2025-26 Democratic Assembly Leadership Elected
The Assembly Democrats made significant gains in the 2024 election, securing 10 additional seats and increasing their caucus to 45 members out of the 99 seats in the Assembly for the 2025-26 legislative session. This marks a noteworthy shift in the balance of power and provides Democrats with greater leverage as they prepare for the upcoming term.
The Assembly Democratic leadership team will see some changes heading into the 107th Wisconsin State Legislature, which convenes in January 2025. Representative Lee Snodgrass (D-Appleton), who previously held the position of Sergeant at Arms, opted not to seek the role for this session. In her place, Representative Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) has stepped into the position. Additionally, the role of Caucus Vice-Chair has transitioned from Jill Billings to Representative Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit), bringing fresh perspectives to the leadership team.
As the Minority Leader presides over the caucus and represents Democrats in legislative deliberations, the team’s revamped composition will play a critical role in shaping the party’s strategies and priorities during this pivotal session.
Assembly Democrats
- Minority Leader – Rep. Greta Neubauer (D-Racine)
- Assistant Minority Leader – Kalan Haywood (D-Milwaukee)
- Minority Caucus Chair – Lisa Subeck (D-Madison)
- Minority Caucus Vice-Chair – Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit)
- Minority Caucus Secretary – Rep. Mike Bare (D-Verona)
- Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire)
Minority Leader Greta Neubauer
Elected to Assembly in January 2018 special election. Reelected since November 2018. Leadership positions: Minority Leader 2023, 2021 (effective 1/10/22).
As a freshman assembly rep, she did not co-sponsor any marijuana legislation her first session. Although she made public statements about the marijuana reform in the budget, her statements did not touch on adult use/recreational marijuana.
Her district showed 85% support for medical and 59% for recreational marijuana in the 2018 referendums.
In 2020-22 legislation session, she did co-sponsor adult use/recreational marijuana and again in 2023-34 she was a co-sponsor of adult use marijuana legalization legislation.
The ACLU of Wisconsin sent a questionnaire to all candidates and published their answers. We are not surprised that she answered YES to the ACLU question: Do you support the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana for recreational use by adults 21 and over in Wisconsin? And she added this statement onto her ACLU questionnaire:
I was proud to join our caucus in supporting legislation to permit medical and recreational use of marijuana in Wisconsin. This is an economic, civil rights, and fairness issue. By legalizing marijuana the state could bring in new tax revenue, stop unnecessarily incarcerating our citizens, and begin to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs.
On 4/20/2024 she had this to say:
It’s time for us to end our state’s prohibition of cannabis and unlock millions of dollars in new tax revenue.
— Representative Greta Neubauer (@RepGreta) April 20, 2024
It’s time for us to address our longstanding inequities and end our outdated drug policies.
It’s time for us to #LegalizeIt. Happy 4/20! pic.twitter.com/Ql1dk5OoYu
Assistant Minority Leader Kalan Haywood
- Elected to Assembly since 2018 and was the Assistant Minority Leader last session also.
Member of Wisconsin Center District Board and Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.
August 2018: We can’t forget to address our broken criminal justice system. We have too many people trapped in a cycle of crime, incarceration, and recidivism. We need to legalize marijuana, expunge criminal records and end the failed truth-in-sentencing law, which prevents parole. Source
December 2019: Rep. Haywood
“Especially medical marijuana. I have an uncle who is suffering from cancer…that could help ease some of his pain.”
“The other states around us have legalized marijuana use, and now we’re on an island.”
“The conversation around marijuana has to involve decriminalizing marijuana as well.”
Kalan had not previously co-sponsored legislation on the matter until the 2023-24 legislative session.
Minority Caucus Chair Lisa Subek
- Elected to City of Madison Common Council, 2011–15; Assembly since 2014. Leadership positions: Minority Caucus Chair 2023.
Member of State Capitol and Executive Residence Board
Receiving a high grades previous sessions by co-sponsoring a variety of bills. This Madison area Democrat ran unopposed as an incumbent in 2018 and ended up co-sponsoring medical marijuana with home grows and smoking products, along with both versions for decriminalization for the 2019-2020 session.
In the 2021-22 session she was a co-sponsor of adult use legislation and was added as a co-sponsor in the 2023-24 legislative session.
New Minority Caucus Vice-Chair Clinton Anderson
Elected to Beloit City Council, 2017–23 (vice president 2019–21, president 2021–22).
Elected to Assembly 2022
In his 2022 campaign he stated he is favor of both recreational and medical. Heavily in favor of both. He has no concerns about recreational marijuana and enough other states have done it that Wisconsin can draw from them and make a smooth transition to a regulated market.
As a freshman representative he was a co-sponsor the adult use cannabis legalization and his second term in office he is the new Minority Caucus Vice-Chair.
Minority Caucus Secretary Mike Bare
Elected to Verona City Council, 2013–14; Dane County Board, 2020–23; Assembly 2022.
We was the previous Caucus Secretary last session making him the rare freshman representative to receive a leadership position.
In 2022 Mike Bare says there is no question Wisconsin should move forward by legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana.
Bare was also a co-sponsor of the adult use cannabis legalization bill in the 2023-24 session.
During the 2024 campaign, Bare had this to say “Marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use. Prohibition is not prevention. It didn’t work for alcohol and it hasn’t worked for marijuana. Marijuana prohibition has led to vast justice disparities, and we’re missing out on a piece of our economy, and pushing that economy into an unregulated and dangerous place.
Not having medical marijuana is barbaric and dangerous for patients. When Wisconsinites travel to Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois to purchase marijuana, we’re losing all that potential tax revenue. Our money is building schools in Detroit and Chicago and Minneapolis instead of right here. That’s just plain dumb policymaking.”
New Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms Lisa Subek
- Elected to Assembly since 2018.
Member of Migrant Labor Council, Transportation Projects Commission and Women’s Council
As a freshman Democrat in the Assembly back in 2018, Rep. Emerson stood out as a sponsor of the Adult Use/Medical combination bill we know as “Legalize Marijuana – Legalize Opportunity”. She also sponsored the Decriminalization bill that entered the legislation session late this year.
During her 2nd term in office she duplicated her efforts and again co-sponsored Adult Use Marijuana legislation in 2021-22.
Her third term in office produced her co-sponsorship for adult use cannabis legalization and her fourth term in office yields her the leadership position.
Interesting Election Note:
The election race that Jodi Emerson won was featured in an earlier article I wrote entitled “Assembly Races Decided by less than 420 votes“. The 91st Assembly District also barely went to Democrat Jodi Emerson who defeated Michele Skinner by 1101 votes.
Things are fuzzy
I apologize for any fuzzy images, but things are a little fuzzy right now in Madison and will continue to be until the smoke clears on the tone of overall legislative leadership body. There are seven (7) new Republicans elected this session, but as Vos pointed out, they lost 10 seats overall, so their pool of reps in the GOP caucus votes just got smaller.
What is next?
If Republicans insist on discussing cannabis policy solely behind closed doors within their own ranks, that is one challenge. However, another pressing issue is the stark division within the GOP itself. On one side, there are Republicans pushing for a complete ban on intoxicating hemp products, while on the other, there is an equally significant faction advocating for some degree of cannabis reform. This internal conflict reflects the broader uncertainty within the party on how to address the issue.
It has become painfully clear that Speaker Robin Vos is not interested in advancing cannabis reform in any meaningful way. Instead of governing and fostering collaboration, Vos has positioned himself as an arbiter, effectively stalling progress. His refusal to work with Democrats on this critical issue underscores his unwillingness to lead in a way that reflects the will of the people or the evolving needs of Wisconsin.
Despite these obstacles, there remains a clear path forward for legislators who genuinely care about cannabis reform. To break through the gridlock and foster bipartisan cooperation, it is essential to establish a Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus. This dedicated, cross-party group could serve as a platform for lawmakers committed to crafting and advancing policies that reflect the realities and opportunities of cannabis regulation. By forming such a caucus, pro-reform legislators can work together to ensure that cannabis policy becomes a priority in 2025 and beyond, transcending partisan politics and addressing the issue in a way that benefits all Wisconsinites.
This post election coverage analysis is sponsored by Original Shirtface and Green Crown Extracts. Please follow their HQ and retail space Place of Bear in Mukwonago on facebook and watch for a Dec 7th event.
