A week after flipping the state Legislature, Wisconsin Democrats are settling into seats of power at the Capitol.

The post Democrats pick Hesselbein, Neubauer, to lead Wisconsin Legislature appeared first on WPR.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will be the next governor of Wisconsin. He spoke to WPR about his priorities.

The post Gov.-elect David Crowley discusses blue wave, goals for office appeared first on WPR.

How the 2026 Democratic big blue wave washed over Wisconsin Democrats won a trifecta with David Crowley and majorities in the state Legislature. Transcript Shawn Johnson: If there was a […]

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Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, will be Wisconsin's next governor, making history as the first Black person to hold the office in the history of the state.

The post Democrat David Crowley makes history, defeats Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin governor’s race appeared first on WPR.

In the final hours of their campaigns, Democrats running for governor and Congress spoke outside of an Amazon warehouse in Kenosha about workers’ rights to take time off work to vote.

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Wisconsin residents may have put a lot of thought into who they plan to vote for in the race for governor. And when they cast that vote, they’ll also be selecting a second person, for a role they may not have thought about at all.

The post Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor candidates are top of the ticket. But maybe not top of mind. appeared first on WPR.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris made a brief return to Wisconsin Monday, campaigning in Milwaukee for David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor.

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Headed into the Nov. 3 election, Republicans hold an 18-15 edge in the Wisconsin Senate. If Democrats flip two seats, and defend their own, they would capture a majority in the chamber.

The post Wisconsin’s state Senate is up for grabs in 2026 appeared first on WPR.

Over the course of a sometimes contentious, sometimes awkward hour, the two candidates for Wisconsin governor sparred over taxes, data centers and abortion in the only debate of their general election campaign Wednesday night.

The post Crowley, Tiffany spar over taxes, data centers and abortion in only debate of governor’s race appeared first on WPR.

The head of the polls should alert their local clerk, who will in turn involve lawyers and election officials, according to new guidance adopted by the Wisconsin Elections Commission Thursday.

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The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the loss of power onboard a small plane that Tiffany was aboard on the evening of Sept. 12 as he returned from a campaign event.

The post Tom Tiffany plane crash caused by pilot error, report finds appeared first on WPR.

As lawmakers, scientists and even some tech leaders warn about the risks of unfettered use of artificial intelligence, Wisconsin's Democratic candidate for governor is proposing a series of AI regulations.

The post David Crowley proposes AI safety policies for youth, seniors appeared first on WPR.

David Crowley's record as a former state legislator and Milwaukee County's executive has focused on solving problems in his hometown. But that pragmatic approach, especially his support for a sales tax hike, is being used against him as he runs for governor.

The post David Crowley’s pragmatic record a double-edged sword in Wisconsin governor’s race appeared first on WPR.

Sometimes voters who are dissatisfied with their choices write in candidates. But in Wisconsin, write-in candidates must typically be registered with the state for the votes to count.

The post In Wisconsin elections, write-ins are frequently wrong appeared first on WPR.

Francesca Hong, the progressive state legislator who narrowly lost the Democratic primary for governor, is hitting the road over the next month to rally her supporters around other Democratic candidates this November.

The post Francesca Hong to campaign for David Crowley, Democratic candidates appeared first on WPR.

Proposed transmission line developments through southwestern Wisconsin have made for unlikely political bedfellows this election season.

The post Proposed transmission lines unite some Republicans and Democrats in opposition appeared first on WPR.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump to rework absentee mail-in voting requirements. But other federal efforts remain underway to obtain state voter data and investigate some states’ election processes, including Wisconsin’s.

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David Crowley, the Democratic candidate for governor, says he’ll push for changes to state law that would limit elected officials’ ability to profit off their offices and access.

The post David Crowley proposes plans to tackle government corruption appeared first on WPR.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion restrictions Thursday, just days after the Wisconsin Supreme Court returned to work with a newly cemented 5-2 liberal majority in place.

The lawsuit, filed in Dane County against Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, argues that two Wisconsin laws violate the state constitution’s guarantee of personal liberty.

One of those laws requires people seeking abortions to wait 24 hours between requesting an abortion and receiving one. The other states that only licensed physicians may provide abortions; this limits a person’s ability to self-administer abortion drugs through telehealth.

“This case asks our court to recognize … that our constitutional freedom includes the ability to make deeply personal decisions about our reproductive health care without unnecessary government interference,” said Tanya Atkinson, the president of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, during a press briefing announcing the lawsuit.

The case names Ozanne as a representative of all Wisconsin district attorneys because they would prosecute violations of the rule that only physicians can administer abortions, said Diane Welsh, a lawyer for Planned Parenthood.

“Anywhere in the state where an abortion would be provided, there could be criminal charges for a person who’s not a physician,” said Welsh.

Lawsuits challenging Wisconsin’s abortion restrictions have been anticipated since Roe vs. Wade — which federally protected abortion access — was overturned in 2022, effectively throwing the issue back to the states. The most significant challenge was over a Civil War-era statute that had been interpreted as banning abortion in Wisconsin and that went back into effect when Roe was overturned.

That law was at the heart of campaigns to elect liberal justices to the state Supreme Court, and last year, the high court overturned the statute, allowing abortions to be administered within the state under certain restrictions.

In its ruling, the Supreme Court found that the 19th-century law had been superseded by a series of additional restrictions passed in the ensuing decades. Immediately, abortion advocates signaled they might challenge those restrictions.

Thursday’s announcement makes good on those possibilities. In the briefing, attorneys for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin argued that requiring a physician to be present during abortions and requiring a person to receive counseling and wait a full day before receiving abortion care are unnecessary and illegal barriers to health care access.

“Through this case, we are asking Wisconsin courts to recognize that these restrictions conflict with the freedoms and protections guaranteed to each of us under our state’s constitution,” said Atkinson. “It’s about whether our constitutional freedoms belong to each of us, or whether the government can make our most personal decisions for us.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Right to Life said Planned Parenthood is seeking a “permanent constitutional shield” for abortion access.

“This lawsuit isn’t about access,” said Samantha Craig. “It’s about removing the last few guardrails standing between a woman and the procedure table. It is incredible to us that such basic protections for informed consent and women’s safety are disregarded for the sake of protecting Planned Parenthood’s abortion-first business model.”

The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which would have the final say in the case, has a definitive liberal slant that is all but guaranteed to be in place for years to come. Liberal Justice Chris Taylor, whose 10-year term began in August, was once a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood. Liberal Justice Susan Crawford, who was sworn in a year earlier, once represented the group as a private attorney.

This story was originally published by WPR.

As Wisconsin Supreme Court starts new term, Planned Parenthood challenges abortion restrictions is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin filed a new lawsuit challenging Wisconsin abortion restrictions Thursday, arguing that the laws in question violate the state constitution.

The post As Wisconsin Supreme Court starts new term, Planned Parenthood challenges abortion restrictions appeared first on WPR.