Potential Outlooks for the Senate in 2025

The maps changed and redistricting happened, the “political experts” crunching the voting data from the past have labeled the 8th, 14th, 18th, 30th and 32nd Senate Districts as ‘competitive’ in the overall Senate races in 2024.

In my analysis of the potential outcomes I have only listed the Senate 8 and 14 as close races. Both of these races have friendly Democrats and non friendly Republicans. Although I have to note, that these two Democrat candidates had a “weaker” stance on cannabis when starting their campaign journeys, but have evolved!

If if the marijuana vote flips these two districts and the Democrats carry the rest of the close ones, the Democrats still cannot win the Senate in 2024, it is almost statistically impossible.

Only half of the 33 Senators are up for election in 2024, so we are stuck with many of them. That is important to remember because the comment “just vote them out” comes up in discussions again and again. As we have learned, it just is not that easy and some not all Senators are up for re-election at the same time.

So the numbers for marijuana reform do not look so great, especially if the Republicans will not work with the Democrats on the issue.

Republicans who have expressed that prohibition is just not working is growing; and we now have 5 (five) of them. With another 2 (two) Republicans only willing to go limited medical; I think those 7 (seven) will have a hard time convincing the other 11 (eleven) Republicans that have been a very vocal NO to cannabis reform. It is likely the Republicans will have 18 seats at least.

Democrats have been very strong on the issue. Many new Democratic Senators were Assembly Representatives last session. There are only a couple new names in the list overall. In my analysis, 13 (thirteen) for sure Democrats seats go into the support cannabis reform column. It is likely the Democrats will have 13 seats at least.

The two real close seats will not change the balance of the Senate immediately for party control or support of marijuana legalization, but are must wins for the Democrats if they are going to take back the Senate after the 2026 election cycle. They are really must wins for the marijuana movement also, as the two close seats featured Republican Prohibitionist Joan Ballweg and Duey “CBD is Snake Oil” Stroebel.

Wisconsin needs elected officials who sponsored the various bills throughout past sessions and the newly elected legislators supporting reform on the campaign trail to work together towards sensible cannabis reform in a bi-partisan nature.

During election cycles, we need to put the pressure on candidates to help form The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus if elected.

An official bipartisan state caucus can streamline cannabis reform legislation at the state level while developing and promoting sensible cannabis policy reform and work to ease the tension between political parties.

Please sign the petition below to support the formation of The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus.