On Friday, April 24, Wisconsin Senate Democrats elected Sen. Janet Bewley (D-Mason) as Senate Minority Leader. Bewley replaces Sen. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse) who announced she will not run for reelection in November and subsequently resigned her leadership position.

Senate Democrats met by videoconference and unanimously elected Bewley, who had been serving as Assistant Minority Leader. Sen. Janis Ringhand (D-Beloit) was elected to replace Bewley in that position.

Senate Democrats will hold another leadership election after the November general election. Even numbered Senate Districts are on the ballot this fall.

Former Minority Leader Shilling announced in early April that she won’t run for reelection in the fall. Shilling was elected to the Senate in a special election in 2011 and previously served 11 years in the Assembly. Shilling was minority leader since 2015.

Read about other legislators retiring in 2020.