Current leaders want to continue work to unite the party behind progressive values, strengthen county parties, do solid fundraising, and build a strong team for future elections.

MADISON – Today, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Martha Laning and First Vice Chair Representative David Bowen announced their re-election campaign ahead of the 2017 Democratic Party of Wisconsin officer elections.

"It has been our honor to serve the members of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin since our election in 2015,” Democratic Party Chair Woman Martha Laning stated. “We have worked hard to unite the party behind our progressive values, strengthen our county parties, continue our solid fundraising, and build a strong team.

We have an incredible team of Democrats who gave this past election all they’ve got. Though the results were not what we wanted on Election Day, we’re inspired by the passion and commitment of the thousands of volunteers, community leaders, candidates, campaign staff and more who worked so hard to elect Democrats this November,” Laning continued.

Laning and Bowen have been traveling the state meeting with local Democrats at listening sessions in communities like Hayward, Wausau, Eau Claire, Neenah, La Crosse, Dodgeville, Madison, Milwaukee and Sheboygan to debrief the 2016 election results and work with local party activists and leaders to identify the next steps to rebuilding the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

“It is clear that our team is more committed than ever to building a strong party that will unite Wisconsinites across our differences,” Laning commented. “That’s why we are proud to announce our intention to run for re-election as Chair and First Vice Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.”

"I am proud of the work Martha and her team have done in the past 16 months toward making our Democratic Party one that embraces the values and goals of people in every corner of Wisconsin," said First Vice Chair Representative David Bowen. "As the party of inclusion, we need leadership that can continue delivering our positive message that no matter where you are located or your economic situation, ours is the big tent party that fights against the status quo and for the progressive values that will make our state and nation work for everyone. Martha is the right person for the job and I'm proud to support her and help our party embrace new ideas and winning strategies."

Laning continued, “We have been and will continue to be a leadership team who is committed to working with our party membership to identify ways to build a stronger party to turn our state around. As a party, we’ve come a long way in the first 18 months of our tenure and look forward to building on the work we’ve done to strengthen our team and improve our party’s efficacy as we gear up for critical elections in 2018 when we re-elect Tammy Baldwin to the United State Senate and remove Scott Walker from the Governor’s Office.”

Laning, a business woman and nonprofit fundraiser from Sheboygan, and Bowen who represents Wisconsin’s 10th Assembly District in Milwaukee, were first elected to their posts in June of 2015 by the membership of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. They will seek re-election during the upcoming DPW Convention in Middleton, WI from June 2-3, 2017.