Wisconsin’s 2026 Governor’s Race is wildly important. I won’t be running. But I’ll do my utmost to make sure a great Democrat wins, and I hope you will, too. 🧵

You can read my full announcement here (and sign up to hear from me going forward), or just keep scrolling in this thread. open.substack.com/pub/benwik…

Also, the great @MollyBeck wrote up this story for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today. Read her story here: jsonline.com/story/news/poli…

Our country is in crisis, and the 2026 Wisconsin Governor’s race is essential to the path out.

Wisconsin was the closest state in 2024. The chance of a free, fair presidential election in 2028—and a peaceful transfer of power—is far better if our state’s next Governor believes in democracy.

Moreover, the 2026 elections offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unrig the state I love. Our goal: not just win the Governorship—but also flip the Assembly and state Senate. With a trifecta, we can finally pass the laws that would make Wisconsin work for everyone.

This summer, Governor @Tony4WI announced that, after two terms and a half-century of public service, he would be passing the torch. Since then, I’ve been honored to hear from friends and allies across Wisconsin urging me to put my own name on the ballot for Governor.

I won’t be seeking the nomination. After six intense years leading @WisDems, I’m treasuring real time with my family. Kids are only young once. And I’m taking a moment to think and write more broadly about how to break free of constant emergency and build something better.

I’ll have more to announce about my own projects in the coming months. But today, I do want to share one way I’ll be helping: I’m joining Governor Evers, WisDems chair Devin Remiker, and Evers campaign manager Cassi Fenili to support the WisDems Governor Readiness Project.

Wisconsin’s primary in the governor’s race—which has already drawn more than a half-dozen announced candidates on the Democratic side—won’t take place until August 11, 2026. From there, the nominee will have only 84 days until the general election.

I’m committed to helping ensure that WisDems has the resources and campaigning infrastructure ready to go on day one for the next Democratic nominee. wisdems.org/wisdems-news/wis…

The Governor’s race is just one of the many critical elections on the Wisconsin ballot. Next spring, Judge Chris Taylor will flip a state Supreme Court seat and ensure that MAGA has no path to regaining a majority in advance of 2028’s presidential election.

In House races, starting with Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, Wisconsin has a chance to ensure that Democrats end Mike Johnson’s disastrous Speakership.

In offices ranging from the state legislature to AG @JoshKaulWI’s reelection, voters have a chance to reject the extremism, tyranny, and economic carnage fomented by MAGA billionaires and choose a future for our state and our country where everyone can thrive.

I’ll be doing my part to help on all of those fronts. And I’ll have a lot more to share soon. If you’d like to stay in the loop, sign up for updates via my newsletter at benwikler.com.

One immediate way to plug in: join a protest this coming Saturday. I’ll be speaking at this Saturday’s No Kings event in Madison. mobilize.us/nokings/event/84…