Wisconsin Democratic leader Ben Wikler enters the race to lead the national party

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party in Wisconsin, said Sunday he has joined the race to lead the national party after an election that swept Donald Trump and Republicans to power in Washington.

“In Wisconsin, we’ve built a permanent campaign,” Wikler said in his candidacy announcement. “We organize and communicate year-round in every corner of the state — rural, suburban, urban, red, blue and purple areas alike.”

Since losing control of the White House, the Senate and the House, Democrats are looking for new leadership to tackle the nation’s problems with the additional challenge of confronting four more years of a Trump presidency.

Top announced candidates to lead the Democratic National Committee include Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and a vice chair of the national party, and Martin O’Malley, a former Maryland governor and current Social Security administrator. The DNC will choose its successor in February, an election that will speak volumes about how the party wants to present itself during four more years of Trump in the White House.

Wikler, who was elected state chair in 2019, cites his experience leading the party’s efforts in a state that shifted less toward Trump than other battlegrounds in 2024 and where Democrats won key downballot races.

He said that during his tenure, Democrats flipped the majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and reelected Tony Evers as governor. This year, the state returned Sen. Tammy Baldwin for a third term and retook 14 state legislative seats, which he says puts Democrats on track for majorities in both chambers in 2026.

“What has made a difference in Wisconsin can made a difference everywhere,” Wikler said.

Wikler, 43, has served as a Washington director for MoveOn.org, a progressive advocacy group and as a campaign director for Avaaz, a group that mobilizes members to take on issues such as poverty, climate change and human rights.

Wikler told CNN’s “Inside Politics Sunday” that Democrats need to show Americans that “we’re on their side and show who Republicans are for. If we don’t do that, then we’re going to lose.”

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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.