Thread by @benwikler

Hi. I'm running for Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. My amazing ticket: Felesia Martin for 1st Vice Chair; @SnodgrassforWI for 2nd V Chair. Our goal: supercharge the grassroots, beat Trump & the GOP at every level, & fight for the progressive agenda. We need your help.

Want to stop Trump? It's not enough to refresh Twitter, waiting for the Mueller report. You've got to organize. Specifically, you've got to organize in the states that'll tip the balance in 2020. And Wisconsin might be *the* hinge, swinging the whole election. The fight is here.

The truth is, though, it's not enough to beat Trump. He's not just a disease—he's a symptom. A symptom of political sickness; of an extreme, lawless, and toxic party. The party of, here in Wisconsin, Scott Walker and Robin Vos. A party that has nothing but contempt for democracy.

We're running not simply to defeat the GOP. We're running to build the kind of party we believe in. A party that respects the inherent dignity of every person. In the face of divide & conquer, we're organizing to unite and liberate. How? The right way: Respect. Empower. Include.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is a statewide institution. But it is built on the county parties. The 72 county parties are laboratories of leadership. They're where the people who do the work gather & coordinate. To fight & win, empowering & building county parties is key.

To go on the offense vs the GOP—to organize in every square inch of the state—means empowering county parties & grassroots volunteers with cutting-edge technology, training, & support. And it means recognizing that counties & regions vary. No size fits all. Listening is required.

Taking this party to the next level requires a ton of skills, experiences, relationships, and vision. That's why I'm so thrilled about the ticket I'm running with. Coming up in this thread: more about each of us; our plan... and how you can help.

Running with me for First Vice Chair is the extraordinary Felesia Martin. She knows first-hand how Dems win in WI—bc she was a state (and national) co-chair for Obama's campaign in 2012. In 2018, she ran herself & won a seat on the Milwaukee County Board.
benwikler.com/meet-felesia

Felesia embodies the "respect, empower, include" ethos of the Obamas. (In fact, it was seeing Obama's 2004 convention address that turned her into a Democratic activist.) She's everyone's mentor. She's fearless. She's beloved. And she does the work like nobody you've ever met.

Felesia canvassed her community so many times that, by the time she ran her own race in 2018, when she'd knock on doors, people would ask "who are we supporting this time, Felesia?"—and then they'd light up with joy when she replied, "Me!"

Lee Snodgrass is running for 2nd Vice Chair of the @WisDems. @SnodgrassforWI is amazing. Ran a killer race for State Senate in 2018. Powerhouse county chair of @OutagamieCoDems. 24-year Appleton resident; Girl Scouts comms director; mom x2; bi; fighter.
benwikler.com/meet-lee

When @SnodgrassforWI ran for WI State Senate last year, she was endorsed by EMILY's List, Victory Fund, Daily Kos, Flippable, Human Rights Campaign, and President Barack Obama. She won 46.6% in a wildly gerrymandered district. Knows firsthand how county parties fuel candidacies.

And then there's me. My political identity was forged here in Wisconsin. I learned to volunteer for campaigns when my godmother, Ada Deer, ran for Congress when I was eleven. I got hooked on progressive politics and activism, and never looked back.
benwikler.com/meet-ben

I volunteered for Tammy Baldwin's first Congressional race. I crisscrossed the state on a gubernatorial campaign and throwing candy at county fairs. I interned for Russ Feingold. And I launched new campaigns—for a student spot on the school board, for increased school funding.

In college, I worked at the Center On Wisconsin Strategy (COWS, where the slogan used to be "Outstanding in their fields")—and co-founded the activist group @FightGlobalAIDS. I met my now-wife Beth putting up posters for a protest for AIDS funding.

I've worked in progressive politics, activism, and media. I've organized against climate change & war, and fought for economic, social, and racial justice. I tried to draft Warren, was a Bernie surrogate, and then helped raise millions of dollars for organizing to elect Hillary.

For much of 2017, I spent nearly every waking hour trying to save the ACA and Medicaid, working with my spectacular @MoveOn colleagues and a relentless, inspiring coalition of allies—not least the @LittleLobbyists. I'll never forget the moment when we won.

And then, in 2018, health care went from defense to offense. We fought for people who wanted to expand care instead of rip it away. Here in Wisconsin, Evers & Barnes (& Tammy!) ran on health care, grassroots activists worked nonstop—and together, we ended the Scott Walker era.

But the Wisconsin GOP refused to listen to voters. They called a special session & rammed through emergency legislation to strip the new governor of key powers to follow through on promises for health care. I helped sound the alarm. It wasn't enough.

https://twitter.com/benwikler/status/1068778197888786433

While we rallied outside in the freezing snow, Republicans inside the Capitol prepared to defy the basic tenets of democracy. They hoped we'd forget. We won't. Their reckless extremism fuels our organizing. We're building a party that will defeat them.
madison.com/ct/news/local/…

Late last year, I moved—with my wife Beth and our three kids—back to Wisconsin. Friends will attest that I've been talking about it forever. It's so, so good to be home. And I'm thrilled to be working with such extraordinary people to help take our state party to the next level.

I want my kids—and everyone's kids—to have the opportunity to have the experience I had: to see that if they organize in this democracy, they can change things for the better.

There will be a great deal more to discuss in this race. And more than that, I'm looking forward to a ton of listening and learning. But for now, I want to ask for your help. In a democracy, nobody gets anything done alone. This race only works if people work to make it happen.

Are you a Wisconsinite? It's time to join the Democratic Party. A year-long @WisDems membership costs $25, or $35 for a couple. Only members in good standing (i.e. paid up) can vote in chair races—one of many benefits. Go to this page, and click "join":
wisdems.org/membership-2

Once you join, you'll be added automatically to your county party, & you can sign up to be a delegate to the state convention (Milwaukee, June 1-2). Then, if you attend your Congressional District convention, you can lock in your state delegate slot. (It makes sense in practice.)

If you'd like to join the party, become a delegate to the state convention, and vote to elect our ticket, wow: You're terrific! Sign up at benwikler.com/endorse and our terrific campaign manager, @austinjkieler, will make sure you understand all the steps.

This race is won or lost based on the votes of delegates to the Democratic state convention in Milwaukee this June 1-2. The most powerful thing you can do is become a delegate yourself. The second most powerful: recruit other delegates. Just, please, sign up so we can remind you.

Here's a way you, reading this right now, can definitely support the campaign: DONATE! Your help makes this possible. Here's a link! Form takes thirty seconds. Really grateful for your partnership in making this happen.

secure.squarespace.com/checkout/donat…

And lastly, whoever you are and whatever you're doing, if you support what we're trying to do here, please fill out the endorsement form. That lets us know who's with us, so we can reach out and figure out better ways to tap your talents. Form here:

benwikler.com/endorse

Felesia, Lee, and I announced this campaign tonight in the living room of the house where I grew up—and now live. A room of people who've known me since childhood. It was humbling. Moving. We all share a set of Wisconsin values. Let's fight for them.

wispolitics.com/2019/wikler-ca…