We had our most successful local elections program ever!

First off, I want to thank you on behalf of our staff, board, and the state of Wisconsin for your vote yesterday. Your dedication to making a difference where it counts most – at the ballot box – never ceases to amaze and inspire all of us. Having said that, preliminary results suggest that Wisconsin Conservation Voters’ spring election program was our most successful to date! Thank you!

It also appears Wisconsin Conservation Voters ran the biggest and invested the most in local races across the state of any independent organization. Our investment of more than $170,000 was successful in helping elect candidates to local office who will work for clean water, clean energy, and to protect our democracy. We can’t wait to continue working with them on these issues.

We are particularly proud of:

• Flipping the Green Bay Common Council to a pro-democracy, pro-conservation majority

• Flipping the Portage County Board to a pro-clean water majority

• Flipping the Columbia County Board to a pro-clean energy majority

• Protecting a pro-conservation majority on the Eau Claire County Board

• Protecting a pro-conservation majority on the La Crosse County Board and preventing the election of a 2020 fake elector

We also want to thank Mayor Katie Rosenberg of Wausau for her years of service. No other local elected official in Wisconsin has done as much as her to address PFAS contamination in the city’s drinking water. We are tremendously grateful to have supported her bid for re-election. While we are sad about her narrow loss, we are excited to see what big things she does next. The example she set for how to respond to PFAS contamination will be considered the gold standard for years to come.

The constitutional amendments that will make it harder for local governments to administer fair and efficient elections unfortunately passed last night. This power grab by anti-democracy forces is a loss for us all. Now the fight to fully fund elections must begin so that our ability to vote is not hampered by these wrongheaded amendments.

Let’s celebrate the momentous achievements in local races. Then, it’s time to get back to work, as usual. With your support, we’ll continue to fight for an equitable democracy and ensure that, under our new maps, we elect leaders this fall who care about Wisconsin and its future for us and future generations.