Democrats are leading in enough Wisconsin Assembly races to take control of the chamber, giving them the governor’s office and the Legislature for the first time since 2010.
Democratic candidates in at least seven districts have declared victory or pulled ahead for good, including six seats that would flip from Republican to Democrat: Bukiewicz in the 21st, Knoke in the 30th, Gruber in the 51st, Nichols in the 53rd and Tollefson in the 88th. In the Wausau area, Democrat John Kroll ousted Rep. Pat Snyder of Weston, 54.1 percent to 45.9 percent, with 99 percent of the vote. Ryan Spaude held the 89th for Democrats.
The margins in most of those races aren’t close. With nearly all the vote counted, Democrats led by 15 points in the 53rd, 8 points in the 88th, and 6 points in the 30th. Bukiewicz was up 20 in the 21st with 81 percent reporting, and Gruber led by 12 in the 51st. Democrats were also ahead in the 26th, 61st, 91st, 92nd and 94th. Republican Reyes held a 3-point lead in the 82nd.
Republicans went into Tuesday holding the Assembly 54 to 45. Losing six seats is more than enough to hand Democrats the majority.
Pair that with Decision Desk HQ calling the governor’s race for David Crowley, and Wisconsin is looking at one-party Democratic rule in Madison.
That’s a big deal. For eight years, a Republican Legislature was the only thing standing between Tony Evers and his wish list. It blocked tax hikes, stopped the expansion of government programs, and kept the budget in check. Republicans used the power of the purse to push through income tax cuts and hold the line on spending.
That check is about to disappear. With a Democratic governor and a Democratic Assembly, the items Republicans spent years stopping are back on the table: higher spending, bigger government, and more power for the agencies in Madison.
Republicans now need to take a hard look at how they lost seats they’d held for years. Many of these flips came in districts drawn under the new maps, and Democrats built the field operation to win them. Republicans will have two years to rebuild before voters get another say.
