Socialist Party of Wisconsin

Socialist Party of Wisconsin
Socialist Party logo
Founded	1973
Headquarters	Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States
Ideology	Democratic socialism
National affiliation	Socialist Party USA
Colors	Red

This page deals with the political organization founded in 1973. For the political party which preceded it, see Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

The Socialist Party of Wisconsin (SPWI) was the state chapter of the Socialist Party USA in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Socialist Party has two locals; the Milwaukee County Local and the South Central Wisconsin Local.

The Socialist Party of America voted 73:34 to change its name to Social Democrats, USA in December 1972. SPUSA was founded in 1973, after which the SPWI was founded.

Notable office holders

The Socialist Party of Wisconsin sees itself as a continuation of the Social-Democratic Party of Wisconsin, state affiliate of the Socialist Party of America. This organization elected a number of candidates to office over the three-quarters of a century of its existence, including:

Municipal

• Emil Seidel, Mayor of Milwaukee, 1910-1912
• Daniel Webster Hoan, Mayor of Milwaukee, 1916-1940
• Frank Zeidler, Mayor of Milwaukee, 1948-1960
• George Lippert, District Attorney of Marathon County, 1918-1920 and from 1922-1924 as a Progressive LaFollette Republican

Statewide

Federal

• Victor Berger, Member of the United States House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 5th district, 1911-1913 and 1922-1929

Notable members

• Diane Drufenbrock, Milwaukee resident and Socialist Party USA nominee for vice-president in 1980
• Angela Walker, Milwaukee resident and Socialist Party USA nominee for vice-president in in 2016
• Frank Zeidler, Mayor of Milwaukee (1948-1960) and Socialist Party USA nominee for president in 1976