Dan Shafer
Verified- Contributor, Freelance
- Founding Editor, The Recombobulation Area
- Contributing Editor, Civic Media
Wisconsin
Founding Editor, The Recombobulation Area (subscribe!). Proud Dad. Milwaukee person. Waukesha County native. BUCKS FAN. Email: therecombobulationarea@gmail.com
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Articles by Dan Shafer
Conversation with Ben Brist, the Democratic candidate running to flip Assembly District 61 and defeat Bob Donovan
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The race in Assembly District 61 could determine which party controls the Assembly. Democratic challenger Ben Brist is taking on Republican incumbent Bob Donovan. This is an incredibly important race.
David Crowley is the favorite to win the race for governor in Wisconsin
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Here at The Recombobulation Area, we put together an in-depth breakdown of every new edition of the Marquette University Law School Poll, the gold standard public opinion survey in the state of Wisconsin. I covered the poll release live, which you can find on Twitter here.
LIVE with Ben Wikler on the Brewers winning the World Series and the home stretch of the campaign
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. We are just days away from the Nov.
Talking governor’s race, key downballot elections and 90s nostalgia on City Cast Madison
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. On the Tuesday, Oct. 27 edition of City Cast Madison, I joined Executive Producer Hayley Sperling and Capital Times Food and Culture Editor Lindsay Christians to talk about the race for governor between David Crowley and Tom Tiffany.
Adrift in Western Wisconsin
Competing yard signs on a street corner in Eau Claire, where up and down the ticket, voters are making decisions many closely-contested races, including in the 3rd Congressional District, where Rebecca Cooke is challenging Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden. Photo by Dan Shafer. This is a special longform feature story by Dan Shafer at The Recombobulation Area.
Tiffany campaign staffer, Waukesha School Board member arrested for OWI
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. A staff member for Tom Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign was arrested and cited for OWI in Eau Claire, Wisconsin court records show. Eric Brooks, who also serves in an elected position on the Waukesha School Board, was arrested on Oct. 16 and cited on Oct. 19.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Crowley shines, Tiffany falters in lone gubernatorial debate
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley (L) and Republican gubernatorial candidate, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) participate in a WISN 12 News debate at Marquette University Law School on October 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
After 16 years of a Republican majority, can Democrats flip the Assembly in 2026? (with Democratic Leader Greta Neubauer!)
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Republicans have controlled the State Assembly for the last 16 years, and for 30 of the last 32 years. But in 2026, Democrats have a realistic chance at flipping the Assembly for the first time in a long time.
Conversation with Brandy Tollefson, Democratic candidate in Assembly District 88
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Campaign photo via Brandy Tollefson. In many ways, the race for control of the Wisconsin State Assembly goes through Assembly District 88, located in eastern Green Bay, De Pere and Brown County. This northeastern Wisconsin district was home to the closest Assembly race in the state in 2024, where less than 250 votes made the difference.
Conversation with Trevor Jung, Democratic candidate in Senate District 21
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. In this year’s election in Wisconsin, there is, of course, the first open race for governor in 16 years, where David Crowley is facing Tom Tiffany.
David Crowley talks childhood, path to politics, Milwaukee County record, and governor priorities at Marquette “Get To Know” event
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. At Marquette University, David Crowley, the Milwaukee County Executive and Democratic nominee for governor, discussed his childhood and upbringing in Milwaukee, his rise in state and local politics, his come-from-behind victory in the chaotic August primary, and what he would seek to do if elected governor.
Crowley: ‘This is a brand new low for them to be going after my wife’
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley talks with Derek Mosley and answers questions from the audience at Marquette Law School’s “Get to Know” series. Photo by Dan Shafer. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley spoke at Marquette University today as part of its “Get to Know” series.
Tom Tiffany didn’t pay any taxes for years (with Scot Ross!)
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Scot Ross did political communications and research at the state and federal levels for 25 years. His last dozen years in politics, he ran One Wisconsin Now, an opposition research and communication outfit, and for the last 15 years, he’s been the liberal pundit for PBS Wisconsin. He has some thoughts on the upcoming election.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Crowley proposes protecting abortion rights, Republicans’ school funding shell game, Tiffany’s radical tax ideas
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. This week’s episode features Dr. Christopher Ford, a board-certified emergency medicine physician based in Milwaukee, and host of the Pulse Check Wisconsin podcast, where he connects healthcare, community and policy.
In Wisconsin, it’s three billionaires’ money vs. the anti-Trump national environment
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Left: Diane Hendricks speaks at the Republican National Convention in 2024, photo by Getty Images. Right: Elizabeth (Liz) and Richard (Dick) Uihlein speak on a Uline company video, screenshot via YouTube.
2026 Election Mega-Preview: The Wisconsin State Legislature
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Nov. 3 election is going to be one of the most consequential elections in recent Wisconsin history. There’s the first open race for governor in 16 years, and the first state legislative election to be held in full since unconstitutional, gerrymandered maps were struck down by the state Supreme Court in late 2023.
Mark on the Midterms: Congressman Pocan talks flipping the House, Derrick Van Orden’s antics, Bryan Steil’s vulnerability, a Wisconsin trifecta, much more
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Mark Pocan served 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly before being elected to Congress in 2012, and is now in his seventh term representing Wisconsin’s 2nd Congressional District.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: The Billionaires vs. The People
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. There is so much happening in the Wisconsin political universe, and your friends at the “Wisconsin Politics Group Chat” podcast are here to break it all down. This episode aired live on the Motherhood for Good YouTube Channel on Friday, Oct.
Marquette Poll Breakdown: David Crowley, Tom Tiffany, and an unsurprisingly close race for governor
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Left photo by Chali Pittman, right by Dan Shafer. The Marquette University Law School Poll is the gold standard survey of public opinion in the state of Wisconsin, and here at The Recombobulation Area, we break down every new poll.
What is actually happening with data centers in Wisconsin? (Part I)
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. As we get closer and closer to the Nov. 3 election, there’s been an issue that’s continued to emerge as an especially contentious one – data centers. Perhaps more specifically, it’s been the type of hyperscale AI data centers that are being proposed or built all over the country, including here in Wisconsin.
Three endorsements from The Recombobulation Area
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Recombobulation Area is endorsing Mark Becker, Emily Tseffos and Robyn Vining for State Senate. Early in my time at The Recombobulation Area, I would make a few endorsements. Some are ones I’m quite proud of — like endorsing David Crowley in the race for Milwaukee County Executive in 2020.
ENDORSEMENT: Mark Becker for State Senate in District 1
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Mark Becker campaigns with former congressman Adam Kinzinger (left). The Nov.
ENDORSEMENT: Emily Tseffos for State Senate in District 19
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Emily Tseffos campaigns in rural Wisconsin during the 2024 election. Photo by Dan Shafer. The Nov.
ENDORSEMENT: Robyn Vining for State Senate in District 5
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Nov. 3 election is coming up soon, and while the race for governor has drawn most of the campaign headlines here in Wisconsin — with good reason, in many cases — the race for control of the Wisconsin State Legislature is also an incredibly big deal, and will determine so much about the future of our great state.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Tom Tiffany's press ban, beer garden nonsense, and getting Wisconsin's vote out
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. This episode features Angela Lang, co-executive director of Black Leaders Organizing for Communities, filling in for Dan Shafer. There is so much happening in the Wisconsin political universe, and your friends at the “Wisconsin Politics Group Chat” podcast are here to break it all down.
2026 Election Mega-Preview: The Wisconsin State Assembly
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This is part of The Recombobulation Area’s 2026 Election Mega-Preview of every race on the ballot in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
2026 Election Mega-Preview: The Wisconsin State Senate
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This is part of The Recombobulation Area’s 2026 Election Mega-Preview of every race on the ballot in the Wisconsin State Legislature.
2026 Election Mega-Preview: The Wisconsin State Senate
The Recombobulation Area is a 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This is part of The Recombobulation Area’s 2026 Election Mega-Preview of every race on the ballot in the Wisconsin State Legislature. Read Dan Shafer’s column introducing the series, “Wisconsin’s Fork in the Road.” This part of the preview includes a district-by-district breakdown of every race on the ballot in the Wisconsin State Senate.
Wisconsin’s Fork in the Road
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Washington Park, in the city of Milwaukee. Photo by Dan Shafer. Democrats have their best chances of winning a majority in the Wisconsin State Legislature since the year Barack Obama was first elected president.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Rising prices, congressional races, constitutional amendments
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. Find all of these episodes on The Recombobulation Area’s podcast feed (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, here on Substack). There is so much happening in the Wisconsin political universe, and your friends at the “Wisconsin Politics Group Chat” podcast are here to break it all down.
The state of the race with less than 50 days to go (with Todd Allbaugh)
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. With less than 50 days to go before the Nov. 3 election, Todd Allbaugh joined the podcast to recombobulate on the state of the race.
Milwaukee Film Unveils Full Lineup for 2026 Dialogues Documentary Festival, Presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel
The Recombobulation Area is an official media partner for Milwaukee Film’s Dialogues Documentary Festival. Find all the details about the event here. Milwaukee Film is thrilled to reveal the online program guide for the 2026 Dialogues Documentary Festival, presented by Potawatomi Casino Hotel. The program guide includes a full schedule of film screenings and plenty of helpful information for Festival attendees.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Trifecta plus Josh and unlock the block
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. Find all of these episodes on The Recombobulation Area’s podcast feed (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, here on Substack). There is so much happening in the Wisconsin political universe, and your friends at the “Wisconsin Politics Group Chat” podcast are here to break it all down.
READER MAILBAG: Data centers and Flock cameras, Central Count and Marquette polls, much more
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. …AND, WE’RE BACK! Readers, thank you so much for bearing with me over the past few weeks as I’ve done some of my own recombobulating. I do appreciate it. And thank you, too, for the wealth of wonderful questions you’ve sent in over the past week to help me recombobulate. We do appreciate it.
Send in your questions for our next READER MAILBAG!
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Greetings, readers: While I’m away, I wanted to make I’m not leaving you too discombobulated.
From the archives: The one and only mega-preview of every race on the ballot in the Wisconsin State Legislature
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. The Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison. Getty Images. For the first time in a generation, Democrats have an opportunity to win control of the Wisconsin State Legislature. While technically true at the outset of every fall general election cycle in an even-numbered year, that hasn’t been a realistic outcome for quite some time.
From the archives: Crowley coverage
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. From a 2022 live event at Anodyne Coffee in Walker’s Point, with Dan Shafer and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Photo courtesy of the County Executive’s office.
From the archives: The Recombobulation Area’s award-winning coverage of Act 12
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Gov. Tony Evers signs the shared revenue bill in Wausau on Tuesday, June 20. Screenshot from the governor’s official Facebook page.
The next few weeks at The Recombobulation Area
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Folks, it has been an especially wild six(ish) weeks since The Recombobulation Area returned to being an independent publication. We knew we’d be running through the tape to cover the Aug.
Wisconsin Politics Group Chat: Moving from the primary to the general
The Wisconsin Politics Group Chat podcast features Dr. Kristin Lyerly, Pat Kreitlow (The View from UpNorth) of UpNorthNews, Kate Duffy of Motherhood for Good, and Dan Shafer of The Recombobulation Area. Find all of these episodes on The Recombobulation Area’s podcast feed (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, here on Substack). There is so much happening in the Wisconsin political universe, and your friends at the “Wisconsin Politics Group Chat” podcast are here to break it all down.
COMING SOON: 'Brick By Brick: What it takes to rebuild the Blue Wall'
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. Hey there, Recombobulation Area subscribers! Our friends at UpNorthNews invited us to join this event coming up on Wednesday, and now I’m inviting you to join us! See the details below, and register to join us. It’s free to attend. Hope to see you there! —Dan The primaries are over — but the results are only the beginning of the story.
The moment in Wisconsin's Democratic primary campaign that changed everything
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
David Crowley, Francesca Hong, and the electability conundrum
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
5 takeaways from downballot results in Wisconsin's August primary
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
We desperately need to fix Milwaukee’s central count process
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
WISGOP-endorsed candidates fall flat in August primary
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
Did Kelda Roys win Dane County votes that could have gone to Francesca Hong?
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
Let Her Cooke: The now-Democratic nominee in the 3rd Congressional District wins big in primary
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
Waukesha County remains crucial
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
The echoes of David Crowley’s 2020 county executive election win in his 2026 primary victory
The Recombobulation Area is a 19-time 21-TIME! Milwaukee Press Club award-winning opinion column and online publication founded by Milwaukee journalist Dan Shafer. This column is one part of Dan Shafer’s deep-dive mega-breakdown of the election results from Wisconsin’s Aug. 11 partisan primary. Read the full column with all 12 takeaways here. 12 Takeaways from Wisconsin’s Discombobulating Democratic Primary Each of these 12 takeaways are available as a standalone free version.
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