Interregnum (noun) A temporary gap, pause, or period of discontinuity in a government, organization, leadership role, or social order, according to Merriam Webster.
After a “wave” election cycle like the one Democrats just enjoyed in 2026, the wait for inauguration day and the start of a new legislative session can feel like forever. There’s a desire to not lose momentum and to begin the work to fulfill the promises made by candidates all year long.
However, a few other items have to take priority: Sleep. Thanking supporters. And issuing statements that show the winners are mindful of what voters want them to do when they get to Madison or Washington, DC.
Here’s a sample of the November reactions and January commitments from newly elected and outgoing leaders across the state.
A “told ya’ so” moment
Gov. Tony Evers may have played the biggest role in the election of his successor. When there was chaos and drama swirling around the rest of the Democratic field, Evers convinced Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley to reenter a race he had left only days earlier. Evers felt his endorsement was the best path toward keeping US Rep. Tom Tiffany and Republicans from controlling the governor’s office.
“A few months ago, David becoming Wisconsin’s next governor might have seemed like a long shot. But fight runs in David Crowley’s blood,” Evers said in a post-election statement. “He was born a Comeback Kid, and David’s grit is as Wisconsin as it gets. So, just as he’s done all his life, David rolled up his sleeves, went to work, and made history anyway.”
The big picture promises
Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) seems likely to become the first woman elected Speaker of the Assembly. The current minority leader shepherded her party to a clean sweep of the eight most highly-targeted races that led Democrats back to control of the chamber for the first time in 16 years.
“With this trifecta, we will end decades of Republican obstruction and build great schools, help families feel financially secure and to save for retirement,” Neubauer said. “We will hold big tech accountable, protect our rights and freedoms, and make Wisconsin a state where everyone can thrive.”
Gov.-elect Crowley used part of his victory speech to offer his own list of priorities for a new administration.
“Lower costs for housing, utilities, and child care; real property tax relief, healthcare you can both access and afford, with real options, good schools funded without a referendum every other year, a government that’s open, accountable, and transparent. None of these are Democratic or Republican ideas; they are Wisconsin ideas. And for those of us headed to Madison in January, it’s our job to get it done. So let’s show the country how it’s done.”
Thanking the grassroots
Those eight new Democratic Assembly representatives did not win their races by coming off as firebreathing warriors. They won over voters with commitments to productivity and a sense of community — entire communities, not just the neighbors who voted for them.
“This campaign has always been about people, and how we can rise above the political rhetoric to find common ground,” said Rep.-elect Kevin Knoke (D-Hudson).
“Progress is never linear,” said Rep.-elect John Kroll (D-Wausau). “But when you put in the work day after day, results will come over time. And now is the time for change.”
“When we launched this campaign in January, we had a vision of building a better future here in Brown County, where our schools are fully funded, healthcare is within reach, and families can afford to live and thrive,” said Rep.-elect Brandy Tollefson (De Pere). “I look forward to the task of making that vision a reality as your next state representative.”
“This campaign was never about me–it’s about all of us,” said Rep.-elect Jeremiah Fredrickson (D-Elk Mound). “It’s about making sure the 92nd has a representative who shows up, listens, and fights for the people here in the Chippewa Valley. Tonight we celebrate. Tomorrow we get to work.”
Outreach matters
Almost everyone in a battleground state like Wisconsin is blanketed with relentless political advertising, but elections are also won in the smaller details that include outreach to populations accustomed to feeling excluded from candidates’ concerns. Incoming Secretary of State JoCasta Zamarripa credits her win to being present in places near and dear to her.
“I ran for Secretary of State because I believe Wisconsin deserves leaders who will uphold our democracy, protect the right to vote, and keep partisan politics out of our everyday governing,” Zamarripa said. “Tonight, you affirmed that belief, and I will not let you down.”
Zamarripa said her campaign ran one of the most ambitious Latino voter outreach programs in state history, contacting more than 54,000 unique Latino voters across all 72 counties through a coordinated, multiplatform effort that included direct mail, Spanish language radio, YouTube and social media advertising, phone banking, and text messaging.
Not entirely humble
While winning candidates typically confine themselves to humility, some of their biggest supporters have no issues with gloating about unseating incumbents who struck them as out of touch or callous. For Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker, the toppling of two Republican congressmen — taking the state’s delegation to an even split from a 6-2 GOP majority — was especially sweet.
“It’s been decades since a Wisconsin Democrat defeated an incumbent Republican Congressman, and both Mitchell Berman and Rebecca Cooke accomplished that tonight,” Remiker said. “By running a campaign to genuinely represent a purple district and champion working families, Rebecca Cooke helped turn the tide [against US Rep. Derrick Van Orden]. And Mitchell Berman, a former VA nurse inspired to run for Congress after seeing his colleagues’ jobs cut by the Trump administration and his patients suffering, harnessed his anger into building a campaign [against US Rep. Bryan Steil] that prioritized serving and uplifting working families.”
One more “told ya’ so”
Remiker saved a final parting shot for Van Orden, who spent many of his working hours engaged in social media spats with Remiker and anyone else who criticized him.
During one back-and-forth in April, Remiker said Van Orden should “look forward to the mobile billboard I [will] park outside your party on EDay for when you lose to wish you a happy retirement.”
As promised, on Election Night, Remiker posted a photo of a mobile billboard truck outside a La Crosse hotel ballroom, featuring a photo of Van Orden and the message, “Happy Retirement, Derrick! Soon Derrick will no longer be paid to do nothing.”
The accompanying post by Remiker said simply, “Told ya.”
