Wisconsin Republican Party executive director Mark Jefferson stepping down

WASHINGTON – Republican Party of Wisconsin executive director Mark Jefferson will step down next month, shaking up the state party’s leadership just months before the next presidential election and the party’s national convention in Milwaukee.

Jefferson, who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Wisconsin GOP, plans to leave the top post in early March. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday he will stay in Wisconsin, but it “remains to be seen” whether he’ll continue to work in politics.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in the arena, so to speak, but it’s time,” Jefferson said in an interview. “There’s a lot of talented people who are able to fill leadership roles in this party, and I’ve enjoyed my time here, but it’s time to move on and allow some of the new talent to take on new leadership roles.”

Jefferson’s departure, however, comes during a big moment for Wisconsin Republicans. The Republican National Convention is set to take place in Milwaukee from July 15-18, and Republicans on Tuesday officially launched their Senate campaign to take on Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in November — a race that will help determine the balance of power in the Senate.

(The Republican National Committee is also expected to make a leadership change with the impending departure of chair Ronna McDaniel as soon as this month, but party officials have downplayed the potential impacts on the Milwaukee convention.)

Still, Jefferson dismissed questions about his departure’s impact on the state party leading up to the election. He noted the national party is handling RNC preparations and said the state party has “spent the last year, year and a half, building the foundation” for the upcoming campaigns.

“We’ve done that, and now it’s time to go into full campaign mode,” Jefferson said. “And I think we’ve got the pieces in place to do that effectively.”

Appointed executive director for the second time in early 2019, Jefferson presided over Wisconsin Republicans during some of their more tumultuous times. The party became divided over challenges to the 2020 election. It drew national attention when 10 Wisconsin Republicans, including the party’s chairman, signed false paperwork claiming to be electors for former President Donald Trump. Jefferson at the time privately expressed concerns about the plan.

"Freaking Trump idiots want someone to fly original elector papers to the senate President. They're going to call one of us to tell us just what the hell is going on," Jefferson wrote in a text made public by the select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

More: Wisconsin's Andrew Hitt discusses the 'fake elector' scheme with Anderson Cooper of '60 Minutes'

Republicans have also struggled to win key statewide races over the last several years. Notably, Democrats won races for governor and attorney general in 2022 — Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, however, won his reelection bid in that election — and later flipped the state Supreme Court into liberal control last year for the first time in about 15 years.

Democrats have also had a significant fundraising edge over their Republican counterparts for the better part of the last decade. Election reports show Wisconsin Democrats raised about $31.5 million in its state and federal accounts compared to Republicans’ $5.4 million since the start of 2023.

Just this week, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed into law new legislative maps that weaken Republicans’ decade-long grip on the state Legislature.

In an interview, Jefferson largely attributed Republican setbacks to a lack of resources due to Democrats controlling the governorship since 2018 and noted Republicans have failed to win over Independent voters.

Trump 'accelerated' Wisconsin Republican Party realignment

He said Trump has “accelerated” what he called a realignment between the parties that has seen Republican support grow in rural areas and decline slowly in suburban parts of Wisconsin. But when asked about Trump’s impact on the party in Wisconsin as he is set to take the Republican presidential nomination, Jefferson said there is still a “sizable part of the electorate” who are unhappy with U.S. institutions and want to see things shaken up.

“Donald Trump plays into that,” he said. “People can bash Donald Trump all they want, but any candidate that wants to lead and be elected is going to have to show where they’re ready to shake things up. And nobody has matched Donald Trump on that.”

“As someone who grew up in central Wisconsin on a farm in Adams County, I think I identify a lot with the folks who feel disaffected by a lot of what they see. I think the institutions do need an overhaul,” Jefferson said. “I certainly would not go all of the places, perhaps, that (Trump) has gone, but I get the need to shake things up.”

He added: “Would I have done all of the things that he did? No. But these are the times we’re in.”

Jefferson said he’ll support the Republican nominee for president in 2024 but said until the nomination is solidified, “the party has an obligation to allow everybody in the race to have an equal chance.”

When it comes to fundraising, Jefferson noted Democrats have capitalized on bringing in money from across the country whereas Republicans have been hesitant to do that. “That needs to change,” he said, noting the Wisconsin Republicans need to encourage donors to give directly to the state party.

This was Jefferson’s second stint leading the Wisconsin GOP. He previously served as executive director from 2007 to 2011 before joining the RNC as a regional political director. He told the Journal Sentinel that he had previously informed some in the party that he would likely leave at some point during this cycle.

RPW Chairman Brian Schimming has started searching for a replacement for Jefferson, a spokesman said Tuesday, and expects to fill the role “in the next month.”

Schimming this week said the state party “will continue the process of assembling an aggressive team to fill key roles and ensure the Party is ready to take advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead.”

“This year, the RPW will be laser-focused on winning Wisconsin for the presidential nominee, defeating Tammy Baldwin, and preserving our majorities in the legislature and congressional delegation,” Schimming said.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin GOP executive director Mark Jefferson stepping down