State Assembly Democrats voted to keep their minority leader for the next legislative session Tuesday while Democrats in the state Senate will elect a new minority leader Wednesday.
Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, will maintain control as minority leader in the Assembly but state Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, will lose his after he announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election as senate minority leader.
Larson expressed his support for state Sen. Jennifer Shilling, D-La Crosse, to fill the position.
“[By stepping down, I am] allowing Jen Shilling to lead our caucus and take a shot at doing what I did and dedicating herself fully for the next two years to fight back against the divisive Republican agenda,” Larson said.
He cited his desire to connect with his family and community as reasons for stepping down and expressed his dedication to his party’s values.
“We’ve put forward a lot of work making sure where we stand on our values and recruiting some high quality candidates and raising money to make sure we could get our message out about everyday Wisconsinites’ access to the American dream,” Larson said.
Shilling thanked Larson for the nomination in a statement and outlined her goals for the Democratic Party, which include supporting small businesses and public schools as well as building new infrastructure.
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Mike Tate released a statement Tuesday on Barca’s re-election.
“We look forward to Rep. Barca's continued leadership in the Assembly and his efforts to grow the caucus in 2016,” Tate said in the statement. “Wisconsin families all across our state deserve leadership that will fight to put their needs ahead of politics and special interests.”
