2025-26 Republican Assembly Leadership Elected
Assistant Majority Leader Jon Plumer (R-Lodi), who served during the 2023-24 legislative session, chose not to seek re-election in 2024, leaving a notable vacancy in the Assembly Republican leadership. Plumer was among the few Republicans who openly supported reforming Wisconsin’s cannabis laws, making his departure significant for advocates of cannabis policy change.
There were rumors that Representative Nate Gustafson was interested in stepping into the leadership role vacated by Plumer. However, the Republican caucus conducted its leadership elections behind closed doors, leaving the process and potential contenders largely speculative. Like Plumer, Gustafson has expressed support for cannabis law reforms, highlighting a growing, albeit quiet, faction within the party on this issue.
Another development within the Assembly GOP leadership was Representative Scott Allen’s (R-Waukesha) reported challenge to Speaker Robin Vos for the top position. Although Allen ultimately fell short—unsurprisingly, given Vos’s strong hold on the caucus—the exact vote totals remain undisclosed. Allen, known for his opposition to cannabis reform, aligns closely with the prohibitionist organization “Smart Approaches to Marijuana” (SAM), positioning him as a staunch opponent of legalization efforts.
As the 107th Wisconsin State Legislature convenes in January 2025, the Speaker will continue to preside over the Assembly and serve as a key figure in shaping the Republican caucus’s priorities. These leadership shifts reflect ongoing tensions within the GOP, particularly around emerging issues like cannabis reform, which could play an increasingly central role in future legislative debates.
Assembly Republicans
- Speaker – Rep. Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
- Speaker Pro Tempore – Rep. Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca)
- Majority Leader – Rep. Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva)
- Assistant Majority Leader – Rep. Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa)
- Majority Caucus Chair – Rep. Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer)
- Majority Caucus Vice-Chair – Rep. Cindi Duchow (R-Town of Delafield)
- Majority Caucus Secretary – Rep. Nancy VanderMeer (R-Tomah)
- Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms – Rep. Treig Pronschinske (R-Mondovi)
Speaker Robin Vos
Assembly Speaker Vos and was first elected to that office in 2013. He is the longest-serving Speaker of the Assembly in Wisconsin history if I recall. The other thing I recall is the time Vos authored a controversial pharmacutical based medical cannabis program that was doomed from the start. Rather than work with more friendly Republicans on a bill that might attract a Democrat or two, Vos wanted to rule vs govern and tried to ram his bill down the Senate Republicans throat and the whole GOP choked.
The “Bill” Vos authored was co-authored by one of the most 420 friendly Republicans, Rep. Clint Moses.
Not only did Vos author the bill, he sent the bill to the Committee on Health, in which Rep. Moses (R) is the chair. Moses has a supporting cast in the committee, but to date has failed to hold a public hearing on his bill in his committee.
Speaker Robin Vos (R) has always been critical of any medical marijuana program that would lead to a further push for recreational marijuana and has publicly threatened to kill the bill if any of that poison talk makes its way into the conversation.
Shortly after re-elected as Speaker, Wisconsin Examiner posted: When asked whether he would approach the job any differently with the slimmer margins, Vos said the caucus would still be seeking to get “consensus” from the majority of its members before bringing proposals to a vote, and that for some issues it could be harder to bring proposals forward. For example, he said a proposal on an issue such as legalizing medical marijuana could be more difficult.
Speaker Pro Tempore – Kevin Petersen
Kevin Petersen has been around since 2008 and I cannot remember him saying one friendly word about marijuana since he has been elected. As a candidate for office, he has not returned our requests for his stance on cannabis going back to 2020.
Majority Leader Tyler August
May 2018: Rep. August replied that no matter what the polls say (77 percent are in favor of medical, 61 percent are in favor of recreational), their constituents are not in favor of either. As the right hand man of Robin Vos, Rep. August could have helped moved a 2018 bipartisan medical marijuana to a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs. In fact, in January 2019 he seemed open to supporting a push for a public hearing on the issue among the assembly by saying, “It’s a conversation (re medical marijuana) that I’m not opposed to having, but we need to have that separate of the state budget.” He has never co-sponsored any cannabis reform legislation since first elected in 2010.
NEW Assistant Majority Leader Scott Krug
Realtor; Adams County Board of Supervisors District 18. Former Wood County Drug Court Coordinator, jail discharge planner; Juneau County Sheriff’s deputy.
Elected to Assembly since 2010.
In the early CBD days, Rep Krug was part of the legislation team to get that law changed. Krug had indicated support for medical cannabis way back, when it meant patients and caregivers growing and smoking cannabis products.
Rep. Krug could do a much better job communicating with constituents in the district about the issue. We have mixed reports from people in his district on what Krug is willing to support. What we do know for sure is that shortly after being re-elected in 2018 he announced to expect Republican bill(s) that session on medical marijuana. As the session lingered on and constituents contacted him, he seemed to be silent.
His Senate District is that of fellow Republican Testin, who did sponsor the Bi-partisan Medical Marijuana Bill that allows home grow and smoking products.
Krug was also a late comer to the game on the Republican medical cannabis bill it seems and was not an author or original sponsor in 2019.
Krug was an original bill co-sponsor of the Republican version of medical marijuana in 2021-22 session.
As the 2023-24 session closed, the Republicans medical cannabis bill went even more controversial and Krug was absent from this piece of legislation as a co-sponsor.
Krug represents the 72nd Assembly district which is located in central Wisconsin, the district comprises the northern half of Juneau County, the southern half of Wood County, and much of the northern half of Adams County. It includes the cities of Wisconsin Rapids, Adams, and Nekoosa, and the villages of Biron, Camp Douglas, Friendship, Necedah, and Port Edwards. The district also contains Volk Field Air National Guard Base, Buckhorn State Park, Roche-a-Cri State Park, most of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, and the eastern half of Mill Bluff State Park.
Majority Caucus Chair Rob Summerfield
Summerfield co-sponsored the Republican version of medical marijuana three sessions in a row and came on as a co-sponsor to decriminalization in 2021-22.
Majority Caucus Vice-Chair Cindi Duchow
A new name to marijuana reform is Rep. Cindi Duchow from the Town of Delafield. This Republican legislator looked like she was going to sign onto medical marijuana reform in 2018. She came out of the gates early and helped author a bill to protect firearms owners who are also medical marijuana patients. But in 2018, in 2020 and in 2022 this legislator was a no show to the table when it came time to co-sponsor legislation. In January 2024 she hinted that she might support the very limited Republican medical cannabis bill, but again was absent from an official co-sponsor. Varieties of smokeless medical cannabis would be available through state-run dispensaries staffed by government-employed pharmacists, and would only be available with a prescription for qualifying patients.
Majority Caucus Secretary Nancy VanderMeer
There is an assembly district 70 that stretches from La Crosse area to Stevens Point. It is represented by someone on the “Republican Leadership Team” that often blamed for killing progress on cannabis reform. Who is Rep. Nancy Vendermeer (R – Tomah) anyways….. Elected since 2014, this Tomah area representative has never co-sponsored legislation to reform marijuana laws. In 2018 VanderMeer’s campaign did not respond to multiple contact attempts from a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporter which poised a marijuana question to her challenger. She is a former automobile dealer; small business owner; family dairy farmer and is currently the Majority Caucus Secretary.
Majority Caucus Sergeant at Arms Treig Pronschinske
Elected in 2016, this assembly representative from Mondovi has not supported any legislation on marijuana reform since elected. Rep. Pronschinske represents the home district of life long medical cannabis advocate Jacki Rickert, who passed away in 2017 before her medicine was legal or her elected official championed the issue for her. He was been absent from supporting any legislation.
Things are still fuzzy
Apologies for the blurry images—though perhaps they’re fitting, as things in Madison are a bit unclear right now. Until the Assembly leadership is fully solidified, the overall tone of legislative priorities and direction remains uncertain. What is clear is that significant changes are underway.
This session sees the arrival of seven newly elected Republican members, injecting fresh perspectives into the caucus. However, as Speaker Robin Vos himself acknowledged, the GOP experienced a net loss of 10 seats in the Assembly, shrinking their overall numbers and tightening the margin within their caucus. This reduction in their voting pool could make internal unity and decision-making more challenging, especially on contentious issues.
As we wait for the smoke to clear, the dynamics of both leadership and legislative strategy will set the stage for the challenges and opportunities of the upcoming session. How the Republican caucus reconciles its reduced influence with the arrival of new voices will play a critical role in shaping Wisconsin’s legislative landscape.
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.
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