Wisconsin Democrats are gathering this weekend at the Monona Terrace Convention Center for their 2026 state party convention, where delegates are expected to debate resolutions calling for an end to school choice programs, the abolition of ICE, the adoption of ranked-choice voting, the expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other anti-democratic far-left power grabs.
The short two-day event, scheduled for June 13 and 14, includes a Platform and Resolutions Committee meeting on Saturday afternoon from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Gov. Tony Evers is hosting a hospitality suite the same day, with the timing drawing quiet commentary that it allows the 74-year-old Democrat to turn in early rather than attend later evening sessions. Evers has not endorsed a candidate in the primary. His early appearance in the hospitality suite fits a pattern of limited public involvement in the race so far.
The convention comes as Wisconsin Democrats face internal rifts heading into the event, with tensions between the party’s progressive wing and establishment leaders over the direction of the governor’s race and key platform priorities, perhaps further amplified by left-wing members of the Wisconsin Elections Commission leading the vote to keep progressive brewer Kirk Bangstad off the gubernatorial ballot. The party also faces an incredibly divided and fractured gubernatorial field and crafts a platform for the fall elections. Among the topics expected to draw attention are efforts to embed woke gender ideology into K-12 curricula and support for a new state wealth tax on high earners and corporations.
A straw poll conducted during the convention by WisPolitics is expected to provide an early gauge of grassroots versus establishment preferences in the crowded Democratic primary for governor. The straw poll is not binding and does not determine the nominee. It could nonetheless signal whether Hong’s far-left positions resonate enough with party activists to complicate establishment efforts to unify behind a more moderate candidate. While weaker results for Hong would be used by rivals to question her electability in a general election. Hong failing to generate the necessary momentum from the straw poll could tee up another instance of establishment Dems and party insiders shoving the grassroots-supported progressive aside in favor of a more electable candidate.
Recent polling has shown socialist Rep. Francesca Hong leading the field through aggressive grassroots organizing and social media. Establishment-backed candidates such as Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley are viewed as stronger general-election contenders but face pressure from the party’s leftward shift. Rodriguez recently released an internal poll showing her in third place, though it argues she is the strongest non-socialist option. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes retains name recognition yet has lost some progressive support to Hong. State Sen. Kelda Roys, polling near the bottom, could gain momentum in her home Madison area, and the remaining center-left coalition may find a candidate in Missy Hughes.
A session titled “Fighting for the Rule of Law: Federal and Wisconsin Courts in a Trump Administration” is also on the schedule, reflecting ongoing Democrat focus on the judiciary following recent federal changes. Voter protection workshops are also listed, aligning with discussions about alternative voting systems.
The event features candidate forums on Sunday morning for several Democrats running for governor and other statewide offices, as well as caucus meetings and a Unity Fair.
Democrats have described the gathering as an opportunity to set priorities and energize the base ahead of the November elections, though the proposed platform planks reflect a continued shift toward progressive policies on education, immigration, and institutional changes.
