NEW YORK, N.Y. - A lottery to determine where candidates are placed on stage in the first Democratic presidential debate will take place Friday morning at NBC’s headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Democratic National Committee staffers told representatives from the presidential campaigns of the plan to hold the lottery at NBC during a logistics call held last week, according to three sources with knowledge of the call. The campaigns have been invited to send representatives to witness the drawing.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/trump-rnc-2016-s5.jpgWisconsinites have been deeply harmed by Trump's failures on health care and the economy

"I'm not going to lie, I'm a little concerned"

MADISON -- Two weeks before the statewide election for Wisconsin Supreme Court, former Scott Walker lawyer Brian Hagedorn is finding criticism of his floundering campaign from even his most fervent supporters after weeks of brutal press coverage over his radical, partisan agenda.

Conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell sharply criticized Hagedorn on this morning’s “The Dan O’Donnell show” for his campaign’s many blunders and missteps, worrying aloud that Hagedorn doesn’t understand what’s at stake in this race. Excerpts from the program cast Hagedorn’s campaign apparatus as inept and incapable of getting out the vote, much less responding to supporters’ emails. When asked what his campaign was doing to reach voters, he could only point to the fact that he has a website.

EXCERPTS:

“I have heard from...people who want to vote for you...they say ‘we don’t hear back when we email the campaign’” (30:02)

“Is your campaign responsive enough to the conservatives who want to support you?” (31:00)

“There is so much at stake in this race…I’m not going to lie, I’m a little concerned about some of the responsiveness” (36:20)

“I’ve been getting a lot of emails. I would say it’s almost 4:1 people concerned about the general lack of awareness that there’s even an election going on right now” (37:43)

“I’ve been hearing this since the start of January that people are concerned…that the campaign isn’t responsive enough, they’re not seeing enough tv or radio advertising” (37:55)

MADISON – Today, Wisconsin Conservation Voters proudly endorses Judge Lisa Neubauer for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Neubauer’s record and experience, as well as her commitment to impartiality, earned her the organization’s endorsement.

“Judge Neubauer’s experience and record speak for themselves,” said Executive Director Kerry Schumann. “She has proven to be an impartial judge who considers admissible scientific evidence when considering cases that impact the environment. She has also ruled in favor of the public trust doctrine, an important part of the Wisconsin constitution that says our waters are owned in common by all Wisconsin citizens and protected for the use and enjoyment of all of us.”

Neubauer’s opponent, Judge Brian Hagedorn, refused to fill out a candidate questionnaire and, as former Governor Scott Walker’s chief legal counsel, was involved in high profile, anti-conservation policy-making and lawsuits.

“We are deeply concerned that Brian Hagedorn cannot be fair and impartial when it comes to protecting our environment and health. As the lead attorney in the Walker Administration, he would have been involved in creating the many laws that put the interests of polluting special interests over the people of Wisconsin,” Schumann said. “And he was part of the Walker Administration when it joined the federal lawsuit against the Clean Power Plan.”

Neubauer has the support of sheriffs – Democrat and Republican – across the state, and she is supported by 331 current and former judges.

“Lisa Neubauer is the clear choice for the state’s highest court,” Schumann said.

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Engaging voters to protect Wisconsin's environment.

Summer convention presents a once-in-a-lifetime economic opportunity for Milwaukee and its citizens.

"I look forward to working with Governor Evers to advance common-sense policies that reflect our shared Wisconsin values,” says new Representative Staush Gruszynski of Green Bay.

MADISON – State Representative Staush Gruszynski (D-Green Bay) expressed his support for Governor Evers proposed 2019-2021 State Budget priorities after the Governor’s budget address at the State Capitol on Thursday evening.

“Tonight, Governor Evers shared his vision for a Wisconsin that works for everyone, a Wisconsin for all of us. Like the Governor, I strongly support putting politics aside so that we can work together to address the pressing issues facing our state,” Gruszynski said. “Whether it is the Governor’s commitment to reinvesting in our public K-12 schools and the University of Wisconsin system, his goal of ensuring that everyone in our state can drink clean water from their tap, or his plan to expand Medicaid to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare to more Wisconsinites, it’s safe to say that it’s a new day in Wisconsin. I look forward to working with Governor Evers to advance common-sense policies that reflect our shared Wisconsin values.”

Fair Maps Lead to Good Government and a More Transparent Democracy

MADISON – On Tuesday, Governor Evers announced that his biennial budget will include a nonpartisan redistricting process. Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) released the following statement in support of the Governor’s plan:

“I’m thrilled that Governor Evers has made non-partisan redistricting reform a priority by including it in his state budget proposal. In 2011, Assembly and Senate Republicans drew maps in secret with a partisan advantage of 64-35 seats in the State Assembly. And for the past eight years, lawmakers have pushed through laws and policies that are out of line with the majority of Wisconsinites. When politicians pick their voters instead of the other way around, they are insulated from the accountability required in a democracy.

“There is a myth perpetuated by my Republican colleagues that voters choose divided government in Wisconsin in the 2018 election. This claim is directly contradicted by the fact that in a massive Democratic election cycle where five Democrats swept statewide races, Governor Evers simultaneously won only 36 Assembly seats. By design, these gerrymandered maps assure Republican control of the Assembly whether it is a Democratic or a Republican election year.

“Competitive elections bring accountability. The very reason Republicans can ram through laws during a lame duck session that undermine the future powers of a democratically elected Governor and Attorney General is because they are insulated from any realistic backlash from voters.”

Program will focus on mentoring students from communities of color.

MADISON - In preparation for the 2020 cycle, the Democratic National Committee has announced a multi-million dollar investment in the recruitment and training of college-aged organizers in several key battleground states, including Wisconsin. Organizing Corps 2020 will recruit, pay and train young people to work in the 2020 presidential cycle, with particular focus on mentoring students from communities of color.

“The path to defeating Donald Trump runs through Wisconsin,” said Martha Laning, Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. “With the DNC’s support, we’ll not only build a strong ground game ready to support our eventual presidential nominee, we’ll also grow and train the next generation of Democratic leaders.

“Communities of color, particularly Milwaukee’s black community, have been underrepresented on Wisconsin political campaigns for too long. We’re excited by the opportunity to build these talent pipelines and make our campaigns reflect the diversity of our Democratic coalition.”

Thanks to a key early investment in its organizing program, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin’s 2018 field program was the largest the Party had ever built in a midterm cycle. The Party’s organizers built over 250 volunteer neighborhood teams across the state that knocked over 500,000 doors in the final four days before the election. In 2019, the Party anticipates tripling its voter outreach done in 2017.

The DNC’s Organizing Corps 2020 will also partner with state parties in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. In 2016, Donald Trump won MI, PA & WI by 78,000 votes while 975,000 nonwhite registered voters stayed home on election day.

Normally Conservative group drops candidate after hearing multiple disturbing reports of Hagedorn’s radical and homophobic agenda.

MADISON - The Wisconsin Realtors Association, a group that often backs conservative judicial candidates and has never previously revoked a candidate endorsement, is dropping its endorsement of Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn after multiple disturbing news reports of Hagedorn’s radical, homophobic agenda, including reports that he founded a private school which actively discriminates against LGBTQ students and teachers. Wisconsin Realtors are additionally requesting Hagedorn return the $18,000 they donated to his PAC last month.

“This is yet another sign that Brian Hagedorn is too extreme and partisan to be trusted on the Supreme Court,” said Courtney Beyer, Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson. “Wisconsinites expect their judiciary to be fair and impartial. That Hagedorn is bleeding support from his own backers shows just how fringe and out-of-touch his candidacy has become.”

STATEMENT FROM WRA:

“As a result of recent disclosures regarding past statements and actions by Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brian Hagedorn, the Wisconsin REALTORS® Association has withdrawn its endorsement of his candidacy. The real estate related issues that served as the basis for our endorsement have been overshadowed by other, non-real estate related issues – issues with which we do not want to be associated and that directly conflict with the principles of our organization and the values of our members.”

MADISON - The Democratic Party of Wisconsin will announce today the filing of a lawsuit in federal court to stop the unprecedented and illegal laws passed by Republicans during December’s lame-duck session.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning will join Kevin Benish, associate at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP to discuss the lawsuit, DPW v. Vos et al. on a press call TODAY at 11:15 AM CT.

WHO: Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning and Kevin Benish, associate at Holwell Shuster & Goldberg LLP

WHAT: Press Call discussing DPW v. Vos et al.

WHEN: 2:00 PM CT, Thursday, February 21