And while Wisconsin did not have an election on November 4 of this year, these results can tell us something about November 3 of next year, the day the 2026 midterm elections will be held. 

While races like the one for mayor of New York City grabbed more headlines, it’s the elections that happened in the Virginia House of Delegates that could tell us more about what might be coming in Wisconsin next year. There, Democrats went from a slight majority of 51 of 100 seats to a near supermajority with 64 seats.

Those kinds of downballot results could suggest that Democrats are poised for a big breakthrough in the Wisconsin State Legislature, which will have its first election held fully under new maps next year. Democrats will have their first realistic chance to flip the legislature in more than a decade. A lot could happen over the next year, of course, but results like the ones in Virginia have to be encouraging for Democrats in Wisconsin. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

Barnes seems likely to run for governor. And because of that, his 2022 run for U.S. Senate warrants a fresh re-examination. So, in a new column at The Recombobulation Area, I took a closer look back at that race and his campaign. Barnes lost to Ron Johnson by about 1%, just 27,000 votes, in one of the closest elections we’ve ever had for Senate in Wisconsin. It was a near miss that reflected both Barnes’ potential and limitation. In retrospect, I think his campaign managed to be both overrated and underrated at the same time. Underrated in the sense that he was unfairly maligned in his effort to unseat a well-funded two-term incumbent, overrated in how the campaign made certain strategic errors that proved costly in the end.

If Barnes does indeed run again in a statewide race, he’s going to have to do things differently in order to win, plain and simple. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

This is a massive project with an estimated cost of more than 1.7 billion dollars. And with this official start date announced also came estimates for how long this will take. According to the DOT, construction is expected to last until 2033. And we know that these plans always underestimate how much things will cost or how long this will take.

At The Recombobulation Area, this project — and the local opposition to it — is something we’ve covered extensively, including with an award-winning four-part series called “Expanding the Divide.” 

With these plans now becoming a reality, it might be worth revisiting that series and considering just how awful these plans are, how unnecessary and expensive an extra lane is and how in southeastern Wisconsin, we’re going to be dealing with construction and delays for the next eight years in order to shave a few minutes off of suburban commute times while city streets and city problems go ignored once again. 

This has been concerning for many, and not without reason. A recent large-scale ICE raid at an apartment building in Chicago saw reports of armed federal agents breaking down doors, U.S. citizens detained for hours on end, and children being dragged from their homes in the middle of the night. 

While the American immigration system has a host of problems, this kind of violent show of force is not an acceptable way to address these problems. And ICE also just received an injection of $45 billion in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” so it is imperative for all of us to hold ICE accountable and speak out when things go too far. Right now, things are going way too far.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

The election for governor in 2026 is the state’s first open race for the office since 2010, and it’s sure to invite many candidates to run. And on the Republican side, Tiffany’s is the most significant announcement yet. There’s a very good chance that he is going to be the Republican nominee for governor at this time next year. 

If that proves to be the case, it would signify a major shift in the center of power for Republican politics in Wisconsin. For so long, it’s been the WOW counties — Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington, three of the counties that surround Milwaukee — that have been the Republican stronghold in the state. But if Tiffany is the one at the top of the ticket, it will be the most clear indicator yet of how the party has shifted from more of a suburban one, to one where GOP voters are more centered in exurban or rural areas. 

Find this and more analysis of Tiffany’s candidacy for governor in my latest column at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more on the Civic Media website.

Here at the Civic Media network, we produce a tremendous amount of content on any given day. From our news team all over the state, to our daily lineup of political talk and commentary shows, to our many podcasts and weekend shows, to local morning shows to all kinds of digital content, there can be a lot to keep up with. 

But now, we are bringing you a new way to find all of this tremendous content. It’s a new email newsletter called Civic Media Today. Like The Recombobulation Area, it also publishes on Substack. This is going to be your one-stop shop to connect with everything across the Civic Media extended universe, from podcasts and livestreams of your favorite shows to the latest on everything happening across Wisconsin. 

So, go subscribe to Civic Media Today, our brand new free newsletter. You’ll be glad you did. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

This state program aims to provide temporary housing, training, and supportive services to military veterans who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless in order to help them obtain permanent housing. 

In response to these looming closures, Democrats representing parts of Green Bay and Chippewa Falls introduced legislation in August to keep these facilities open. But Republican legislative leadership has not even allowed a public hearing on the bill. And the clock is ticking. Without these funds, these facilities are set to close by September 30 of this year. 

Republicans need to come to the table and step up to support our veterans now, before it’s too late. 

It’s a noble goal, and an important one, and the estimated cost of keeping these two facilities open is less than $2 million – not exactly an astronomical number in a $111 billion state budget. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

In her statement announcing the decision, Bradley bemoaned a "shift from thoughtful, principled judicial service toward bitter partisanship, personal attacks, and political gamesmanship" in recent years. If you’ve followed Bradley time on the bench, you couldn’t help but note the hypocrisy in that statement, because that’s the exact kind of extreme, toxic approach she’s brought to the Wisconsin Supreme court over the past decade. 

But beyond that, this sets up yet another open race for state Supreme Court in Wisconsin. This one, however, will be a bit different than recent races won by liberal justices Janet Protasiewicz and Susan Crawford, where majority control of the court was on the line. In this race, liberals will have the opportunity to expand their majority from 4-3 to 5-2, if candidate Chris Taylor, a former Democratic state legislator, wins the election in Spring 2026.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

In that breakdown, I identified the top 4 potential contenders to be the candidate for the Democratic Party. They are: Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, and State Senator Kelda Roys. There are more candidates we’re monitoring, too. 

This primary will be a remarkable opportunity for voters to choose the path forward for the party. But on the Republican side, it’s less about the voters, and more about the endorsement of one man: Donald Trump. Because whoever gets Trump’s endorsement is all but a lock to win that primary. 

Check out my column for much, much more in our too-early breakdown of the race for governor in 2026. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

Because of that, it is imperative that elected officials and public institutions step up and help people in this hour of need. We’ve seen a tremendous amount of support from first responders all over the region, and we should all be grateful for their dedicated work.

Beyond taking care of these immediate needs, we need to be making sure our infrastructure in the region is built to withstand greater amounts of rainfall coming due to climate change. Many of the wettest years in Milwaukee’s history have occurred over the last decade. But reports have indicated that Milwaukee’s Greenseams program, implemented after floods in 1997, helped mitigate some of the damage from recent flooding. We need more programs like that if we’re going to build for a safer, more resilient future.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

Mayor Johnson cited double-digit, year-to-date decreases in robberies, arsons, aggravated assaults, vehicle thefts, carjackings and non-fatal shootings.

While Milwaukee certainly has its challenges, is this another dog whistle? 

It’s also worth noting that the Milwaukee Police Association is in ongoing negotiations with the city on their union contract. With the city of Milwaukee budget process coming up there is always attention on how much the city invests in law enforcement versus how much they spend on preventative measures  like the Office of Violence Prevention.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

We already know who some of the candidates will be. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez launched her campaign and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he’s running. On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and southeastern Wisconsin business execurtive Bill Berrien are running. Many more are expected to join the race. 

And it’s not just governor that will have an open race. We could see all open races for Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer, too. 

Couple that with what’s happening in the state legislature, no longer under gerrymandered maps, the year 2026 is going to bring a rather unique moment for voters in Wisconsin to determine the path forward on a fresh new era for the state. I know some can be wary of change, but let’s embrace this as the real opportunity that it is. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

Evers has had an accomplished career as a dedicated public servant for five decades and has been a terrific governor for the state of Wisconsin these last six-plus, and we should be grateful for his time in office. It’s been a job well done. 

But all things must pass. In making this decision to step aside and not seek another term, Tony Evers is doing what he has done time and time again. He’s doing the right thing. 

And perhaps in making this decision, Gov. Evers can be the one to turn the tide on the Democratic Party’s unwillingness to pass the torch to the next generation. In his own unassuming way, the mild-mannered former science teacher who became Wisconsin’s governor can be an example to Democrats across the nation.

Because we know what happens in Wisconsin politics often has ramifications that reach well beyond the state’s borders. This is an important decision, this is the right decision, and it’s one I think is going to resonate nationally. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

Since then, for more than a year, fair maps advocates and pro-democracy activists have been looking to take the next step and propose a new plan for independent redistricting in Wisconsin that would be here for the long haul. It’s a compelling, well-constructed plan that would take the job of drawing maps away from the politicians who run for office on those very maps. 

In this new feature story, I take a closer look inside this citizen-led, grassroots effort as it goes from the idea phase to being presented to the public. Because we absolutely need a long-term solution for redistricting reform in Wisconsin, so we don’t end up seeing either political party gerrymander Wisconsin’s maps ever again.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

What made this budget different from the others signed in this era of divided government — with a Democratic governor and a Republican-controlled legislature — is that Democratic votes were needed to pass the budget in the State Senate. 

Part of the reason that was made possible is because of new, fairer maps. Last November, Senate Democrats flipped four seats, shrinking the Republican majority to just an 18 to 15 margin. Now, candidates are already lining up to take this the rest of the way and flip the chamber. Democrat Jenna Jacobson, who currently serves in the Assembly, is now running for Senate, challenging Republican Howard Marklein in the 17th District in southwestern Wisconsin. If Democrats can flip that district and one more seat, they could control the State Senate for the first time in more than 15 years. That would be a big deal for state politics in Wisconsin. 

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

The poll paints a picture of a polarized Wisconsin. Many people are very dug in to their partisan camps, which is perhaps to be expected in the most evenly-divided state in the nation.

But there are a number of issues polled that do have the support of more than two thirds of Wisconsin voters. Those include: extending Medicaid coverage for new moms, legalizing marijuana, making major increases in state aid for special education, providing mental health services in schools, allowing citizen-led ballot initiatives, and banning cell phones in schools.

What do most of these issues have in common? They are policies being advanced by Democrats in Wisconsin.  

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

This argument is not one of ideological differences or policy disagreements. Tony Evers has been a good governor and has served the state well. This more has to do with Evers’ age — he’ll be 75 years old in November 2026 — and about how the Democratic Party has had a massive, inescapable problem in its unwillingness to pass the torch to the next generation.

Tony Evers needs to do what so many other Democrats have struggled so mightily to do and step aside when the time is right. And after Joe Biden’s catastrophic 2024, this is a conversation we need to be having, and we need to be having it now. Democrats can’t keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. It’s time to do things differently.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

But Johnson’s position as a critic of this bill makes him especially influential in these negotiations. But let’s not forget the last time he was in a similar position. In 2017, he was a critic of the Trump tax cut bill, but what he fought for was a tax break for certain types of businesses, perhaps not coincidentally, the business owned by his largest donors, Dick and Liz Uihlein, co-owners of the Wisconsin-based Uline company. In 2018 alone, the Uihleins received more than $200 million in tax breaks because of this bill. 

So as the big beautiful bill is negotiated in the Senate, let’s not forget this piece of recent history, and continue to question what Ron Johnson’s endgame might be with his public criticism.

Johnson’s position as a critic of this bill makes him one of the most influential members of Congress when it comes to negotiating this legislation. But unlike some other critics of the bill, who don’t like that it cuts Medicaid, Johnson has said that it doesn’t cut spending enough, pointing to issues with the national debt.

But that criticism has a problem, too. In 2017, Johnson was the face of GOP opposition to the Trump tax bill, but he then negotiated a larger tax break for certain types of businesses — including his biggest donors — and that bill has massively increased the debt.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

We are in a rare moment right now in Wisconsin politics. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because we are not actively in the middle of a campaign cycle. It’s been more than six weeks now since any of us have seen a campaign ad. It’s been pretty nice, hasn’t it?

This moment we’re in is as close as we’re going to get to a political offseason here in Wisconsin. And we need to take advantage of this moment by taking action to improve our democracy. That means taking steps to address money in politics, cleaning up some issues with election administration, and creating a long-term plan for nonpartisan redistricting.

In some cases, we can’t make these kinds of changes in the middle of the campaign. So we need to be thinking about what we can do now. There’s a lot both parties can agree on here, too. So let’s make some moves this offseason, Wisconsin. Seize this moment to make a better, stronger, more inclusive democracy.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

The biggest thing that happens in Wisconsin's state government every two years is the state budget, and last week at the state capitol, Republican lawmakers took a step forward in the process, by voting out more than 600 measures from Governor Tony Evers’ proposal. This is now the fourth budget proposal that Evers has put forward, and each one has been met with a similar familiar fate. 

Even as this has become the custom, it doesn’t have to be this way. Republicans could honestly engage with this budget and debate it on its merits. There are good, smart proposals here on everything from health care to education to child care to environmental protection. And if there are items here they disagree on, make the case! Have the debate! 

By voting everything out and starting from scratch, they are letting down the people of Wisconsin they are elected to represent by refusing to have this debate on a very basic level. We should expect better. 

By voting everything out and starting from scratch on their own, they are doing themselves a political disservice by continuing to adopt these stubborn, obstructionist tactics, and more importantly, they are letting down the people of Wisconsin they are elected to represent by refusing to have this conversation on a very basic level. We should expect better.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

There’s been a whole lot happening in the political universe these past few months. Much of it has been rather discombobulating, you might say. From the first 100 days of the Trump administration to the high-stakes race for Wisconsin Supreme Court and everything else that went into the Spring Election in Wisconsin, it’s been a lot to wrap our heads around.

But now, we’re entering a new phase on Wisconsin’s political calendar. That’s right, we’re getting into budget season. 

The biennial budget is the biggest thing that happens in state politics every two years, and our elected officials in the Assembly and Senate are going to be making some important decisions in the very near future. 

Now is a great time to contact your representatives and let them know what you think our priorities should be for our next state budget. Because in a government by the people, participation is power, and your voice matters.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

On April 22 in the Wisconsin State Senate, something happened that you don’t see too often — a high profile bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 32-1 to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60 days to 12 months. Wisconsin is one of only two U.S. states to not have already extended this critical postpartum coverage. 

So, with that kind of support, you’d expect the bill to pass, right?

Well, not exactly. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has repeatedly blocked this legislation from coming up for a vote. Several Republican state representatives have been speaking out on this, urging Vos to change his tune, but he has not budged. 

It’s time for Vos to end this charade and allow this bill to come up for a vote. If he’s opposed, he can still vote against it, but one person should not block a bill that has already been supported by the majority of his own party, the majority of his own caucus. Let the people vote, Mr. Speaker.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

In recent months, Milwaukee health officials have uncovered significant lead hazards in city schools, mostly due to lead-based paint. Several schools have been closed as the problem has been found to be more widespread.

In late March, city officials formally requested help from the CDC  , but in doing so, they learned that the CDC’s entire lead program had been eliminated by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

This is a major problem. Children in the state’s largest city are being exposed to lead poisoning at their schools, and the Trump administration is not only refusing to provide assistance, they are eliminating the entire lead program that would help in cases like this one. 

Now, state and local officials must step up to do something for these kids, since Trump and RFK Jr. are gutting federal support. Milwaukee’s children deserve better.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

In the April 1 Spring Election, Susan Crawford won the incredibly expensive race for Wisconsin Supreme Court. And she didn’t just win, but won decisively, gaining 55% of the vote, a 10-point margin ahead of her opponent, Brad Schimel. It is a remarkable victory. 

In so many ways, this race became a referendum on Elon Musk, from his prominent position in the Trump administration to the tens of millions of dollars he put toward backing Brad Schimel in this race. 

And Wisconsin voters spoke decisively, rejecting Musk at this critical moment. All 72 counties in Wisconsin shifted to the left from last fall’s election. That includes Brown County, home to Green Bay, where Musk held a rally just days before the election, handing out million dollar checks. 

The sweeping results we’re seeing are going to send a powerful message that will resonate nationally. Wisconsin voters spoke loud and clear, saying we cannot be bought.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.

In the race for Wisconsin Supreme Court, so many issues are on the line, from reproductive rights to redistricting, to even just basic checks and balances.

For right-wing candidate Brad Schimel, though, one issue deserves more scrutiny, and that's his record on opioid settlements. Here in Wisconsin, it seems like we all know someone who has been directly affected by the devastating opioid addiction epidemic.

As Wisconsin's Attorney General, Schimel refused to join multi-state lawsuits taking on opioid manufacturers. We now know these settlements are having a major impact, as new research shows that overdose deaths are declining significantly in Wisconsin because of funding from these settlements.

You have to wonder if things might be unfolding differently, had Schimel been re-elected in 2018. His lack of action and indifference to accountability on this issue should be seen as a real problem as he seeks a seat on the state's highest court.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcast, and see more the Civic Media website.

Folks, we've got to talk about Derrick Van Orden. The second term congressman representing Wisconsin's Third District is at it again, dodging public meetings and making all kinds of unhinged comments. As many scramble and struggle to understand the chaos of what's happening in Washington D.C., and how it's impacting people here in Wisconsin, Van Orden has been as frustrating and disrespectful as ever.

In one instance, Van Orden took to social media to berate a veteran who had been fired from his job at the VA by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. And the veteran in question is simply someone who was just reaching out to his congressman, looking for answers. Van Orden's office has also hastily canceled public meetings and he has made some especially wild accusations about people who have been attending these public events. Congressman Van Orden needs to stop this unhinged madness and more importantly, be more available and accountable to his constituents.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area and on our website at civicmedia.us.

Governor Tony Evers has released his budget, calling this the most pro-kid budget in state history. This is now the fourth time that Evers has put forth a budget proposal, and the three prior were all met with a similar fate. Republicans and the legislature rejected it entirely.

Again this year, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos called the budget dead on arrival. To a certain extent, this is what we've come to expect from this era of divided government in Wisconsin. In previous years, Evers has eventually signed Republican author budgets and used his line item veto powers to make certain changes.

But could he play hardball this time around and threaten to veto the entire budget? Is there anything in this pro-kid budget that has to be there? Things like education funding or clean water protections or Medicaid expansion?

With everything going on in Washington, now might be the right time for Evers to fight for these proposals and fight for Wisconsinites in any way he can.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area and on our website at civicmedia.us.

One race that will be on every ballot for the Spring Primary is for State Superintendent. Incumbent Jill Underly is seeking another term, and two   candidates are challenging her — Jeff Wright, superintendent for Sauk Prairie Schools, and Brittany Kinser, an education consultant and former charter school executive. 

Kinser’s candidacy, in particular, is gaining steam. Her campaign reported raising more than $500,000, far more than what Underly or Wright have brought in. With that type of financial support, this could prove to be a more competitive race for state superintendent than what we’ve seen in quite some time. This is becoming a real race to watch.