Two state judicial panels held their first hearings Friday on lawsuits claiming Wisconsin's eight U.S. House districts are unconstitutional, but they sent signals that the cases may not be resolved by the 2026 midterms.

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Joel Brennan, former top Cabinet official for Gov. Tony Evers, has joined the Democratic primary for governor, vowing to “stand up to Trump’s dysfunction” and be “laser-focused” on improving people’s lives if elected.

In a campaign launch video released Thursday, Brennan discussed growing up with 10 siblings in Wisconsin in a family that was “long on potential, although sometimes a little short on resources.” Brennan talks about working a variety of jobs to get through college and boasts that his first car didn’t even have working taillights.

Brennan described getting a call from Evers in 2018, asking him to lead the Department of Administration “as his top Cabinet official.” Brennan served in that role from 2019 through 2021. During that time, he said the administration put the state on firmer financial footing and generated a state budget surplus of nearly $4 billion. He also said the administration “stood up to the extremists” and offered assistance to thousands of small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“But today, thanks to Donald Trump’s chaos and incompetence, the numbers just aren’t adding up for Wisconsin families,” Brennan says in the video. “Costs, like everything else, are out of control. And coming from a family that had to make every dollar count, I know what that feels like.”

Brennan’s video ends with a nod to the race for the Legislature, where Democrats are hoping to flip Republican majorities for the first time in more than a decade. He said with “fair maps” and a Democratic governor, “we can stay true to our values and deliver change.”

Brennan is currently the president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee. Prior to joining Evers’ administration, he was CEO of the Discovery World museum for 11 years. He also worked previously for the Redevelopment Authority of Milwaukee and the Greater Milwaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau. He was a legislative assistant to Democrat Tom Barrett when Barrett served in Congress.

Brennan joins an already crowded field of Democrats vying for the party’s nomination. Other candidates to announce include Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Madison state Sen. Kelda Roys, Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong, former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

Only two Republicans — U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua, and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann — are running for the GOP nomination at this point. It’s been reported that former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels, who lost to Evers in 2022, and former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, who lost to Tammy Baldwin in 2024, are also considering entering the 2026 race for governor.

This story was originally published by WPR.

Joel Brennan, former top Tony Evers aide, enters race for Wisconsin governor is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

Joel Brennan, former top cabinet official for Gov. Tony Evers, has joined the Democratic primary for governor, vowing to "stand up to Trump's dysfunction" and be "laser-focused" on improving peoples' lives if elected.

The post Former Evers cabinet secretary Joel Brennan enters race for governor appeared first on WPR.

A group of aggressive male turkeys in Eau Claire has generated police calls, caused one local resident to avoid a major walking trail and sent a man to the hospital with a 1-inch cut to the arm.

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Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a host of Republican bills Friday, including legislation barring undocumented immigrants from getting federal health care funding.

The post Evers vetoes bill to block Medicaid funds from undocumented residents appeared first on WPR.

Gableman argued Protasiewicz shouldn't participate because, as a Supreme Court candidate in 2022, she issued a press release calling his investigation "disgraceful."

The post Janet Protasiewicz won’t recuse from Michael Gableman disciplinary case appeared first on WPR.

Federal immigration "strike teams" are in Minnesota looking for undocumented Somali immigrants, after President Trump referred to them as "garbage" and said he doesn't want them in the U.S.

The post Somali residents in Wisconsin uneasy following Trump comments, federal raids appeared first on WPR.

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is backing a bill to regulate intoxicating hemp products in Wisconsin, a move one industry activist says would protect farmers from a newly enacted federal ban.

The post New bipartisan bill would regulate intoxicating hemp products in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes has entered Wisconsin's 2026 race for governor, joining a crowded Democratic primary field and vowing to "get things done the Wisconsin way" if elected.

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At a time when states across the country are locked in redistricting battles aimed at swaying the balance of power in Congress, two lawsuits attempting to redraw Wisconsin's congressional map are using a process that is anything but ordinary.

The post Lawsuits calling for new Wisconsin congressional map are in the hands of 6 county judges. Now what? appeared first on WPR.

For far northern Wisconsin, the National Weather Service predicts peak snow totals of between 1 to 3 feet with potential blizzard conditions near Lake Superior.

The post Northern Wisconsin expecting heavy snow and wind amid Thanksgiving holiday travel appeared first on WPR.

Madison police say a woman who stabbed a sixth grade classmate in order to appease a fictional horror character known as Slender Man cut off her ankle monitor and hasn't returned to a group home in the city.

The post Slender Man stabber cut off ankle bracelet and hasn’t returned to group home appeared first on WPR.

The state Democratic Party's fundraising haul for federal elections was more than four times larger than the state GOP's last month, and the gap between what the two parties spent was even wider.

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The U.S. House voted unanimously Wednesday to repeal a provision tucked into the government funding bill allowing Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson to sue federal justice officials for at least $500,000 for obtaining his phone records.

The post US House votes unanimously to repeal budget bill provision allowing Ron Johnson to sue DOJ over phone record search appeared first on WPR.

An attempt by wedding barn owners to strike down changes requiring them to get liquor licenses has failed.

The post Judge dismisses wedding barn lawsuit appeared first on WPR.

The Wisconsin Senate passed a bill Tuesday prohibiting any public money from going toward health care coverage for people in the state illegally.

The post Wisconsin Senate passes bill to block state health funds for undocumented immigrants appeared first on WPR.

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted to repeal a 400-year increase to school funding on Tuesday, but their bill is almost certainly headed for a veto by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

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The Eau Claire school district is considering closing or repurposing some of its elementary schools because district officials say they've got too much space and not enough students.

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Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly are holding a vote on a bill preventing SNAP recipients from using their benefits to purchase candy, soft drinks and energy drinks.

The post Assembly to vote on bill blocking SNAP recipients from buying candy, soft drinks and energy drinks appeared first on WPR.

Despite a bipartisan deal that reopened the federal government Wednesday night, Republicans and Democrats in Wisconsin's congressional delegation are still dug in along party lines over what the shutdown was all about in the first place.

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