http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/martin-luther-king-jr.-speaks-s441.pngAs we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Wisconsin Democrats are dedicated to the great work of his life: to build a beloved community, a free, just, peaceful, and righteous America.

MADISON, Wis. — In a new interview yesterday with right-wing talk show host Dan O’Donnell, Wisconsin Court of Appeals Judge Shelley Grogan attacked Judge Jennifer Dorow, suggesting there were “flags” with Dorow’s record as a true conservative.

Grogan doesn’t have anything to worry about. Much like Grogan’s chosen candidate Dan Kelly, Jennifer Dorow has allegiances to the most extreme ends of the right wing.

Here are just a few examples of Dorow’s extreme positions and connections:

• Applying to Scott Walker for her appointment as a circuit court judge, Dorow boasted of her “strong conservative values.” We should all know what “strong conservative values” means to Scott Walker.
• In her application to Walker, Dorow also wrote that she considered the Supreme Court’s 2003 landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas — recognizing a right to privacy in relationships between consenting adults — to be the Court’s “worst” and one that “went well beyond the four corners of the U.S. Constitution to declare a new constitutional right.” Rights affirmed under Lawrence helped pave the way for the recognition of marriage equality for all Americans 12 years later in Obergefell.
• While Dorow has done her best to hide her true opinions on the campaign trail, Dorow has been endorsed by anti-abortion politician Eric Toney, who infamously proposed empowering district attorneys to cross county lines and enforce Wisconsin’s 1849 criminal abortion ban in neighboring jurisdictions.

“Either right-wing candidate in this race would be a disaster for Wisconsin,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Haley McCoy. “From securing abortion access, to standing up for our democracy and the rule of law, Wisconsin needs a progressive justice committed to our Constitution. It’s clear that Dorow and Kelly are running a flat-out sprint to the far-right, and at this point the only difference between these two candidates is that one is better at hiding their true intentions than the other.”

MADISON, Wis. — Tuesday, new reporting revealed Republican WEC Commissioner Bob Spindell bragging to members of the 4th Congressional District GOP of a “well thought out multi-facetted plan” that resulted in a “great and important decrease in Democrat votes” and “major reduction happening in the overwhelming Black and Hispanic areas.”

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Devin Remiker issued the following statement:

“Bob Spindell’s effort to suppress the votes of Black and Hispanic Wisconsinites in Milwaukee is repugnant, and his continued service as a member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission is an unacceptable insult to the democratic process. From spreading conspiracy theories about our elections, to participating in Trump’s plot to install fraudulent presidential electors, Bob Spindell has proven time and again that he is unfit and unqualified to serve as an elections commissioner. It is long past time for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to end this clown show and rescind Bob Spindell’s appointment to the Wisconsin Elections Commission.”

MADISON, Wis. — After an embarrassing first week in the majority, Wisconsin’s GOP House delegation has been quick to fall in line behind Kevin McCarthy and the extreme right-wing controlling their caucus, with Mike Gallagher, Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, and Tom Tiffany all too happy to back the GOP’s disastrous agenda at the expense of Wisconsin taxpayers.

For their first order of business in the new majority, every member of Wisconsin’s GOP House delegation voted to protect ultra-wealthy tax cheats from paying their fair share, rolling back a key portion of Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act in a move that would blow a $114 billion hole in the deficit and undermine efforts to lower costs for working families.

“With one of their first votes of the new Congress, Mike Gallagher, Bryan Steil and Wisconsin’s GOP delegation are showing folks back home exactly where their priorities lie: enriching the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working Wisconsinites,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Haley McCoy. “By clawing back funding to modernize the IRS and enforce our laws, Republicans are seeking to make it even easier for billionaires to cheat on their taxes, while adding more than $100 billion to the deficit over the next decade. For the so-called party of fiscal responsibility, this first vote by Mike Gallagher, Bryan Steil, and Wisconsin’s GOP delegation to balloon the deficit is incredibly irresponsible.”

MADISON, Wis. — Today, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin announced the hiring of Joe Oslund as Communications Director.

“We’re excited to welcome Joe back to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Devin Remiker. “As we look ahead to our critical Supreme Court race this spring, to local races across Wisconsin and to state and federal races in 2024, there’s a lot of work ahead of us, and we’re glad to have Joe onboard to help communicate our winning message of a safer, stronger, more equitable Wisconsin.”

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead the communications work at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin as we prepare to elect a new Supreme Court justice committed to the Wisconsin Constitution and the rule of law,” said Oslund.

Oslund most recently served as communications director for Attorney General Josh Kaul’s reelection campaign. He was previously deputy communications director and research director at the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and was research director on Governor Tony Evers’ campaign in 2018.

Oslund can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/kevin-mccarthy-scott-fitzgerald-house-2023-s457.png“As we approach the anniversary of the horrific January 6th riots, this display shows clearly the GOP remains as extreme and chaotic as ever," say Dems.

MADISON - Judge Everett Mitchell and Merrin Guice Gill released the following joint statement this morning:

“We understand that given Everett’s candidacy for Wisconsin Supreme Court, there is renewed interest in our divorce from two decades ago. We continue to prioritize the best interest of our child who is still a minor. We also are both proud of who we are both as co-parents and individuals and we know both of us did the best we could to carry ourselves with integrity during this difficult period in our marriage. We ask that the media and the other campaigns avoid engaging in unfair and misleading attacks. We ask that everyone prioritize the privacy and well-being of our child.”

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Judge Everett Mitchell is a candidate for Wisconsin Supreme Court. The election will be held on April 4, 2023. The Honorable Reverend Everett Mitchell was elected to the Dane County Circuit Court and presides over the Juvenile Division in Branch Four. As a juvenile court judge he hears cases involving family re-unification, juvenile delinquency, and other civil and criminal proceedings.

http://www.judgeeverettmitchell.com

Editor's note: State Supreme Court candidate Everett Mitchell was accused by his ex-wife of sexually assaulting her at the end of their time together — though the accusation was never investigated or prosecuted. His ex-wife, Merrin Guice Gill, made this allegation in court in 2010 during a heated custody dispute over their then-5-year-old daughter.

WASHINGTON - Today, 2023 DGA Chair and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy released the following statement on Gov. Tony Evers’ inauguration:

“Congratulations to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on his inauguration for his second term as governor of Wisconsin. During the past four years, Gov. Evers has made historic investments in education and fulfilled his promises to protect reproductive freedom, fight the impact of climate change, and lower taxes, ending the fiscal year with an unprecedented budget surplus. 

“With his inauguration today, Gov. Evers is the first Democratic governor elected in Wisconsin in a midterm with a Democratic president since 1962. His proven track record of pushing Wisconsin towards a better future resonated with Wisconsinites, and Gov. Tony Evers is ready to lead for four more successful years.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/wisc-supremecourt-justices-s5.jpgThe state Supreme Court race will receive a fraction of the coverage of the governor’s race, but it could decide the future of redistricting, voting laws, and abortion rights in the state.

MADISON, Wis. — Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement celebrating the historic Respect for Marriage Act becoming law:

“It is a fundamental freedom to be able to marry the person you love—regardless of their gender or their race. Today, thanks to President Biden’s signature on the Respect for Marriage Act, that freedom is also the law. Thank you, President Biden for your work, and a special thank you to Senator Tammy Baldwin for leading on this critical bill. We are so proud that a Wisconsin senator is leading the way.

“It was encouraging to see this bill pass largely across party lines, even if four of our state’s Republicans, including Senator Ron Johnson, voted against it.

“The Respect for Marriage Act comes at a critical moment for our state and nation. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the legislation will provide essential protections for same sex and interracial marriage before the U.S. Supreme Court can put their activism over established precedent. It also comes as our communities are seeing an increase in hateful white supremacist and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that is resulting in horrific violence. 

“This bill is the result of work by generations of fearless activists. For the first time we can proudly say that the right to marriage will be protected by legislation. While there is still work to be done, our country has made a significant step forward into the 21st century.”