2025-26 Democratic Senate Leadership Elected
As the Wisconsin State Senate prepares for the upcoming legislative session, Senator Dianne Hesselbein is set to once again lead the Senate Democrats, reaffirming her role as a central figure in the caucus’s strategy and vision for the state. Initially elected to this leadership position in December 2023, Hesselbein succeeded Senator Melissa Agard, who transitioned to serve as the Dane County Executive following her election.
The new term brings renewed momentum for Senate Democrats, bolstered by the addition of four new members to the caucus: Jodi Habush Sinykin, Sarah Keyeski, Jamie Wall, and Kris Alfheim. These recent victories increase the Democratic presence in the Senate to 15 seats, narrowing the Republican majority to 18. With this expanded caucus, Democrats are entering the legislative session with a stronger footing, poised to challenge the GOP majority and advocate for policies reflecting their party’s priorities. Under Hesselbein’s leadership, the Senate Democrats aim to leverage this shift to amplify their legislative influence and advance their agenda in the year ahead.
Senator Chris Larsen has stepped down as Chair, with Vice Chair Mark Spreitzer now assuming the leadership role. Senator Jeff Smith will continue to serve as Assistant Minority Leader, maintaining his key position in the caucus. Joining the leadership team is Senator Dora Drake, marking a significant milestone in her career.
Drake, who first entered the political arena by winning a contested Assembly primary in 2020, ran unopposed for re-election in 2022. When a Senate seat became vacant in 2024, she faced Rep. LaKeshia Myers in a competitive primary to secure the seat, as no Republican candidate entered the race. Emerging victorious, Drake is now about to serve her first term in the Senate. Her colleagues have recognized her leadership potential by electing her to the Vice Chair position, making her an integral part of the Democratic leadership team as the caucus navigates the challenges and opportunities of the upcoming term.
107th Wisconsin State Legislature that begins in January, 2025. The Senate President presides over the body and serves on the GOP caucus leadership team.
Senate Democrats
- Minority Leader – Sen. Dianne H. Hesselbein (D – Middleton)
- Assistant Minority Leader – Sen. Jeff Smith (D – Eau Claire)
- Minority Caucus Chair – Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D – Beloit)
- Minority Caucus Vice-Chair – Sen. Dora Drake (R-Milwaukee)
Senate Minority Leader Hesselbein
- Elected to Middleton-Cross Plains Area Board of Education, 2005-08; Dane County Board of Supervisors, 2008-14; Assembly 2012–20.
- Assistant Minority Leader 2021, 2019, 2017. Elected to Senate 2022. Minority Caucus Vice Chair 2023.
Member of Committee on School District and School Financial Information Transparency, Disability Board, Presidential Preference Selection Committee, Wisconsin Center District Board, Wisconsin Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial Commission and Wisconsin-Ireland Trade Commission
State Representative Hesselbein has built a notable record on cannabis reform throughout her legislative career. First elected to her state seat in 2012, the Middleton-area Democrat initially co-sponsored legislation focused on Industrial Hemp and CBD prior to 2018.
Unopposed as an incumbent in the 2018 election, Hesselbein expanded her advocacy by co-sponsoring comprehensive medical marijuana legislation, which included provisions for home cultivation, smoking products, and decriminalization during the 2019-2020 session.
By the 2021-22 session, Hesselbein joined the majority of her Democratic colleagues in co-sponsoring a landmark measure to legalize both adult-use and medical cannabis. Her 2022 campaign prominently highlighted her leadership on the issue, with her website stating she had “led the charge to legalize medical marijuana.”
Hesselbein continued her active involvement by co-sponsoring the most ambitious Adult-Use and Medical Cannabis proposal introduced by Democrats in the 2023-24 legislative session.
Commenting on the 2024 Republican medical cannabis bill, Hesselbein welcomed the dialogue but expressed reservations about the approach: “I have long supported marijuana for recreational and medicinal use in Wisconsin, and I am glad that my Republican colleagues are joining the conversation for medicinal use. While this proposal is a small step in the right direction, I fear that it may be too restrictive. We do not need the most restrictive medicinal program in the nation; we need the most effective.”
Her ongoing commitment underscores her leadership in pushing for comprehensive and accessible cannabis reform in Wisconsin.
It's far past time we legalize #cannabis in Wisconsin.
— State Senator Dianne H. Hesselbein (@SenHesselbein) April 20, 2024
🌱69% of Wisconsinites, including a majority of Republicans, support the full legalization of cannabis!
#420 #LegalizeIt pic.twitter.com/xWvdeBjvzk
Dianne Hesselbein (D) Senate District 27. 76% DEM lean under new maps and she will be up for re-election in 2026.
The 27th Senate district of Wisconsin is located in south-central Wisconsin, the district comprises most of the northwest quadrant of Dane County. It includes much of the west side of the city of Madison, as well as portions of Madison’s far north side. The 27th also includes the suburban cities of Middleton and Verona, and the villages of Black Earth, Cross Plains, Dane, Mazomanie, and Waunakee.
Assistant Minority Leader Smith
- Elected to Town of Brunswick Board (chair), 2001-2007; Assembly 2006–10. Elected to Senate since 2018.
- Leadership positions: Assistant Minority Leader 2023; Minority Caucus Chair 2021.
Member of Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse and Council on Tourism
His 2023 Op Ed piece in the Peirce County Journal entitled Save lives, stop prohibition touched on the Senator’s support for taxation of cannabis and went on to say “Like other food, drug and alcohol products, our elected bodies determine what is legal and regulated. When we buy our food in a grocery store or alcoholic beverages in a tavern, consumers can be confident that they are buying products that have been approved and inspected for safe consumption. Marijuana legalization will create a safe product for consumers while opening doors for farmers and entrepreneurs to get involved in a well-regulated market.”
Senator Smith has been a consistent voice of reform and as well as a co-sponsor of legislation.
The Senator’s 2024 Winter Survey Includes cannabis legalization question.
Jeff Smith (D) Senate District 31. 53% DEM Lean, but my guess is that Republican Senator Jesse James will probably make a play for this seat in 2026 and it might be a close election and for my election analysis purposes this should be a very competitive district.
The 31st Senate district of Wisconsin is located in western Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Eau Claire County, southeast Dunn County, and parts of southern Chippewa County and northern Trempealeau County. It includes the cities of Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Menomonie.
Interesting election/political history: Smith was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2006, unseating the Republican incumbent Rob Kreibich. Then Smith left the Assembly for several years before getting elected to the Senate in 2018. Kreibich (R) is now back in the Assembly after winning an election in 2024. Kreibich served 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly (1993–2007), representing Eau Claire County. It is kind of unusual for politicians to leave Madison and then come back, but it seems to be more common in the past two decades.
Minority Caucus Chair Spreitzer
- Beloit City Council, 2011–15 (president, 2014–15).
- Elected to Assembly 2014-2020. Minority Caucus Chair 2021, 2019, 2017. Elected to Senate 2022.
Member of Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
Going as far back as I have been paying attention, Spreitzer has been a consistent co-sponsor of cannabis reform measures.
September 2023 during the introducing of the legalization bill he co-sponsored Spreitzer said the state is “losing out on millions in tax dollars each year” because recreational marijuana is legal in the surrounding states of Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan, but not Wisconsin, something that is “especially clear in border communities like those in our district.” He added ““Last session, we introduced this bill at a dispensary in South Beloit, Illinois,” he said. “Since then, we have continued to see Wisconsinites traveling out of the state to legally purchase marijuana – with their tax dollars traveling with them.”
It's 420! Wisconsin and communities like Beloit are losing out on millions in tax dollars each year because marijuana is legal just over the border, but not here. pic.twitter.com/6JwLxhraHZ
— Sen. Mark Spreitzer (@SenSpreitzer) April 20, 2024
Senator Spreitzer has a 2023-24 Legislative Survey available and it does a have cannabis legalization question.
Mark Spreitzer (D) Senate District 15. Senator Spreitzer should be safe with 57% of the predicted to go DEM, but based off the last election, who knows these days. He is up for re-election in 2026.
The 15th Senate district of Wisconsin is located in southern Wisconsin, the district comprises most of Rock County and parts of northwest Walworth County and southern Jefferson County. It includes the cities of Janesville, Beloit, Edgerton, Evansville, Milton, and Whitewater.
Minority Caucus Vice-Chair Drake
Elected to Assembly 2020. Drake was unopposed in her bid for re-election to the Assembly in 2022. She won a primary battle in Aug of 2024 and did not face a Republican in the final election to the Senate in 2024.
In her campaign in 2020 Dora Drake said her stance is that she supports legalizing adult use of marijuana because of revenue and a moral stand point and address social justice issues.
Her first and second term in office as an Assembly Rep she was a co-sponsor of adult use legalization bills.
Drake will represent the 4th Senate district of Wisconsin located in southeast Wisconsin, the district is entirely contained within northern Milwaukee County. It comprises part of the north side of the city of Milwaukee, as well as the city of Glendale, the village of Shorewood, and parts of northern Wauwatosa and western Brown Deer. The 4th Senate district is one of two majority-black Senate districts in Wisconsin.
What is next under Republican Control?
The Republican Senate, under its newly elected President, Mary Felzkowski, could emerge as a more progressive force within the GOP. Felzkowski, who has previously supported innovative and forward-looking legislation, is likely to champion bills that push the boundaries of traditional Republican policymaking. Her leadership style and legislative agenda may create friction between the Senate and the Assembly, particularly as Speaker Robin Vos grapples with a diminished majority and a caucus increasingly split on key issues.
One critical area of contention will likely be over control of the legislative flow. With Felzkowski advocating for progress on select bipartisan issues—possibly including healthcare access and cannabis reform—there is potential for a power struggle between the two chambers. The dynamic between a progressive-leaning Senate President and a Speaker who has shown little interest in compromise could shape the legislative session in profound and unpredictable ways.
As the smoke clears and leadership positions are finalized, the interplay between these chambers will determine whether Wisconsin’s Legislature can find common ground or remain mired in gridlock. This evolving leadership dynamic could set the tone for significant policy battles in the months ahead.
What’s next in the GOP Assembly?
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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