Wisconsin Progress is an advocacy organization that recruits and trains left-of-center candidates for state and local offices in Wisconsin. ¹

Leadership

From September 2022 to January 2024, the executive director of Wisconsin Progress was Democratic political operative and union organizer John Smallwood. Before joining Wisconsin Progress, Smallwood had been the political action representative of AFSCME Council 32 and then the organizing director for AFSCME Wisconsin. ²

In 2024, Smallwood left Wisconsin Progress to become the interim executive director at left-of-center LGBT group Fair Wisconsin, where he had previously worked as advocacy and organizing director. ² He was succeeded at Wisconsin Progress by Kristina Sandherr, a former Democratic Party member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. ³

Partner Organizations

Wisconsin Progress works closely with other Democratic Party organizations, especially more left-leaning “progressive” groups. In 2023, it partnered with the Latino Victory Project, National Democratic Training Committee, Pipeline Fund, Run for Something, and Voces de la Frontera Action to train Latino candidates for public office in Wisconsin. ⁴

Also in 2023, Wisconsin Progress partnered with Women Win Wisconsin PAC, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, Fair Wisconsin, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Medical Students for Choice, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Human Rights Campaign, and Family Friendly Action PAC in a series of events designed to drive Democratic voter turnout for the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which was won by Democratic-aligned candidate Janet Protasiewicz. ⁵

In 2025, Wisconsin Progress endorsed 28 candidates for municipal government roles and 24 candidates for school board seats. ⁶

The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin includes Wisconsin Progress in its online list of resources for people thinking of running for office in the state. ⁷

Controversy

In 2017, the left-of-center campaign finance reform group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign filed ethics charges against the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee (ADCC), claiming that the $97,340 in “research services” donated by Wisconsin Progress Action to the ADCC in 2016 violated state campaign finance laws. ⁸ Wisconsin Progress Action’s donation to the ADCC made it the largest single corporate contributor to state parties and legislative campaign committees in Wisconsin in 2016. ⁹

Affiliated Groups

Wisconsin Progress operates two political action committees: the Wisconsin Progress PAC and Wisconsin Progress Conduit. ¹⁰

In 2023, Wisconsin Progress’s PACs donated a total of $27,300 to 34 different candidates. ¹¹ There was no reported activity during the 2024 election cycle. ¹²

The Wisconsin Progress PAC has made $42,172 in total contributions since its creation in 2010. Major donors to the PAC include the Madison Teachers Inc. teachers’ union, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Committee on Political Education PAC. ¹³

1.  “About Us.” Wisconsin Progress. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://www.wisconsinprogress.org/about-us.
2. Smallwood, John. “John Smallwood – Political Advisor.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-smallwood-42743424/.
3. Sandherr, Kristina. “Kristina Sandherr – Executive Director for Wisconsin Progress, Inc.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristina-shelton/.
4. “Latino Victory Project to Host Path to Victory Training in Wisconsin on June 23-24.” Latino Victory, June 30, 2023. https://latinovictory.org/latino-victory-project-to-host-path-to-victory-training-in-wisconsin-on-june-23-24/.
5. Thibert, Audrey. “Abortion Issue Drives Get-out-the-Vote Efforts in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race.” Isthmus, March 31, 2023. https://isthmus.com/news/news/abortion-issue-drives-get-out-the-vote-efforts-in-wisconsin-/.
6. “Our Candidates.” Wisconsin Progress. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://www.wisconsinprogress.org/our-candidates.
7. “Run for Office.” League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://my.lwv.org/wisconsin/toolkits-and-resources/run-office.
8. Stein, Jason. “Left-Leaning Group Files Complaint against Wisconsin Democrats.” Journal Sentinel, March 22, 2017. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/21/left-leaning-group-files-complaint-against-wisconsin-democrats/99459844/.
9. “Parties, Legislative Fundraising Committees Accept $1.3M in Corporate Contributions.” Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, March 22, 2017. https://www.wisdc.org/news/press-releases/78-press-release-2017/5757-parties-legislative-fundraising-committees-accept-1-3m-in-corporate-contributions.
10. Search results from Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, 2025. https://cfis.wi.gov/Public/Registration.aspx?page=FiledReports.
11. “Conduit Campaign Finance Report – CF 10.” Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, May 19, 2023. https://cfis.wi.gov/ReportsOutputFiles/090022319152633717202393736PMCF-10Report.pdf.
12. “Search for Committee #0501401.” Wisconsin Campaign Finance Information System, 2025. https://cfis.wi.gov/Public/Registration.aspx?page=FiledReports.
13. “Wisconsin Progress PAC.” ProPublica 527 Explorer. Accessed April 6, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/orgs/270967849.