Wisconsin's Wikler Enters DNC Chair Contest
In a statement on CNN, he emphasized the urgency of victory, asserting, "We need to win to stop the GOP from ripping this country apart."
TroibNews 
Ben Wikler, the leader of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, announced his candidacy for the chair position of the Democratic National Committee on Sunday.
During an appearance on CNN's "Inside Politics" with host Manu Raju, Wikler stated, “I'm running for chair of the Democratic National Committee because we need to unite, we need to fight, and we need to win to stop the GOP from ripping this country apart and ripping off working people to enrich mega billionaires."
Currently, other candidates in the race for the DNC chair include Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland, and Ken Martin, the chair of Minnesota's Democratic Party. Additionally, James Skoufis, a state senator from New York, is also in contention.
Wikler expressed confidence in his leadership capabilities, despite the recent defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin against Donald Trump. "This is a purple, intense state," he remarked. "And what it teaches you when you fight in a state like Wisconsin is how to organize everywhere in rural areas, cities, suburbs, small towns, across race, ethnicity, gender, geography, generation, ideology, it teaches you to communicate even to voters who may not be paying attention to what Democrats have to say."
He emphasized the need for improved communication: "We know that we lose when voters get their information about Democrats from Republicans. So, we need to level up the intensity, the omnipresence of our fight, and we need to communicate directly to working folks, no matter what they look like or where they live about how we're on their side and the Republicans are trying to rip them off," he added.
Wikler has led Wisconsin Democrats since June 2019 and shared his qualifications and vision for the role in an interview with the New York Times. "The Democratic Party now," he said, "is best served by leadership that’s been fighting on the front lines in one of the most contested states in the country and has demonstrated an ability to build an operation that has shattered expectations for what was possible."
The election for the DNC chair is scheduled for February 1. The current chair, Jaime Harrison from South Carolina, will not seek reelection.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
During an appearance on CNN's "Inside Politics" with host Manu Raju, Wikler stated, “I'm running for chair of the Democratic National Committee because we need to unite, we need to fight, and we need to win to stop the GOP from ripping this country apart and ripping off working people to enrich mega billionaires."
Currently, other candidates in the race for the DNC chair include Martin O'Malley, the former governor of Maryland, and Ken Martin, the chair of Minnesota's Democratic Party. Additionally, James Skoufis, a state senator from New York, is also in contention.
Wikler expressed confidence in his leadership capabilities, despite the recent defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris in Wisconsin against Donald Trump. "This is a purple, intense state," he remarked. "And what it teaches you when you fight in a state like Wisconsin is how to organize everywhere in rural areas, cities, suburbs, small towns, across race, ethnicity, gender, geography, generation, ideology, it teaches you to communicate even to voters who may not be paying attention to what Democrats have to say."
He emphasized the need for improved communication: "We know that we lose when voters get their information about Democrats from Republicans. So, we need to level up the intensity, the omnipresence of our fight, and we need to communicate directly to working folks, no matter what they look like or where they live about how we're on their side and the Republicans are trying to rip them off," he added.
Wikler has led Wisconsin Democrats since June 2019 and shared his qualifications and vision for the role in an interview with the New York Times. "The Democratic Party now," he said, "is best served by leadership that’s been fighting on the front lines in one of the most contested states in the country and has demonstrated an ability to build an operation that has shattered expectations for what was possible."
The election for the DNC chair is scheduled for February 1. The current chair, Jaime Harrison from South Carolina, will not seek reelection.
Mark B Thomas contributed to this report for TROIB News
