Wisconsin Senate majority leader announces retirement ahead of competitive midterms

MADISON, Wis. (CN) — Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu announced his retirement on Thursday, the latest in a wave of top Republicans in the state to announce as the competitive midterm election nears.

“The time has come for a new chapter in my life,” LeMahieu said in a statement. “I am looking forward to spending more time with my wife in our new Madison-area home and, for the first time since 2006, rooting for bold conservative reform from the sidelines.”

LeMahieu, 53, was first elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2015 to represent the ninth district located in the eastern part of the state along Lake Michigan. He has served as majority leader in that chamber since 2021.

He said in his statement that he was most proud of income tax cuts and the passage of the REINS Act, which tightened restrictions around implementing administrative rules for state agencies.

The leader thanked his district, colleagues and staff for what he says was an unforgettable journey: “And a special thank you to my mom for her tireless support knocking doors and walking in parades.”

LeMahieu’s retirement comes eight months before midterm elections in the Dairy State, when 17 of 33 Senate seats and all 99 Assembly seats will be up for grabs.

Republicans currently hold a slim majority in both chambers, but new maps adopted in 2024 could give Democrats the leg up they needed to secure a trifecta they have been buzzing about.

“Wisconsin has a real shot at a Democratic trifecta next year,” Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez said on X. “Let’s go win it.”

Rodriguez was one of the first candidates to announce a bid for Wisconsin governor, which became crowded after Governor Tony Evers announced his retirement in July.

Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Devin Remiker suggested the wave of retirements among state Republicans is being driven by a fear of being voted out come November.

“All potential Republican candidates should take note: Both of your leaders have abandoned you. Your policies are causing working people to turn against you in droves as the Trump administration crashes and burns. Consider retiring alongside your colleagues before you are voted out in November,” Remiker said in a statement.

With the majority at stake, it’s a precarious time to lose some of the state’s most vocal and well-known Republican lawmakers. LeMahieu is joined in retirement by Senators Van Wanggaard, Rob Hutton and Steve Nass, as well as Assembly Speaker Robin Vos.

Following Wanggaard’s announcement on Tuesday, the State Senate Democratic Committee said in a statement that voters are fed up with Senate Republicans and that Democrats will win a majority in the chamber to prioritize cutting costs, among other goals.

“It’s clear that members of the Republican caucus would rather retire than risk losing their seats or serving in a Republican minority,” said committee Communications Director Will Karcz in a statement.

LeMahieu recently faced criticism from the members of his caucus for accepting an assist from Senate Democrats to push through two unpopular bills to legalize online sports betting and help the University of Wisconsin pay athletes for their name, image and likeness.

It isn’t immediately clear whether Evers will sign the sports betting bill, which Nass called a “dirty deal” and implored voters to “follow the money” as campaigns proceed. Evers is expected to sign the NIL bill, which would send $15 million to the UW system for athletic debts.

Despite recent turmoil, Republican Party of Wisconsin Chairman Brian Schimming thanked LeMahieu in a statement: “LeMahieu has been a tireless advocate for our shared conservative values and a key force in maintaining Republican majorities. His leadership has strengthened our state.”

LeMahieu was born in Sheboygan and served on the Sheboygan County board of supervisors for nine years before his election to the state Senate. He is polite but frank, according to Evers.

“I have always said that being Senate majority leader is the hardest job in the Capitol, but Devin approached each challenge deliberately and with the goal to move our state forward,” Vos said in a statement on Thursday. “We accomplished a lot during our time leading our respective chambers that I am brought of…and he always wanted to do what was right and best for the people of Wisconsin.”

In his own statement, Evers looked back on tax cuts, child care investments, postpartum coverage for mothers and PFAS regulation wins, which he says LeMahieu helped move along.

“We’ve navigated difficult issues facing the state, and we’ve gotten good work done together by putting politics aside and staying focused on doing the right thing,” Evers said. “So much of what we’ve accomplished could not have been done without Majority Leader LeMahieu’s patience and persistence.”

LeMahieu’s district is largely republican, located just north of Milwaukee County. However, with new maps enacted in 2024, it is yet unclear how any district will shake out come November.

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