After losing key party figures in the recent election, state Senate Democrats named current Joint Finance Committee co-chair Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, as their leader for the upcoming legislative session.
Miller was first elected to the state Senate in 2004, before which he served in the state Assembly for three terms. He also chairs the Senate Committee on the Environment and the Select Committee on Clean Energy.
After spending the last two years in control of both chambers, Democratic lawmakers will face major changes in the next session as the minority party.
Current Senate Majority leader Russ Decker, D-Wausau, was among the 14 Democratic legislators ousted in the election.
Miller lamented the loss of so many lawmakers in a statement, and praised the work they achieved over the last two years.
""Now we look to the future,"" Miller said in a statement. ""Senate Democrats stand ready and willing to work on a bipartisan basis with the incoming legislative majorities and administration to continue creating well paying jobs in Wisconsin, improving education and strengthening our communities.""
