Wisconsin Democrats Elect New Leadership After 16-Year Power Shift

Wisconsin Democrats elected new legislative leadership on November 10, 2026, after winning control of both the state Senate and Assembly. This victory, combined with the election of Governor-elect David Crowley, establishes a Democratic trifecta for the first time in 16 years. The new leadership will be sworn in on January 4, 2027.

Greta Neubauer was elected Speaker of the Assembly, becoming the first woman in Wisconsin history to hold the position. State Senator Dianne Hesselbein was elected Senate majority leader, marking the first time two women have simultaneously held these top legislative roles. Other key appointments include State Senator Mark Spreitzer as Senate president—the first openly LGBTQ+ person in the role—and State Representative Kalan Haywood as Assembly majority leader, the first Black lawmaker to serve in that capacity.

Democratic leaders identified affordability, public education funding, artificial intelligence regulation, and prescription drug costs as primary goals. Mark Spreitzer specifically noted a desire to limit school vouchers and regulate data centers. Republicans elected State Senator Julian Bradley as Senate minority leader, the first Black person to hold the post, and State Representative Tyler August as Assembly minority leader. Bradley expressed a desire for cooperation on tax cuts and a flat tax, though he criticized Governor-elect Crowley for indicating he would sign new congressional maps into law, which Republicans viewed as a reversal of a pledge against mid-cycle redistricting.