The St. Croix County Democratic Party is sponsoring an open forum for candidates for the next chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (DPW), on April 9 at 6 pm in the University Center at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
For anyone in western Wisconsin, this is an opportunity to meet the candidates for DPW chair and press them on their vision for the party. You do not need to be a DPW member to attend or participate in the forum!
I've pasted some information about the candidates below the orange curlique. To avoid bias, I've used some of their own language from their own websites.
Jason Rae
Jason Rae (Milwaukee) is a Democratic activist and a member of the Democratic National Committee.
Jason Rae has been a lifelong Democrat, attending county party meetings in Barron County on a bicycle before he could even drive.
In June 2004, Jason was elected the youngest ever member of the Democratic National Committee, at the age of 17. Since his election more than ten years ago, Jason has worked hard to elect Democrats up and down the ballot and to increase voting participation among youth and other traditionally underrepresented groups.
Jason serves as a member of the DNC Executive and Credentials Committees. He is also the past Secretary and Acting Chair of the DNC LGBT Caucus. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s Administrative Committee and the Chair of the DPW’s Constitution and Bylaws Committee, a position he has held since 2010. Jason served as the lead author for the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Delegate Selection Plans for Wisconsin. From 2006 to 2010, Jason also served as Chair of the Platform & Resolutions Committee. He is also a past officer of the Barron County Democratic Party.
In addition to being a member of the DNC, he serves as the Chair of the DNC's Youth Council. In this role, Jason has worked with DNC members and party leaders across the country to find new and innovative ways to include young people within party affairs. One of the projects during his tenure as Chair was the “Blueprint for Change,” which assessed state parties and their inclusion of youth and provided recommendations on ways to expand youth inclusion on the state level. He also worked successfully with the DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee to get youth added to Rule 7 of the 2012 Delegate Selection Rules.
Joe Wineke
Joe Wineke (from Verona, Madison area) served in the state Assembly and was the DPW chair from 2005 - 2009.
Joe started his career in public service when he was elected to the Verona City Council while still a student at the UW-Madison. In 1982, he won a crowded race for state assembly and served in that body for 10 years. After Russ Feingold was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Joe (with Russ’s support), won a special election to the State Senate. He served in that body for six years.
Following an unsuccessful race for Congress, Joe spent the next 11 years in the private sector. For six years he was the political director for a state-wide union. After that, he became the Executive Director of the Construction Labor-Management Council, construction industry group that fosters job creation and a cooperative labor-management workforce.
In 2005, Joe was elected Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Democrats enjoyed great success in his two terms as chair, making Wisconsin blue for Barack Obama, helping Governor Doyle and Senator Kohl win re-election, gaining a seat in our Congressional delegation with the election of Steve Kagen and winning back both the State Assembly and State Senate.
With Democrats in control of state government, Joe decided to not seek a third term in 2009. He joined the Doyle Administration in September of 2009 when he was named the Administrator of the Division of Compensation and Labor Relations in the Office of State Employment Relations, where he served as the state’s chief labor negotiator. Using his skills learned in prior jobs, his goal was to improve the relationship between management and labor at the state level. A goal he met.
Martha Laning
Martha Laning (Sheboygan) was a candidate for state Senate in the last election.
I have spent my life bringing people together to solve problems and build strong neighborhoods. I have organized parents and community leaders to make vital improvements to schools, raised millions to build an intergenerational community center in Plymouth, and have proven that people from different backgrounds can work together to overcome any challenge.
When faced with underfunded schools that lacked a library or playground, I organized parents and community members - raising over $160,000 to build a playground and purchase thousands of books for a new library. Several years later, when I discovered that many students did not have access to a good breakfast, I worked with a group of parents and the district administration to create a breakfast program at the school.
After moving to the Sheboygan area, I took a job with the Plymouth Intergenerational Coalition to help get their new project off the ground. When the economy collapsed, many believed the project would fall apart – but I persevered. I brought together business and community leaders to raise $4.6 million for the project, which was completed in May 2011. The building now serves as a community center bringing seniors and children together, and this collaborative effort has been labeled a model for the State of Wisconsin.
In the fall of 2014, I ran for the Wisconsin State Senate because of my deep concern for the direction our state was headed. I am running for the Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party because I know that our progressive values are what will bring back our strong, fair Wisconsin.
Jeff Smith:
Jeff Smith (Eau Claire) was in the Assembly from 2006 - 2010, and ran unsuccessfully for the same seat in 2012 and 2014. Jeff's online bio is a little more involved, if you're interested I'd recommend going there to take a look.
Through all my life experience that includes business background, community activism and political success, I am confident that I am fully prepared for this new challenge better than anyone else I can think of. I do not just talk about running campaigns or working with the Legislature- I’ve lived it. I am not just cute phrases and rhetoric, you will find that I am genuinely honest to the core with the great work ethic to be expected from great leaders. I have never asked anyone working for me to do something I am unwilling to do myself and most often, I have done the same work myself.
Steve Smith (Shell Lake) has neither a website nor a Facebook page for his candidacy for party chair. Given that fact, I'll let you make your own decision about his viability.
Here are State Senator (and Senate Minority Caucus co-chair) Kathleen Vinehout's views on the race. If you're a real wonk, you can start at the beginning where she dissects the problems with the DPW and its structure, or you can just start at 10:32 where she talks about the candidates.