Greetings all. Excited to bring you the third in our series of discussions about winning the trifecta in Wisconsin this November. The first conversation in our series was with Devin Remiker, the talented new Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. The next was with David Crowley, our inspiring candidate for governor in Wisconsin. Today we’re bringing you a spirited conversation we just had with Senator Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein And House Minority Leader Greta Neubauer. They are leading the charge to flip the Wisconsin state house and state senate and help get us a trifecta there - something that is within our grasp - which would finally, and fully, restore democracy to a state who had seen it taken away by a wildly illiberal set of Republicans leaders and their oligarchical backers.
The race for governor is close but David Crowley has had consistent, modest leads. Here are the last four polls of the Governor’s race via the NYT:
Here’s more from Senate Minority Leader Hesselbein
We've got billionaires donating to the Republican Party, into the Republican Assembly, into the Republican Senate. We cannot even begin to tell you how much money they are throwing at us right now because they are so afraid they are going to be losing the majority. Governor Tony Evers has done a nice job being a goalie against all the bad bills that have come forward. But we are so ready.
We finally have a chance for the first time to get a trifecta. And Leader Neubauer and I are so excited. We finally want to be able to pass a budget that we all believe in to make sure that people have their rights, making sure we fund K-12 education. There are so many things that we need to do in the state of Wisconsin, not just undoing all the bad stuff that Tom Tiffany has done, but honestly, moving Wisconsin forward in a way that everybody can afford to be here, live here and thrive.
Here’s House Minority Leader Neubauer:
The reality here is that we expect this to be a good year for Democrats. But in Wisconsin, we don't really have waves. We have ripples. We are much closer to that median line, even in years that are particularly good for Republicans or for Democrats. And so these races are going to be incredibly close. Those conversations that we’re having directly with our voters are essential. We know that the people of Wisconsin would really like us to do something to address the cost of living in our state. They are worried about our democracy. Republicans have been in charge for 16 years and they have to answer for the policies they have put into place that have underfunded our public schools, and our infrastructure, and that have let costs continue to rise.
More from Leader Neubauer:
I'll just say one of the amazing things about my job is getting to go out and speak with these candidates who are running for office. And we have a DNR warden who protects our environment, several current and former educators, local electeds,
people who have been in service to their communities and who are stepping up to run in an incredibly difficult political environment because they believe that our democracy is worth protecting (sounds familiar Hopium peeps!)They believe that the people of Wisconsin deserve better. And so I think it's on all of us to show up and support them in this moment, to have their backs as they face these incredibly misleading and hateful attack ads, to make sure that they've got the resources to get the message out to the voters who are going to be casting their ballot in just over a month. We are so lucky in Wisconsin to have amazing people running for office and amazing supporters like you all. From Wisconsin and across the country. Thank you for being in this fight with us and please help us finish it and win this trifecta and move our state forward.
The very first interview I ever hosted here at Hopium, way back in March of 2023, was with former WI Dems Chair Ben Wikler. In that discussion Ben spelled out the vision for liberating Wisconsin from one of the worst gerrymanders any state has ever seen - in 2023 elect Judge Janet Protasiewicz to the state Supreme Court and gain control of the Court for the Dems; pass fair maps legislation in Feb of 2024 that would unravel the outrageous gerrymander; make state legislative gains in 2024 under these new, fair maps; elect Susan Crawford to the WI Supreme Court in 2025 to maintain Dem control; and get all the way to a trifecta this year.
This community has invested a great deal of money and time in support of this project since we first heard from Ben in March of 2023. Now, my friends, we need to finish the job by donating to our Winning Wisconsin Fund which splits a contribution evenly between David Crowley and the Wisconsin Democratic Party. The party contribution will go to the coordinated campaign to help these two dynamic leaders flip their chambers this November and become Speaker and Senate Majority Leader next year of a newly liberated Wisconsin! We can do this people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Enjoy getting to know these remarkable state legislative leaders, consider supporting this important work today, and keep working hard all. For we have a country to save, and elections like these in Wisconsin, to win, together! - Simon
Born and raised in Dane County, Senator Hesselbein attended LaFollette High School, graduated from the UW-Oshkosh, and completed a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies at Edgewood College. She and her husband Bob, a retired airline pilot and retired member of the Wisconsin National Guard, live in Middleton and have three grown children: Will, Annika, and Katie.
Senator Dianne Hesselbein possesses a rich background of public service beginning with her 2005 election to the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board of Education. In 2008 she was elected to the Dane County Board of Supervisors and served 3 terms.
Elected to the State Assembly in 2012, Senator Hesselbein served five terms representing the 79th Assembly District. From 2017 to 2022, she served as the Assistant Democratic Leader where she guided the Democratic Caucus in areas of communication, floor procedures, and mentorship. As Assistant Leader, Hesselbein was the highest ranking woman in the State Assembly and was selected twice by her colleagues to continue in the role.
Senator Hesselbein was elected to the State Senate in 2022 and served as the Senate Democratic Caucus Vice-Chair for 2023. In December 2023 she was selected by her peers to serve as the Senate Democratic Leader, the highest position in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Greta Neubauer was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin. She is a fifth generation Racine resident and welcomed her first child, the sixth generation, this summer! She can’t wait to teach her daughter to swim in Lake Michigan.
Growing up in a political family, Greta learned about the importance of service at an early age and started volunteering for political candidates in high school. She went on to run a youth advocacy organization focused on addressing climate change after college.
She was first elected and has represented the Racine community in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 2018. She was unanimously elected by her colleagues to serve as the Democratic Leader in 2022 as the youngest caucus leader in modern history. With competitive maps in place for the most recent election, she led the caucus in picking up ten additional seats, the largest increase in numbers in 50 years. She is working to win the first Democratic trifecta in Wisconsin in 15 years and would be the first woman Speaker in Wisconsin history.
During her time in office, she has fought tirelessly for the people of Racine, Mt. Pleasant, Elmwood Park, and Sturtevant, focusing on strengthening our democracy and building a state where we all can thrive.
