Thread by @benwikler

THREAD: To win the presidential race in 2024, we have to win reelection for @GovEvers in 2022—because if we don’t, the Wisconsin GOP will pass voter suppression laws in 2023 to swing the tipping-point state red. New op-ed:
crooked.com/articles/wisco…

Last week, Republicans argued a case to the US Supreme Court that would gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act. Prospects there are grim. Meanwhile, it would take (urgently needed!) changes to Senate rules to pass HR 1. W/o HR1, state policy is the key.

The GOP’s response to their failure in 2020 has been to redouble their attack on voting rights. As @AriBerman reports, the @BrennanCenter has found that “253 bills to restrict voting access have been introduced in 43 states already this year” by the GOP.
motherjones.com/politics/2021/…

In many places, the grim truth is that the GOP’s attacks on voter rights could well pass. Republicans hold trifectas in 23 states, including in Arizona and Georgia—two of the three razor’s-edge state flips from 2020.
ballotpedia.org/State_governme…

But! Republicans *don’t* have trifectas in the three “blue wall” states: Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Dems hold all three governorships. It’s mission-critical for us to hold them in ‘22. And the closest one in ‘18 was Wisconsin.

It’s not hard to see why the GOP is prioritizing voter suppression: it put Trump in the White House. Wisconsin history tells the story.

From 2011-2018, the GOP had a Republican trifecta in Wisconsin, and they used it to change the rules to tilt the playing field towards Republicans.
madison.com/ct/news/local/…

First, they smashed organized labor, because they know unions are the engine of cross-racial solidarity and mobilization for economic justice among working people.
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

And secondly, they changed our election laws to benefit Republicans and make it harder for likely Democratic voters—including Black and Brown Wisconsinites, young people, and lower-income folks who move more frequently—to register and cast ballots.
motherjones.com/politics/2017/…

In 2015, Wisconsin’s voter ID laws took effect for the first time—and in 2016, Wisconsin went Republican in the presidential race for the first time since 1984.
nytimes.com/2017/09/25/us/…

In 2018, thanks to a massive voter uprising, Dems swept our statewide offices—but only, in the Governor’s race, by 1.1%. One of the closest Gov races in the country, won by battling through GOP barriers between voters and their ballots.
nytimes.com/2018/11/07/us/…

Because @GovEvers won in 2018, so many attacks on voting rights didn’t work here in 2020. All throughout the year, the GOP tried to restrict voting rights. And all throughout the year, Gov Evers fought back. And, as you might recall… we won a blue WI.

If Scott Walker had still been governor, we would’ve seen moves like we saw in red states: restrictions on drop boxes, crackdowns on absentee voting, and other changes to the rules. Trump only lost by 0.6% here. GOP suppression could’ve won WI for him.

Instead, we were able to organize a historic groundswell of Democratic voters, mostly voting by mail and early, to jump Dem turnout 18% higher than in 2016. Trump’s turnout jumped too—but only by 15%. We carried the day.
nbcnews.com/politics/2020-…

Now, Wisconsin Republicans are proposing bills to make voting harder—particularly targeting absentee voting. And judging from GOP wish lists in other states, this is just the start.

Make no mistake: a GOP trifecta in 2022 would lead to voter suppression laws in 2023.
badgerherald.com/news/2021/02/2…

2024 feels like a long way off. But Wisconsin has been the tipping point state for two presidential elections in a row. There’s only one state that’s had under 1% margins in four of the last six presidential elections: Wisconsin.

Republicans are keenly aware of the incredibly close nature of elections in the Badger State. Which is why they want to do anything they can to shave off Democratic voters at the margins. Which is why they’re pushing disinformation about the vote.
jsonline.com/story/news/pol…

Governor Evers is a champion of democracy. jsonline.com/story/news/pol…

He’s proposed automatic voter registration, expanded early voting, & allowing local clerks to start counting absentee ballots before Election Day—reducing voter confusion & zapping Republican disinfo about the validity of votes cast by mail.

Republicans know they can’t crush voter turnout unless they grab Wisconsin’s governorship. But we’re not going to let that happen.

When Governor Evers wins reelection in 2022, we will not only have protected the future of Wisconsin—we’ll have protected the sanctity of our democracy, and laid the groundwork for 2024’s presidential election.

One area where the GOP has long outshined Democrats is in thinking long-term. We can’t make that mistake this time. It’s vividly, brutally clear that the basic idea of democracy in our country remains at stake.

And what we do NOW will shape whether future generations of Americans live in a free and democratic country or one where a self-appointed sliver of the population determines who will rule.

The work to reelect Governor Evers is underway already, and we’re going to keep ratcheting it up. It will also shape Wisconsin’s Senate race—and end Ron Johnson’s political career. So it is worth investing in. Not just at the end—right now.

To protect democracy in Wisconsin, and in America, become a @WisDems monthly donor. Together, let’s shift our culture to think about long-term strategy, and put the reelection of Governor Evers into the central role that it so richly warrants.
secure.actblue.com/donate/te-dpw?…

And whether or not you can donate—you can volunteer from home! The mighty @WisDems voter protection team, first kick-started by @StaceyAbrams in 2019, is still roaring along, and we can use your help. Sign up at this link to get involved: vote.wisdems.org/volunteer

Wisconsin has a statewide election for Superintendent of Public Instruction on 4/6. We’re going all-in to elect Dr. Jill Underly, @UnderlyforWI, a champion of public schools. Protecting the vote & winning that election prepares us for ‘22. Be a volunteer! secure.ngpvan.com/p/eh27mPeAy0yB…

If you’re wondering “What is the state of our nation,” remember that we’re a nation of states. Governorships are at the heart of the system of American government. And this one is unusually, profoundly important. @GovEvers’ reelection is profoundly important for us all.