The Senate and Assembly caucuses on both sides of the aisle have elected their leadership for the 2019-20 legislative sessions. Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of the legislature have elected largely the same leadership teams for their respective caucuses.
Senate Republicans re-elected Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), President Roger Roth (R-Appleton), President Pro Tempore Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), Caucus Chair Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), and Vice Caucus Chair Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point). To replace outgoing Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Brookfield), Senate Republicans elected Sen. Dan Feyen (R-Fond du Lac) as Assistant Majority Leader.
On the Senate Democrats’ side, there were no changes to leadership. Senate Democrats re-elected Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse), Assistant Minority Leader Janet Bewley (D-Ashland), Caucus Chair Mark Miller (D-Monona), and Vice Caucus Chair Janis Ringhand (D-Beloit).
In the other chamber of the legislature, Assembly Republicans re-elected all returning members of their leadership team:
- Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
- Speaker Pro Tempore Tyler August (R-Lake Geneva)
- Majority Leader Jim Steineke (R-Kaukauna)
- Caucus Chair Dan Knodl (R-Germantown)
- Vice Caucus Chair Romaine Quinn (R-Barron)
- Caucus Secretary Jessie Rodriguez (R-Oak Creek)
- Sergeant at Arms Samantha Kerkman (R-Salem)
Assistant Majority Leader, the only vacant seat in the Assembly Republican caucus, went to Rep. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma). Felzkowski defeated Reps. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) and Scott Krug (R-Nekoosa) in the caucus election for the position.
Assembly Democrats re-elected their entire leadership team, despite challenges for two positions. The Assembly Democrats’ leadership remains:
- Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh)
- Assistant Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton), who fought off a challenge from Rep. David Crowley (D-Milwaukee)
- Caucus Chair Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit)
- Caucus Vice-Chair Steve Doyle (D-Onalaska), who fought off a challenge from Rep. Lisa Subeck (D-Madison)
- Caucus Secretary Beth Meyers (D-Bayfield)
- Sergeant at Arms Christine Sinicki (D-Milwaukee)
Legislative leaders have also begun to announce Joint Finance Committee (JFC) assignments. Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) will be returning as JFC co-chairs. Rep. Amy Loudenbeck (R-Clinton) will take over for outgoing Rep. Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) as vice-chair on the Assembly side, along with vice-chair Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon). New Republicans on the committee include Reps. Terry Katsma (R-Oostburg) and Shannon Zimmerman (R-River Falls), replacing Kooyenga and Felzkowski, and Sen. Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) replacing Vukmir.
On the Democrats’ side, Minority Leader Shilling has renamed Sens. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton) and LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) to JFC. Assembly Democrats on JFC have not been announced. Currently, Reps. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) and Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) sit on the committee.