50,000 doors. More than twice Donald Trump’s margin of victory from 2016. More doors than we knocked in all of 2015… or 2017… combined.

We set to work. Energy was high. We were feeling good.

And then, a few days out, the temperature fell, and it started to snow.

This week, we’re devoting nearly the whole weekly update to what happened next. Thanks a million to everyone who was part of making it happen.

– Ben

 

#1Year2Win

 

By Sunday night when all was said and done, we ended up with 54,000 doors knocked, nearly 4,000 donations and TV news coverage in every corner of the state. It was an unprecedented mobilization. Thank you to everyone who took time out of their weekends to talk to their neighbors — this wouldn’t have been possible without each one of our amazing volunteers.

What we did this weekend was seen and heard across the nation. We worked with our partners and friends across the country to make #1Year2Win trend, and we raised nearly $150,000 and generated over 150 million impressions on Twitter alone. 

 

Major news outlets noticed as well. The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and other national publications published stories on our efforts this weekend. CNN even came to town to check out our ground game!

All eyes are on Wisconsin, the state that’s gearing up to define the presidential election – Washington Post

Wisconsin might decide 2020. A top Democrat explains the huge challenge ahead. – Washington Post

Wisconsin Democrats Make Early Push to Take On Trump – Wall Street Journal

This wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing elected officials around the state stepping up and to energize our volunteers. So many of our elected leaders, from Gov. Evers and Sen. Baldwin to local city council members and school board members, kicked off canvasses and knocked on doors.

 

And it wouldn’t have been possible without you. To everyone who stepped up this last weekend to help out, in whatever way small or big — thank you.

We talked to people at their doors who had never heard from Democratic volunteers so far from an election—and who just opened their hearts to us, and talked to us, and connected. Those conversations matter. The next year is going to be an uphill battle, but we’re better prepared thanks to last weekend’s work. 

 

 

Defending our Farmers

 

Earlier this week we emailed you asking you to call Republicans and demand they confirm Brad Pfaff as Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. After Sec. Pfaff called out Republican legislators for slow-walking funding for mental health resources for farmers, Republicans lashed out and decided to fire Pfaff, leaving our state’s agriculture agency without a leader at a time when our farmers are in crisis.

Thanks to our organizing, we flooded Republicans’ phone lines and inboxes and made our voices heard. Unfortunately, Republicans got what they wanted and were able to obstruct the appointment of a highly qualified appointee with bipartisan support.

 

This week’s events are just an extension of Republicans’ lame-duck power grab from last December. Ever since Gov. Evers was elected by the people of Wisconsin last year, Republicans have refused to accept that they lost the governor’s seat and have spent every day since trying to override the will of the people.

We must continue to hold Republicans accountable. We can’t let them for a moment think they’ve gotten off the hook for this.

 

Upcoming Dates & Events

 

We launched a ✨brand new✨ tool to help local candidates launch their campaigns! Are you interested in running for office (or know someone who is)? Send them to wisdems.org/springforward where they can see what offices are up this spring and start to build an efficient campaign!

Help us collect nomination signatures for Tricia Zunker, our candidate running in the special election in the 7th congressional district! All completed forms need to be returned to the Zunker campaign by November 22nd. Mail to:Tricia Zunker for Congress PO Box 1549 Wausau, WI 54402

Apply for the Org. Corps 2020 Winter Bootcamp being held in Madison from January 13 – 19. Learn more about the 7-day crash course in campaign organizing here!

Fair Maps for Wisconsin Summit (Nov 9, 2019): The Fair Maps for Wisconsin Summit is a non-partisan statewide event with the goal of educating and empowering activists to inform voters about gerrymandering and get legislators and candidates for the legislature on the record for supporting fair maps legislation – an independent process to draw legislative district maps.

 

 

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