Pennsylvania’s Swing-State Strategies: A Blueprint for Wisconsin Democrats Under Devin Remiker

June 16, 2025 | Boncopia.com

A Pivotal Moment for Wisconsin Democrats

On June 15, 2025, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (WisDems) elected Devin Remiker as its new chairman during its state convention in Wisconsin Dells, setting the stage for an aggressive push toward the 2026 midterm elections. As a swing state with a history of tight races, Wisconsin shares striking similarities with Pennsylvania, another battleground where political strategies have shaped electoral outcomes. Pennsylvania’s blend of urban strongholds, shifting rural areas, and competitive suburbs offers a playbook for Remiker and WisDems to secure a Democratic “trifecta” in 2026. By examining Pennsylvania’s political tactics, WisDems can refine their approach to mobilize voters, counter GOP strategies, and maintain Wisconsin’s competitive edge.

Devin Remiker: Leading WisDems into 2026

Devin Remiker, a 32-year-old former WisDems executive director from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, won the chairmanship with 485 votes in a ranked-choice election, defeating Joe Zepecki and William Garcia. Building on the legacy of outgoing chairman Ben Wikler, who raised $262 million and led Democrats to victories in 10 of 13 statewide races since 2019, Remiker’s platform emphasizes year-round organizing, grassroots engagement, and leveraging Wisconsin’s newly fair legislative maps. His call to “hit the gas” signals urgency for 2026, with key races for governor, 17 state Senate seats, and a state Supreme Court position on the horizon.

Pennsylvania, like Wisconsin, is a swing state where elections are decided by slim margins. Donald Trump’s 2016 win in Pennsylvania by 0.7% and Joe Biden’s 2020 victory by 1.2% echo Wisconsin’s close presidential contests. Pennsylvania’s strategies—voter mobilization, redistricting reform, and targeted messaging—offer critical lessons for WisDems as they navigate Wisconsin’s purple landscape.

Pennsylvania’s Political Landscape: A Mirror to Wisconsin

Pennsylvania’s political map is often described as a red “T” of conservative rural areas, with Democratic strongholds in urban Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. This urban-rural divide mirrors Wisconsin’s, where Milwaukee and Madison anchor Democratic support against rural Republican dominance. However, Pennsylvania’s swing areas—suburbs around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh—have become increasingly decisive, much like Wisconsin’s suburban Waukesha and Fox Valley regions.

Historically a Republican stronghold from the Civil War to the New Deal era, Pennsylvania leaned Democratic from the 1990s until 2016, when Trump broke the Democratic “blue wall.” Recent elections have been razor-close, with Trump winning in 2024 by 1.7% over Kamala Harris. Pennsylvania’s split government—Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democratic state House, and a Republican state Senate—reflects its competitive nature, akin to Wisconsin’s shifting political dynamics.

Pennsylvania’s Political Strategies: Lessons for WisDems

Pennsylvania’s political tactics, honed by both parties, provide a roadmap for WisDems under Remiker’s leadership. Here are key strategies and their relevance to Wisconsin:

1. Redistricting Reform and Fair Maps

In 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court mandated redrawing the state’s congressional map, ruling it unconstitutionally gerrymandered to favor Republicans. This reform leveled the playing field, enabling Democrats to win nine of 17 U.S. House seats in 2022, despite losing one seat due to the 2020 Census. Wisconsin’s 2024 adoption of fairer legislative maps, driven by a liberal state Supreme Court majority, mirrors this shift. Remiker can draw on Pennsylvania’s experience by educating voters about how fair maps amplify their voices, boosting turnout in newly competitive districts like those in Green Bay and Eau Claire.

2. Mobilizing Diverse Coalitions

Pennsylvania Democrats have focused on mobilizing Black voters (54% of whom live in Philadelphia), young voters, and suburban moderates. In 2020, 92% of Black voters supported Biden, driven by grassroots efforts like the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance’s 1.3 million multilingual calls. However, 2024 saw lower enthusiasm among some Democratic constituencies, requiring increased persuasion efforts.

WisDems can replicate this by intensifying outreach to Milwaukee’s Black and Latino communities, while targeting young voters in college towns like Madison. Pennsylvania’s success in flipping suburban “collar counties” (Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware) suggests WisDems should prioritize suburban Waukesha and Ozaukee counties, where educated voters are trending Democratic.

3. Issue-Driven Campaigns

Pennsylvania Democrats have leveraged issues like healthcare, Social Security, and reproductive rights to drive turnout. A March 2025 special election in Lancaster County saw Democrat James Andrew Malone win a state Senate seat, emphasizing Social Security and healthcare amid GOP infighting. Wisconsin Democrats have similarly used abortion rights to mobilize voters in state Supreme Court races, with 57% of voters opposing restrictive laws per a 2023 Marquette Law School poll.

Remiker can adopt Pennsylvania’s tactic of framing Democratic campaigns around pocketbook issues and personal freedoms, appealing to both urban and suburban voters. Highlighting GOP threats to social programs, as Malone did, could resonate in Wisconsin’s working-class areas like Racine and Kenosha.

4. Countering GOP Narratives

Pennsylvania’s GOP has gained ground in rural and working-class areas, particularly southwestern coal counties, by emphasizing pro-coal, pro-gun messaging. Posts on X note GOP efforts to close the voter registration gap, launching a statewide competition to flip Pennsylvania red. Democrats counter by exposing GOP attempts to restrict voter access, as seen in their defense of provisional ballots in 2024.

WisDems face similar GOP narratives, including recent voter ID ballot measures. Remiker can adopt Pennsylvania’s strategy of framing Republicans as anti-democratic, while emphasizing bipartisan issues like infrastructure and education funding to appeal to moderates, as Governor Josh Shapiro has done.

5. Grassroots and Digital Outreach

Pennsylvania’s grassroots efforts, like those of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, focus on year-round organizing and digital engagement. Consultants like Josh Nanberg, who worked on Raphael Warnock’s Georgia Senate campaign, emphasize targeted digital ads to reach diverse voters. WisDems’ year-round organizing aligns with this approach, and Remiker can expand digital campaigns to target young and Latino voters in Wisconsin’s urban and suburban areas, drawing on Pennsylvania’s success in cities like Reading and Allentown.

Challenges and Opportunities for WisDems

Pennsylvania’s rightward shift in rural areas, where Trump won former Democratic counties by 60% in 2016, warns WisDems against neglecting rural Wisconsin. The GOP’s growing Latino voter outreach, particularly in Hazleton and North Philadelphia, poses a challenge, as 600,000 Latino voters helped Trump win Pennsylvania in 2024. WisDems must counter this by engaging Wisconsin’s growing Latino population in Milwaukee and Racine.

However, Pennsylvania’s suburban gains offer hope. Democrats’ rout in Philadelphia’s collar counties in 2018, driven by educated voters, mirrors Wisconsin’s suburban trends. Remiker can replicate this by targeting Waukesha County, while learning from Pennsylvania’s struggles with split-ticket voting, which hurt down-ballot Democrats in 2020.

Remiker’s Roadmap: Applying Pennsylvania’s Lessons

Remiker’s leadership team, including First Vice Chair Sarah Godlewski and Second Vice Chair Joshua Taylor, is well-positioned to adapt Pennsylvania’s tactics. With Wisconsin’s fundraising prowess ($262 million under Wikler), WisDems can emulate Pennsylvania’s robust campaign infrastructure. Key priorities include:

• Fair-Map Advocacy: Educating voters on fair maps’ impact, as Pennsylvania did post-2018.

• Diverse Mobilization: Targeting Black, Latino, and suburban voters, mirroring Pennsylvania’s collar-county strategy.

• Issue-Driven Messaging: Emphasizing healthcare, education, and reproductive rights to drive turnout.

• GOP Counter-Narratives: Framing Republicans as threats to voter rights, while appealing to moderates on economic issues.

• Digital Expansion: Investing in digital ads to reach young and diverse voters in competitive districts.

Why This Matters

Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are swing-state twins, with shared histories of competitive elections and progressive reforms. Pennsylvania’s strategies—redistricting reform, diverse coalitions, and issue-driven campaigns—offer a blueprint for WisDems to secure 2026 victories. As Remiker leads WisDems forward, his ability to adapt these tactics will shape Wisconsin’s political future and influence national Democratic efforts in battleground states.

Thought-Provoking Questions for Readers:

1. How can WisDems under Devin Remiker replicate Pennsylvania’s success in mobilizing suburban voters while addressing rural Wisconsin’s rightward shift?

2. What role will issues like healthcare and reproductive rights play in WisDems’ 2026 strategy, given Pennsylvania’s success with similar campaigns?

3. Can WisDems counter GOP voter registration efforts as effectively as Pennsylvania Democrats have, and what grassroots tactics might work best?

Sources: Information compiled from Wisconsin Examiner, NBC26, WisPolitics, Marquette University Law, Wikipedia, Ballotpedia, CNN Politics, and posts on X. For more on U.S. News & Politics, visit Boncopia.com.