The Democratic Party of Wisconsin held its annual convention this weekend. Last night the delegates heard from party leaders and elected officials and important Democrats including the once and future senator Russ Feingold. This afternoon they stood in long lines waiting to vote in the election for state party leadership, namely for party chair and first vice chair (other offices were not contested).
According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Martha Laning, a Plymouth community activist, was handily elected as chair of the state's Democratic Party on Saturday, despite intense competition for the job.
Laning, 52, won 721 votes to 428 for her closest competitor, Jason Rae, a political consultant from Milwaukee.
Laning promised to pull the bruised party together after big defeats in the governor's race and both chambers of the State House and rancor associated with the competition for the chairmanship.
"We will work to mend bridges," Laning said.
After the most intensely fought election for chair in many years, Martha Laning was chosen as their new chair by Democrats looking for a change in the way the party operates. Many Democrats, especially progressives, have been critical of the party's performance in the last several elections (three victories for Scott Walker in four years and losses in the legislature and Supreme Court that leave Republicans in charge of everything). This election brought out strong Democrats who had not been active in the official party before but knew it was time to make a stand. (Martha Laning took some heat for the fact that she officially joined the party only a few years ago when she stepped up to run for state senate in a very Republican district and predictably lost.) The result showed what can happen when enough people come together to make change happen.
Former state Rep. Jeff Smith had been the choice of many progressives, especially those from the crucial northern part of the state where Democrats need to do better. He ran a strong campaign, but on the day before the convention opened he sent a message to his supporters urging them to instead support Martha Laning, and he gave the nomination speech for her today before voting began. He deserves credit for putting the future of the party ahead of his own aspirations. I hope Laning will consider a role for him in the redirection of the party as we go forward.
Laning and her running mate for first vice-chair, State Rep. David Bowen of Milwaukee, will now have to bring the party together and get us all to work on revitalizing the party and winning some elections for a change. Their focus will be on better messaging targeted to various types of voters, more support to local parties for grassroots development, and help for new Democratic candidates in launching their campaigns..
Democrats have not had much to feel good about lately, and the coming years will be full of difficulty and hard work, but many of us are more optimistic tonight about our state's future.
