Charly Ray

Charly Ray is a forester, small-business owner, and Bayfield County Board member running this fall to flip a seat in the Wisconsin Senate. Charly is deeply rooted in northwestern Wisconsin and is ready to help usher in real change for the state by challenging GOP majorities in Madison. If he is elected, Charly is committed to helping bring full funding to Wisconsin’s public schools, expanding health care access, and returning local decision-making to communities.

Charly is mounting a strong campaign in a tough district that could be home to one of the closest legislative elections in the state in 2026. With only a two-seat gain needed to flip the Wisconsin Senate blue, the DLCC is bringing national attention to Charly’s race, which could shift the balance of power in Wisconsin towards progress.

After over a decade of Republican gerrymandered control, 2026 is a historic opportunity to flip the Wisconsin legislature from red to blue.

Last cycle, Democrats made incredible gains in the Wisconsin Senate and added an impressive 10 seats in the Assembly, putting both chambers within striking distance of a blue flip for the first time in more than 15 years.

The DLCC has supported Wisconsin state Democrats cycle after cycle, helping them make significant gains in recent years despite aggressive GOP gerrymandering. In 2024, the Wisconsin Supreme Court threw out Republicans’ unfair voting maps, making Wisconsin one of the most competitive states in the nation for state legislative elections.

This year, Wisconsin Democrats need a net gain of 5 seats in the state Assembly and 2 seats in the state Senate to win a majority in each chamber. The current GOP majorities in Wisconsin have rubber-stamped Trump’s disastrous agenda, and the time to take back Democratic power in the state is now.