Sixteen years after Republicans seized Wisconsin's legislature and entrenched power through gerrymandered maps, Democrats have a historic chance to flip both chambers in November while holding the governor's office. The shift follows a 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that struck down GOP maps as unconstitutional, leading to fairer districts drawn by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. In 2018, Democrats won 53% of Assembly votes but only 36 of 99 seats; now they sit just two seats shy of a Senate majority and five in the Assembly.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein calls this the state's most important election, promising to reverse GOP policies on taxes, labor unions, and voting restrictions. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, retiring this year, admits 2026 is a tough midterm and calls President Trump "a drag" on the ticket. Vos warns Democratic plans to restore collective bargaining, boost school funding, and create entitlements could return Wisconsin to multibillion-dollar deficits.

All three top leaders — Evers, Vos, and Senate Majority Leader Devin Le Mahieu — are retiring simultaneously. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley leads U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in the governor's race per Marquette polling. Democrats hold generic legislative polling edges, but Republicans maintain a 2-to-1 financial advantage with $43 million raised. Key battles include western Wisconsin's Third Congressional District, where Democrat Rebecca Cooke challenges Trump loyalist Derrick Van Orden.