Since 2017, the Republican Party of Wisconsin (RPW) has seen its political dominance steadily decline. What was once a well-oiled machine controlling the Governorship, State Legislature, and State Supreme Court is now a fractured operation facing repeated statewide defeats—and a party base increasingly turning on its leadership.
The losses have fueled internal turmoil. In June, a majority of the RPW’s executive committee reportedly called for Chairman Brian Schimming’s resignation following Brad Schimel’s Supreme Court defeat. Critics, including county party leaders, cited poor fundraising, weak messaging, and a lack of grassroots mobilization. Others condemned new RPW policies enabling removal of dissenting local officials—arguing they stifle legitimate criticism.
Schimming defended his leadership, claiming the support of party insiders and pushing back against accusations of underperformance. But fractures remain. A proposal to implement a conflict-of-interest policy was rejected by delegates, signaling distrust toward the state board. And prominent conservative voices have warned that the RPW’s current strategy is failing to counter a disciplined and effective Democratic operation.
The turning point began in 2018 when Democrat Tony Evers narrowly defeated Walker. Evers retained the governor’s mansion in 2022, defeating Republican Tim Michels by over 3 points. But the trend extends beyond the executive branch.
In the past 8 years, Republicans have lost four of the last five Wisconsin Supreme Court races. In 2018, liberal Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet defeated GOP-backed Michael Screnock by double digits, narrowing what had been a 5–2 conservative majority on the court. A year later, Justice Brian Hagedorn barely held the seat for conservatives—winning by just 0.4 percentage points. But since then, Democrats have surged: Jill Karofsky (2020), Janet Protasiewicz (2023), and Susan Crawford (2025) all won by double-digit margins, with Protasiewicz flipping the court’s ideological balance to liberals for the first time in years.
Republicans have also suffered defeats in two consecutive Attorney General and Secretary of State races. The only break in the trend was a single win in the powerless office of the Secretary of Treasury, in 2022. (RELATED: Wisconsin Lawmakers Advance Election Reform Bills on Referendum Clarity, Petitions, WEC Oversight)
The Democratic Party of Wisconsin and its legislative campaign committees vastly outpaced Republicans in fundraising throughout the 2024 cycle. The state Democratic Party alone reported $32.4 million from 12,998 contributions, compared to just $10.4 million from 1,614 contributions for the state Republican Party.
Democrats also dominated in the Legislature: the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee raised $17.7 million, and the State Senate Democratic Committee brought in $10.9 million. On the Republican side, the Assembly campaign committee raised $19 million—nearly all from large donors—while the Senate GOP committee collected just $5.6 million. In total, Democrats pulled in over $60 million across their major party entities, while Republicans raised roughly $35 million, with far fewer individual contributions. The result was a sustained advantage in organizing, advertising, and ground game that helped flip 10 Assembly seats and 3 Senate seats in November 2024- and positioned Democrats within reach of taking the State Senate in 2026.
From judicial rulings to executive control, the cost of these Republican setbacks is already apparent. If internal divisions remain unresolved, Wisconsin Democrats may continue their electoral ascent heading into the 2026 midterms.
The battle over the future of the Republican Party of Wisconsin is no longer just about leadership—it’s about survival. (RELATED: Seasoned Conservative Litigator Enters Key Court of Appeals Race)
