Wisconsin Democrats built a winning machine. Now comes its greatest test.

[milestogo]

MILWAUKEE — Cavalier Johnson, Milwaukee’s Democratic acting mayor, is expected to glide to a full term on Tuesday. But he was still energetically rallying volunteers at a banquet hall this week — not just for his own race, but “for the big ones coming up in November.” “This is the trial run for the races that decide control of the United States Senate. That will help the president get his agenda implemented,” Johnson told a crowd of 50 who gathered for an organizing training ahead of Wisconsin’s spring elections for local offices. “And that will make sure we protect democracy here in Wisconsin with Gov. Tony Evers.”

Hovering a few feet away from Johnson was Ben Wikler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. He’s also the reason why a heavily favored mayor was rallying volunteers for an election six months away. Wikler — a bespectacled 6-foot-4, with a notebook seemingly glued to his hand — has built a rare thing in the era of super PACs and dark money: making his state party not only relevant but a powerhouse of organizing and fundraising.

Since taking over as chair in 2019, he’s raised nearly $100 million, believed to be a fundraising record for a Democratic state party, and helped President Joe Biden win the tipping point state of the 2020 election, which helped Democrats rebuild their Midwestern “blue wall.” Now, Wikler’s machine is facing its biggest test, one that will ripple into 2024. That’s why the party is using this moment as a critical warm-up exercise for the midterms.

Evers, a Democratic governor whose authority includes certifying elections, is up for another term in 2022. GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who has amplified disinformation around the 2020 election and the coronavirus pandemic, will be on the ballot, too. Wisconsin Republicans are currently consumed by denying the results of the 2020 election, built on baseless claims. But while public polling shows Evers remains marginally popular and Johnson’s personal numbers aren’t great, it’s all playing out against Biden’s sagging approval ratings, sky-high gas prices and historical data that strikes against Democrats, as the party in power.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/04/03/wisconsin-democrats-ben-wikler-00022556

[TheRealNorth]

1. If we lose Evers....

Republicans will tilt the playing field even more for the 2024 election and WILL throw the results out if Biden wins.