Thread by @benwikler

Wisconsinites voted on Tuesday in spring primary elections—from Milwaukee mayor to small-town school boards and city councils. Now we have 47 days until April 5, the biggest local election day in the nation’s most critical state before this November. Critical work to do—THREAD:

Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s biggest city, responsible for ~12% of Biden’s WI votes in 2020. In a seven-way primary, progressive Mayor @CavalierJohnson came in first—but Republican Bob Donovan came in second. They’ll face off in the general election.

Milwaukee is a Democratic city. But in Wisconsin, never take anything for granted. We’re going to be organizing our socks off in the Milwaukee mayoral general election. Last night, @WisDems proudly endorsed @CavalierJohnson. It’s go time.

Cavalier Johnson is poised to make history as Milwaukee’s first Black elected mayor, and is already making a positive difference in Milwaukeeans’ lives. Moreover, he believes in democracy. That’s critical in the city that cast 12% of Biden’s WI votes. 🧵:

https://twitter.com/CavalierJohnson/status/1493798532163289088

To support @CavalierJohnson, follow him on Twitter, chip in to his campaign, and sign up to volunteer at wisdems.org/volunteer. Let’s make these days count.
secure.actblue.com/donate/mcjapri…

Milwaukee’s mayor’s race was the highest-profile spring primary race in Wisconsin—but down-ballot races all over the state are going to be critically important… especially because the extreme authoritarian right is targeting local offices that affect election administration.

The wave of pro-Big Lie local candidates is very much on display in the critical swing region of NE Wisconsin, where multiple Stop the Stealers are running for office. Regardless of your politics, if you care about democracy, you should help defeat them.
greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/pol…

In Green Bay, WI’s 3rd-largest city, the Stop the Steal crowd has been hammering election administrators & public servants ever since the 2020 election. Melinda Eck organized a local protest on Jan 6. Now she’s running on a far-right slate for City Council.wtaq.com/2021/01/06/loc…

Not far away, in De Pere, Kelly Ruh—famous nationally as one of Wisconsin’s fraudulent electors—advanced in her City Council reelection bid. Ruh cast a forged electoral vote for Trump. Now, she’s been subpoenaed by the Jan 6 commission. jsonline.com/story/news/pol…

Kelly Ruh faces a challenger—Pamela Gantz, a poll worker in 2020 who believes in fair elections. Support Pamela here: secure.actblue.com/donate/gantzfo…

In Brown County (which includes Green Bay and De Pere), there are more similarly-inclined right-wingers running for the County Board—including Kimber Rollin.

Rollin filed complaints against Green Bay for “mishandling” the election after Trump lost. (Investigations confirmed that Green Bay properly handled the 2020 elections.)
greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/202…

In Brown County Board District 7, Leanne Cramer, a Big Lie believer, is running and has said publicly she was “disappointed” WI’s Supreme Court didn’t ban drop boxes during the 2020 elections—that “we need to fix 2020.” (Fact check: 2020 was never broken.) greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/pol…

Most local officials, in Wisconsin and everywhere, are—regardless of their personal politics—nonpartisan both officially and in the ways they execute their duties. The far-right is trying to partisanize these offices and wield them to rig future elections. We can’t let them.

Sometimes, to save democracy, the most critical thing is focusing on trash collection and fixing local roads. MAGA militants, often inspired by Steve Bannon, are determined to grab local offices to undermine democracy. To beat them, stay local.
nytimes.com/2022/01/09/opi…

It’s not just about beating back threats from the right. It’s also about supporting inspiring local candidates who are ready to serve everyone in their community.

Nate Wolff (@NateWolff2), an Alderperson running for reelection for Appleton City Council District 12, was just endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund. Help him spring through the finish line: secure.actblue.com/donate/vfnatew…

Israel Del Toro, an assistant biology professor at Lawrence University, is ready to fight for education, inclusivity, and our environment. Pitch in here to help him get elected to the Appleton City Council District 4: secure.actblue.com/donate/del-tor…

Activist and Alderperson Andre Walton (@walton4sheboy10), Sheboygan City Council District 10, is up for reelection this spring. Be sure to support him here so he can continue to fight for affordable housing: secure.actblue.com/donate/walton-…

Eric Olson (@olsonforexec) is running for Portage County Executive. He’s eager to put his 15 years of experience as a university extension educator to work to serve his community. Help him get elected: secure.actblue.com/donate/olsonfo…

Judge Lori Kornblum is running for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. She’s got decades of experience protecting victims of sexual assault, children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Learn more about her here—and pitch in if you can: electjudgelorikornblum.com

These are a tiny handful of the literally thousands of local candidates running for office this spring. Wherever you live, you can help—either by pitching in for local candidates or by joining virtual phone banks from wherever you live to turn out voters in Wisconsin.

To stop a Republican takeover in 2024 & fight for the future of American democracy, we need to organize for local races now. All of these offices matter. So there’s no time to waste. Join us for organizing nonstop through the WI general election on April 5.mobilize.us/wisdems/event/…

In these local races, even one dedicated volunteer can make all the difference. In the months to come, I hope that dedicated volunteer will be you. Join @WisDems to elect pro-democracy people, at every level, who will fight for us: mobilize.us/wisdems/event/…