A Progressive Future for Wisconsin

Democrats received more votes in the 2016 election than Republicans. Nationwide, Hillary Clinton was supported by 2.8 million more people than Donald Trump — the largest margin of victory ever by a candidate who did not win the Electoral College. In fact, Trump only received 46 percent of the popular vote.

So how do we process the fact that, as Democrats and progressives, we won — but still lost?

People support strong progressive values and legislation. Now is not the time to cut and run, or abandon what we believe in our core — that a government works best when it is working for its people.

A progressive agenda amplifies our shared Wisconsin values. If we listen to people all across our great state, progressives must support a bold, forward-thinking agenda. The following must be cornerstones of this movement now and into the future:

• Progressives support public education and want to fully fund it at all levels.
• Progressives support the legalization of marijuana in Wisconsin.
• Progressives don’t want to take anybody’s gun. They want them to be safe, secure and in the hands of law-abiding citizens.
• Progressives want strong environmental protections for clean air and water.
• Progressives believe in an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work.

I do not pursue this agenda because I am a Democrat, but because I am a Wisconsinite and the mother of four sons. I take these actions for them. I want to leave the world a better place for the next generation and beyond.

We cannot and must not, in the post-mortem of a tough election, choose to stake out a half-hearted agenda. The facts show that we have all the pieces in place to take back our state and nation. Now is not the time to shy away from our convictions. The majority of voters side with us; it’s time we act like it.