Wisconsin Democrats, who have controlled the state Senate since 2006, gained control of the state Assembly Tuesday night and will effectively command Wisconsin's Legislature for the upcoming session.
According to WisPolitics.com, Democrats picked up five key seats from the 2nd, 42nd, 57th, 68th and 92nd Districts. They needed to gain at least three seats to take the majority.
The last time Democrats controlled the state Assembly was in 1986, when they held the majority in the state Senate as well.
UW-Madison professor John Coleman, chair of the political science department, said the change will have an impact on future sessions, but not as much as previously thought, largely due to Wisconsin's budget issues.
I don't know if [the impact] will be quite as significant now, just because the budget problems have gotten so severe in the state that some of the things Democrats would have wanted to do may have to be pared back a little bit, or they may have to approach them a little more slowly,"" Coleman said.
Although this change signals a political shift, it may not signal a full trend toward Democratic control, he said.
""You have to look at the overall picture,"" Coleman said, but added ""something is clearly shifting.""
UW-Madison political science professor David Canon, said though this election signals a change in power, it probably will not last.
""I would guess that this would signal a shift for the Democrats in the short term, but I don't think it's any kind of permanent realignment or change for the Democrats at the state level,"" Canon said.
Although the future of Democratic control in Wisconsin remains uncertain, Democrats will have their say for at least the next two years.
