The official Wisconsin Senate Democrats account (@WISenateDems) responded to Republican State Sen. Van Wanggaard’s retirement announcement with the post: “Another one bites the dust.” Shared Tuesday evening with a celebratory graphic, the tweet referenced Wanggaard’s decision not to seek reelection in the 21st District. The post did not acknowledge the personal circumstances influencing Wanggaard’s decision, which has led to significant criticism on social media.
The 73-year-old Racine senator, the longest-serving Republican ever elected to four terms in his district, released a candid statement citing both his age (he would turn 78 at the end of another term) and the overwhelming burden of family health crises. Since his last campaign in 2022, Wanggaard has buried three siblings, watched his daughter receive a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and supported a brother who suffered a heart attack and now battles dementia. “My health, and the health of my family, will not allow me to put my all into this campaign or serving the 21st District,” he said. “That weighs on me more than you can know.” A former police officer whose career ended with a severe on-duty injury, Wanggaard has served Wisconsin honorably for nearly two decades. His announcement came on what may be the Senate’s final day of the session, underscoring a statesman prioritizing family over politics.
While his Senate colleagues took the dignified approach of applauding his final speech on the Senate floor and congratulating him on a fine career of public service, the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, Senate Democrats, chose partisan attacks over basic human decency. The post quickly drew dozens of furious replies on X, with users branding the party hypocrites, “despicable,” “heartless degenerates,” and “sick, vile sub-humans.” Radio host Dan O’Donnell amplified the backlash, quoting the tweet and firing back: “The man lost three siblings in the past year, a fourth has dementia, and his daughter has Stage 4 cancer, you soulless ghouls.”
Wisconsin Young Republicans and former state Rep. Nik Rettinger added, noting the hypocrisy: Democrats reportedly gave Wanggaard a standing ovation on the Senate floor the same day they mocked him online for “cheap political points.” One user captured the sentiment perfectly: “Could have gone with the classy ‘even though we differed on policy…’ Instead, you guys just prove yourselves as pathetic slop.”
The reaction spread rapidly. Posts tagging @WISenateDems called for the tweet’s deletion, labeling it “dancing on graves” and questioning how any party claiming compassion could stoop so low. Even as Democrats eye flipping the Senate majority under new maps — Wanggaard’s seat is a top target — the crude celebration reveals a disturbing truth: for some, politics has eclipsed humanity entirely.
The Democrats’ “Another one bites the dust” post isn’t just tone-deaf; it’s a disgraceful display of the very divisiveness they claim to oppose. Wisconsin voters see this kind of cruelty only underscoring the continued erosion of political discourse. There is still time to delete the post, Senate Democrats.
