Schumer Endorses Wisconsin Democratic Leader Wikler for DNC Chair

Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, waves to the crowd at a campaign event in Little Chute, Wis., on Nov. 1, 2024. Andy Manis/AP Photo

As an increasingly crowded field of applicants vies to lead the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Jan. 2 that he would support Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, for the role.

“I have said since the day after the election that Democrats should view this moment as a challenge. We must listen to the American people, learn from the results, and move forward stronger,” Schumer wrote in a post on social media platform X. “That’s why I am enthusiastically supporting @benwikler to be the next Chair of the DNC.”

In a follow-up post, Schumer said, “[Wikler] possesses all the qualities Democrats across the country are looking for in our next DNC Chair,” saying that he is a “tenacious organizer, a proven fundraiser, a sharp communicator” who knows how to win.

Wikler is one of several candidates who are running to lead the DNC in next month’s election after current chair Jaime Harrison’s term expires. The group includes Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, New York state Sen. James Skoufis, and former Department of Homeland Security official Nate Snyder.

Former 2020 and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson also launched a bid for DNC chair on Dec. 26, 2024. Former Maryland Senate candidate Robert Houton is also running.

Wikler announced his candidacy in a Dec. 1, 2024, post on X.

“I’m running for Chair of the Democratic National Committee to unite the party, fight everywhere, and win,” he wrote. “We need a nationwide permanent campaign, with a battle plan and resources for [every] state and territory in the country. We have to think and build long-term—while showing, through our actions, who we are.”

The Wisconsin Democrat has also received endorsements from center-left think tank Third Way and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

“At Third Way, we represent the center-left of the party,” the group’s president, Jonathan Cowan, wrote in a Politico op-ed. “But we agree with former Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan and others on the far left that the person best equipped to lead the Democratic National Committee in this uncertain and high-stakes moment is Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler.”

The endorsements, especially Schumer’s, could encourage more in the party to support Wikler as other party leaders rally behind the remaining candidates.

Martin has earned the support of more than 100 DNC members, according to his campaign. A candidate must net at least 224 votes, a simple majority of the DNC, to win the Feb. 1 election.