Dane County Is Changing Fast — And Conservatives Can’t Afford to Sit Out Elections. Analysis by Dan O’Donnell, The Dan O’Donnell Show

Dan O’Donnell has been digging into the numbers, and his analysis makes one thing unmistakably clear: Dane County is transforming at a pace that is reshaping statewide elections.

According to O’Donnell’s breakdown, the county has added more than 13,000 new residents since 2020 and is projected to grow by nearly 40% over the next 25 years. Major drivers include Epic Systems, expanding government employment, telework, and the growing number of UW–Madison graduates choosing to stay in the area.

Growth isn’t inherently bad — but the political implications are real.

O’Donnell highlights a trend every conservative in Dane County needs to understand: turnout here has reached levels that can swing statewide outcomes. In 2011, liberal candidate Joanne Kloppenburg won Dane County by about 85,000 votes. In 2023, Susan Crawford won it by 181,751 votes — nearly 100,000 more than a decade earlier.

Meanwhile, turnout in traditional conservative strongholds like Waukesha and Ozaukee has softened. The “WOW counties” simply aren’t producing the margins they once did, and demographic shifts — including retirees moving to lower‑tax states — are accelerating that trend.

O’Donnell also points to another dynamic: urban liberal flight. As cities like Milwaukee struggle with schools, crime, and declining services, many left‑leaning voters move outward into suburbs that were once reliably conservative. Over time, those suburbs shift too.

Add to that the rise of “Trump‑only” voters — people who turn out for presidential elections but not for state or local races — and the picture becomes even clearer: Conservatives in Dane County cannot be complacent. Not in 2026. Not ever.

The math is simple. Dane County’s rapid growth, combined with record‑breaking liberal turnout, means that every conservative vote here matters more than ever before. Statewide races are being decided by margins that Dane County alone can influence.

If conservatives don’t show up, ground is lost.

If conservatives do show up, the trajectory changes.

O’Donnell’s analysis underscores a single, urgent truth: We need every single one of us. Every household. Every neighborhood. Every precinct. Every election.

Turnout isn’t someone else’s job. It’s ours.

🎧 Watch Dan O’Donnell’s full analysis here