This is our final edition of Supper Club Statehouse for the 2026 election cycle. It’s a time to raise a glass to toast some victories, contemplate the promise of a better future, and wish “Happy Trails” to some of the year’s pending retirees.

The victory I’d like to focus on here — before we turn out the lights for a while — isn’t about a particular election campaign. It’s about a victory for human decency. (Warning: Naughty word ahead.)

It’s not that we haven’t had to suffer through jerks in our politics before. (Looking at you, Newt Gingrich.) But it does seem like bad behavior has enjoyed an annoyingly uninterrupted ascent for the past 10 years or so — right around the time a certain wannabe monarch became the country’s king of cruelty, the insulter-in-chief, the man who thought “quiet, piggy” was a perfectly acceptable expression to say to a female reporter.

It wasn’t. The voters just didn’t get to say so until this week.

Yes, the healthcare cuts were terrible. The decision to attack Iran was horrible. The tariffs were just plain dumb. But I would argue there was one other thing Americans were voting down this year: assholery.

(I can’t take credit for coining the word, but it’s used in its proper context here.)

From religious and racial bigotry to the encouragement of barbaric behavior on our streets and in our political rallies, people just got tired of tolerating the notion that being a jerk is equivalent to being tough, masculine, or effective. We’re done with politicians whose put-downs were accompanied by a Beavis and Butthead-level of guffaws. We’re not wrong to expect better.

We’ve tossed out some of the bad apples. We’ve got some service-minded leaders on the way. And we say adios to other leaders whose terms are winding down, like Gov. Evers. Read to the end of this newsletter for more about retirements — after we recap this week’s headlines.

And of course, follow UpNorthNews on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date.

Pat Kreitlow

Founding Editor, UpNorthNews

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

🧀 Gov.-elect David Crowley (seen here at his victory party with Lt. Gov.-elect Sarah Godlewski) thanked supporters after defeating Rep. Tom Tiffany — and got right to work outlining his priorities when he is sworn in as Wisconsin’s 47th governor.

“Lower costs for housing, utilities, and childcare; 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.”

🫜 Rebecca Cooke will represent Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District in 2027 after unseating Rep. Derrick Van Orden, whose belligerence was ever-present in his endless social media spats.

One of his long-running targets was state Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker, who told Van Orden in April that he’d make sure to dedicate a mobile “Happy Retirement” billboard to him on Election Day.

And he did.

Remember this list? It’s a sample of the 79 school referendums that were also on the ballot this week. In the end, a majority of the ballot measures passed, but dozens more failed, putting those districts at risk of program cuts and staff layoffs because state-imposed revenue limits don’t allow school boards to keep up with inflation.

Reporting by Jimmie Kaska at Civic Media shows 45 questions passed while 34 failed to win public support. In the Lake Geneva area, one district’s referendum failed by a single vote (297-298); while the measure in Bayfield County’s Washburn School District passed by only eight votes.

🗳️ We asked for your prediction about this week’s election…

🟢 Among the 55% who successfully predicted a trifecta win by David Crowley and Assembly and Senate Democrats was Richard in Lac du Flambeau: “The stars are finally, after all these years, aligned.”

🟡 Donna from Eau Claire was part of the 40% who predicted a Crowley win but split control of the legislature because of the onslaught of conservative political ads. “Can we say campaign finance reform?!” Yes, Donna, you can and should.

🔴 The remaining 5% predicted a Tom Tiffany win and a split legislature.

Thank you for your participation!

🍻 Dan Fogelberg sang it so well: “The beer was empty and our tongues were tired — and running out of things to say.”

That, my friend, is where I’m at. The beer was cold and tasty. The dinner was delicious. It’s time to enjoy our last course, a frosty grasshopper, before this delightful conversation runs its course.

After four decades of broadcasting and writing, the tongue is tired. The fingers don’t type as well. It is time to trade in the Old Fashioned for a piña colada. 🍹 As a retiree, I plan to be more “beach chair” than “rocking chair.” The grandkids think I’m more fun on a beach anyway!

By the way, that photo is yours truly doing our very first video report in January 2020 from our small newsroom near the state Capitol (which went away when the pandemic arrived). It’s only a rumor that I chose this snowstorm photo so that it’s harder to see how much darker my hair was… way back in my mid-50s!

I’ve had so many dreams come true: radio host, TV anchor, state legislator, and starting a Wisconsin political newsroom from scratch. This one seemed to be the most elusive, but it happened thanks to the folks at COURIER who are building a national network of newsrooms dedicated to covering state issues.

That work goes on — and so should your support of UpNorthNews. I’ve loved watching it grow and now it’s time to go. I have amazing colleagues who will take this mission forward and stay true to my vision of making political news approachable, conversational, and focused on local and individual impacts. Give them your feedback and they’ll give you ongoing reasons to love Wisconsin and fight to make sure its future is healthy and vibrant.

Thanks for reading… today and throughout the years. Take care. 🫂

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Pat Kreitlow. UpNorthNews is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us.