In the aftermath of Tony Evers’ announcement that he will not seek re-election, we discuss the wide-open primary for the Democratic nomination. Who are the likely candidates and what should they run on? Is this an opportunity for progressives and everyone who craves a Democratic Party willing to fight? Robert tells us about an early attempt by Senator Chris Larson and our allies to lay out a 2026 agenda for candidates for Governor and state legislature. We talk about how the new report from the Center for Working-Class Politics shows there is a pathway to win in 2026 on an clear agenda that excites working people, including many who defected to Trump in 2024, and brings them back into the pro-democracy fold.

We start to tackle the state fiscal elephant in the room. The tax cuts in the just completed state budget, on top of years of tax giveaways to the wealthy and corporations, have set the state up for a fiscal deficit to start the next session. No candidate can promise full funding for public education, child care, and for the expansion of health care who is not serious about generating more revenue by rolling back past tax giveaways to the rich and most profitable corporations.

Finally, we also look at gerrymandering in Texas which threatens to rig the 2026 midterms in favor of Trump’s allies. From and pragmatic and ethical point of view, must the Democrats must respond in kind?