Wisconsin’s Ben Wikler Loses Bid To Lead National Democratic Party

Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, came up short on Saturday in his campaign to lead the Democratic National Committee. Party leaders elected Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota’s party, as the new head of the DNC.

According to the Associated Press, more than 400 DNC members from across the country voted for the party’s new leader. The Capital Times reported that Martin won 246.5 votes while Wikler came in second with 134.5 votes.

Wikler, a Madison resident, was seen by many as one of the top contenders for the DNC position. He received widespread praise by many political insiders for helping regrow the state’s Democratic operations and several improvements in the party’s electoral attempts — winning a liberal majority in the state Supreme Court, bolstering the party’s caucus in the state Legislature and helping make Wisconsin the tightest swing-state race during last fall’s U.S. presidential contest.

In recent weeks, Wikler had received several high-profile endorsements in his effort to lead the DNC. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were among those who said they supported Wikler.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., said they supported Martin, the Associated Press reported.

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, former U.S. Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder, New York state Sen. James Skoufis and Faiz Shakir, who managed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ last presidential campaign, were among those who also sought to lead the DNC.

Jaime Harrison, the current DNC chair, opted not to seek reelection.

Stay tuned to Civic Media for continuing coverage.