A Wisconsin state senator who came in third in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018 is running again, saying in her campaign launch video that “extremists” like President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk are putting the nation’s democracy at risk.
Kelda Roys, an attorney and small business owner who represents the liberal capital city of Madison in the state Senate, launched her campaign on Monday.
“We are in the fight of our lives for our democracy and our kids’ future,” Roys says in her campaign launch video. It shows people protesting along with images of Trump and Musk.
The two other highest-profile announced Democratic candidates are Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Several other Democrats are expected to join the race in coming days.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, 43, and suburban Milwaukee business owner Bill Berrien, 56, are the only announced candidates. Other Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering running.
Roys, 46, served in the state Assembly from 2009 until 2013. Roys ran for an open congressional seat in 2012, but was defeated by a fellow state lawmaker, Mark Pocan, by 50 points. She was elected to the state Senate in 2020.
As a lawmaker, Roys has been an outspoken defender of abortion rights and for union rights. In her launch video, Roys highlights her opposition to then-Gov. Scott Walker’s law that effectively ended collective bargaining for public workers in 2011.
“With everything on the line, Wisconsin needs a governor who’s been training for this moment her whole career and knows how to deliver,” she said.
Roys said she would work to improve public schools, make health care more affordable and create quality jobs.
The race to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who is retiring after two terms, is open with no incumbent running for the first time since 2010. Roys lost to Evers in the 2018 gubernatorial primary, coming in third out of eight candidates behind him and Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup.This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.
Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order Monday requiring insurance companies to continue covering COVID-19 vaccines as changes out of federal health agencies have restricted eligibility for the shots.
Gov. Tim Walz speaks after the end of the special session in June Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at the Minnesota State Capitol. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Gov. Tim Walz made it clear he intends to run for an unprecedented third, four-year term in front of a group of a 100 or so Democratic donors Tuesday, according to two people who were there.
In his speech at the Iron Ranger bar in St. Paul, Walz said something to the effect of “you’re all here making contributions, and you probably know I’m not going to run off to Mexico with your money, so look out for an announcement,” according to a source who attended the fundraiser and whose account was confirmed by another person there.
“He made it clear he is moving in that direction,” said a person in attendance.
The Reformer spoke to four people who were at the fundraiser or who have spoken to Walz about his plans in recent days. They were granted anonymity because they were not authorized by their employers to speak publicly.
Walz has also told several people privately but definitively that he will run again, and he will make a campaign announcement next week.
A Walz spokesman declined to comment.
A DFL source who was at the event said Walz was thrown off by the June killing of Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was a friend and governing partner. But the recent mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, where schoolchildren were gathered for a celebratory Mass, “lit a fire in him” because he wants to provide leadership during another vulnerable moment in Minnesota history.
Despite the advantages of incumbency, a robust fundraising operation and his own natural political skills, winning a third term won’t be easy.
Walz would have to defend a lengthy record, during which he’s governed during some of the state’s worst crises: The pandemic and resulting academic declines; the murder of George Floyd and the uprising and rioting that followed; a spike in crime that has since subsided; emerging fiscal instability; and, finally, the political violence that took the life of Hortman and her husband Mark and badly wounded state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
Another crisis has been state government’s own making: A wave of fraud in public programs is sure to be a centerpiece of the Republican campaign against him.
Rep. Kristin Robbins, a Republican candidate for governor from Maple Grove and currently chair of the Minnesota House’s fraud prevention committee, said Walz has allowed rampant fraud in his own agencies.
“A third Walz term would be a disaster, and I’m stepping up to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Robbins said in a statement to the Reformer. “I am committed to stopping the fraud, restoring fiscal responsibility and bringing back common-sense leadership so the state works for Minnesotans, not against them.”
Scott Jensen, the 2022 GOP nominee for governor, and Kendall Qualls, an army veteran and health care executive, are also running as GOP candidates. In a statement, Qualls said, “Walz’s first two terms as governor have been nothing but a failure.”
Recent polling suggests that Walz remains popular with Minnesotans, but they are less pleased with the idea of him running for a third term. A June KSTP poll found that only 43% of Minnesotans surveyed say he should run again.
Despite Walz’s challenges, he has also enjoyed the highest of highs: A surprisingly easy 2022 reelection and a Democratic-Farmer-Labor trifecta that resulted in a bevy of legislative victories, from free school meals to drivers licenses for undocumented people, legal marijuana to huge investments in transportation and housing. He parlayed that record and a few high-profile national media appearances to emerge as Kamala Harris’ surprising pick to be her vice presidential nominee.
A national media and public speaking tour earlier this year fueled speculation about a 2028 presidential run, but he’s already said he won’t run if he wins a third term.
The last time Minnesota voters were faced with a governor seeking a third term, they rejected Iron Range Democrat Gov. Rudy Perpich in 1990.
This story was originally produced by Minnesota Reformer, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Wisconsin Examiner, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley launched his campaign for governor Tuesday morning, saying that his story is “Wisconsin’s story” and he wants to work to address the “affordability crisis” that many Wisconsinites are facing.
Crowley had already said he was planning to enter the race just a day after Gov. Tony Evers announced he wouldn’t be running for a third term in 2026. Evers’ decision not to run has created the first open race for governor in 16 years.
In a campaign ad, Crowley, 39, highlighted his difficulties in his childhood and his journey to becoming the youngest and first Black person to serve as Milwaukee county executive.
“I didn’t grow up in the halls of power. I grew up here and here and here,” Crowley said as photos of his previous homes flashed on screen, “Evicted three times as a kid, having to pick up yourself and everything you own off the curb, it’ll break you or it’ll make you.”
The field for the Democratic primary is still shaping up. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was the first to launch her campaign, following Evers’ announcement. State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) has also said she is “very likely” to enter the race. Others considering joining the fray include former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Attorney General Josh Kaul and state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison).
The primary election is just under a year away.
Crowley said in an interview that Evers has served as a “great, steady, calm strength” that the state has needed over the last decade and he “knew that we were going to need some experienced executive leadership to take over” and someone “who’s going to fight for Wisconsinites all across this state.”
Crowley was elected to be Milwaukee County executive in 2020. He highlighted the fact that he has managed the state’s largest county, including its $1.4 billion budget, guiding it through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crowley also represented Milwaukee in the state Assembly from 2017 to June of 2020.
“I didn’t want any child to go through that,” he said of his struggles with poverty and eviction in his early life, “so I became a community organizer. I went on to serve in the state Assembly, where I saw what happens when extremists had total control, and I’d had enough,” Crowley says in a new campaign ad. “At 33, I returned home elected to lead the largest county in Wisconsin, helping create thousands of new jobs, cutting our carbon emissions in half, balancing the budget, all while delivering the largest property tax cut in our history and convincing Madison to return more money right back to every local community across the state. But the progress we’ve made isn’t nearly enough.”
Crowley told the Wisconsin Examiner in an interview that his experience in the Legislature combined with his executive experience set himself apart from other potential candidates. He said he knew on Day One he “would hit the ground running to be able to move our entire state forward.”
Crowley will have to run and win statewide, something he hasn’t done before, before he can accomplish that.
Asked about challenges Democrats could face in competing statewide in 2026, Crowley said it’s important to recognize people’s frustrations with the Democratic party, especially nationally. He said he has shared the frustrations.
“We haven’t had a cohesive national message that we could get around that would help energize our base and get folks out,” Crowley said.
Crowley noted that his experience isn’t just with the city of Milwaukee — the county itself is made up of 19 municipalities with varying needs.
‘When we talk about the issues that we have focused on — balancing the budget, being able to cut taxes, tackling the opioid epidemic, expanding access to mental health services — these aren’t partisan issues. These aren’t rural or suburban or urban issues. These are issues that are affecting every community,” Crowley said. “My goal is to go and talk to all communities, to let them know that I’m not only willing to listen but am willing to allow those voices on the ground, at the grassroots level, to be able to be part of the solution.”
Crowley said that he has helped deliver for communities outside of Milwaukee County. He takes credit for leading on Act 12, a 2023 bipartisan law that overhauled local government funding in Wisconsin, boosting state payments for communities across the state and provided Milwaukee with the ability to raise its sales tax.
Crowley said that Act 12 was “definitely historic in nature” — providing funding that communities were able to invest in fire and safety, roads, infrastructure and public services — and gave Milwaukee County and other communities a “bit of reprieve,” but it “didn’t fix all our problems.”
“We’ve had a Republican-controlled Legislature for the better of more than 15 years, and so [Evers has] had to work across the aisle, and this is what divided government looks like,” Crowley said when asked if he would’ve done anything different in recent budget negotiations, which left many Democrats dissatisfied. “It’s not the sexiest or the prettiest, but it means that you have to find compromises… I want to make sure that we continue to do what’s right, but also know that there’s more that we can do for working families.”
Crowley said that’s why it’s important that Democrats pick up seats in the state Legislature in 2026 in addition to keeping control of the governor’s office. Democrats are two seats away from flipping the Senate and five seats away from flipping the Assembly. To do so, Crowley said they cannot “continue to defend the status quo.”
“We have to look forward. We have to talk about the new vision of what Wisconsin needs to look like,” Crowley said. “What fully funded public schools really means? What does it mean to support families who are in need of child care across this state, and making sure that they have access not to just affordable housing, but we need attainable housing that is available for folks at all different income levels.”
Crowley said these issues are all at the root of helping address the “affordability crisis.”
“People are getting less even if they are making more money, and they need a little bit of relief,” Crowley said. “They’re struggling — trying to figure out how they’re going to put food on the table, how they’re going to keep up with rent or their mortgage, and I know exactly what that’s like. I had two loving parents, who had their own issues and struggled to put food on the table.”
On education, Crowley noted that Wisconsin used to provide about two-thirds of the funding that school districts needed.
“We at least need to revisit that and figure out how we can get back to that level,” Crowley said.
Child care was one of Evers’ top issues during the most recent state budget negotiations and he secured $110 million in state funding for direct payments to child care providers. That program will sunset in June 2026.
Asked whether he would take a similar approach to funding for child care centers, Crowley said that the state should “look at the public-private partnerships when it comes down to funding anything and everything.”
“As it relates to the services that we’ve provided in Milwaukee County, we can have limited resources, but based off of the partnerships that we have created, we’ve been able to move the needle on many of the programs and services that we offer,” Crowley said. “How do we bring the child care providers into the fold and help them come up with ideas that we need in order to fund them, and I do think that businesses can play a role.”
On affordable housing, Crowley said that the state needs to work to cut down on bureaucracy and “red tape”.
“There’s a lot of bureaucracy, even if the state wanted to invest in both affordable and attainable housing. You have to wait for local approval, and I think both sides of the aisle understand that we can’t wait for the bureaucrats, and we need to cut the red tape with a type of housing that communities are looking for.”
Crowley added that “what works in Milwaukee may not work in La Crosse, may not work in Wausau, may not work in Green Bay” and that he wants to ensure that the state is listening to people in their communities about what is best.
Crowley added that there’s “going to be time for us to talk about specific policies,” but he is planning on using “the next couple of weeks, next couple of months, to hear directly from those who are impacted and see what solutions they want to see brought to the table.”
Crowley added that it would take working with the Legislature to get these things done.
“I absolutely think that one of the things that we have lost in politics is the art of compromise,” Crowley said. “Now, compromising means that you’re finding ways to bring results, and that’s what voters care about. They care about the results, not necessarily the process, but compromising doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re giving up our values to get to a place.”
Crowley said he would commit to having office hours to work with legislators and hear their ideas “no matter what side of the aisle or what letter is behind their name.” He said this type of communication also needs to extend to every community across the state.
“The issues affecting communities — there isn’t a cookie cutter solution to them, and there’s no one size fits all solution to the issues that are affecting all of our communities,” Crowley said.
In his campaign video, Crowley also took aim at President Donald Trump.
“With costs shooting up, we’re all getting less, even if you’re making more. And Donald Trump’s chaos and cruelty means that the Wisconsin that we cherish will perish unless we unite and fight back,” Crowley said.
Trump will likely be a major factor in the race for governor in Wisconsin, especially in the Republican primary where the field is also still taking shape, but all of the candidates who have announced so far have closely aligned themselves with Trump.
Crowley said he doesn’t doubt Trump and other national Republican groups will try to “put their thumb on the scale for their particular candidate.”
“We’re going to run a tight grassroots campaign crisscrossing to every community across this state, letting them know my vision, and I want folks to know whether you’re Democrat, Independent or Republican, there’s a place in this campaign for you, because I’m looking to be the governor for all of us,” Crowley said.
On the Republican side, Whitefish Bay manufacturer Bill Berrien and Washington Co. Executive Josh Schoemann have officially launched their campaigns. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who has spoken to President Donald Trump about running according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, has said he plans to announce a decision by the end of the month.
In a statement, Berrien called Crowley’s campaign launch “another career politician” jumping into the race.
“After years of failed leadership from bureaucrats like David Crowley and Tony Evers, Wisconsinites are ready for a builder to take the reins and lead our state to a bright and prosperous future,” Berrien said. “It doesn’t matter who the Democrats nominate — I plan to beat them.”
Crowley said he isn’t worried about “which Republican” he faces in a general election.
“My fear is any Republican who has the potential of winning this race, and that’s why I’m entering this race now, because we have to unify our party. We have to bring new voices to the table. We have to bring independents back into the fold and build a broad coalition that’s not only going to help me become the next governor, but that’s going to help us win the Senate and the Assembly moving forward.”
The top-elected official in Milwaukee County, who rose out of poverty in one of the state’s poorest neighborhoods, launched a bid for Wisconsin governor on Tuesday, saying his background and experience in office make him uniquely prepared for the job.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley joins the battleground state’s Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez as the two highest-profile Democratic candidates in the 2026 race to replace Gov. Tony Evers, who is retiring after two terms. The race is open with no incumbent running for the first time since 2010.
Crowley, 39, is vying to become the state’s first Black governor, while Rodriguez would be the first woman elected to the post. There are two announced Republicans, with several others in both parties considering getting in.
The primary is 11 months away in August.
Crowley told The Associated Press in an interview Monday that he wants to be a “governor for all of us,” focusing on lowering costs for families, affordable health care and housing and fully funding public schools.
“I understand the experiences of what many families are going through,” Crowley said. “It’s really about showing up for people and that’s what people want.”
Crowley grew up in the 53206 ZIP code, which a 2013 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee study found was the most incarcerated ZIP code in the country, with a majority of men who lived there having spent time behind bars. The area is also known for high rates of poverty, a high concentration of vacant lots and poor health care.
Crowley leans into his background in his launch video, highlighting how his family was once homeless in Milwaukee but he rose to become a community organizer and was elected to the state Assembly in 2016 at age 30. He served until the middle of 2020, when he was elected as executive of Milwaukee County, the state’s largest county. He was the first Black person to hold that job and also the youngest at age 33.
Three years ago, Crowley started pursuing a college degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and graduated in December, all while serving as county executive.
“My upbringing has really given me the guiding principles of how I govern,” Crowley said. “That’s why I stress being the governor for all of us. I know what it’s like to struggle. I know what it’s like to be poor.”
Rodriguez tried to contrast herself with Crowley in a statement reacting to his candidacy, saying that she brings “a proven record of delivering results across all 72 counties.” Rodriguez, unlike Crowley, has won a statewide election. She won the 2022 primary for lieutenant governor.
Both Crowley and Rodriguez have also targeted President Donald Trump early in the governor’s race. In his launch video, Crowley said that Trump’s “chaos and cruelty means that the Wisconsin that we cherish will perish unless we unite and fight back.”
Rodriguez called Trump a “maniac” in her launch video.
Democrats are hoping to hold on to the governor’s office as they also eye flipping majority control of the state Legislature, which Republicans have held since 2011.
Crowley is one of several younger Democratic candidates looking at replacing Evers, who is 73.
Rodriguez is 50, and another likely candidate, state Sen. Kelda Roys, is 46. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is also mulling a bid, is 38. Attorney General Josh Kaul, 44, is also considering a run.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann, 43, and suburban Milwaukee businessman Bill Berrien, 56, are the only announced candidates. Others, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering running.
Tiffany has indicated that he will announce his decision later this month. Felzkowski said last week that she would not run if Tiffany gets into the race and she was undecided about a bid if he declined.
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup.This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.
Beer vendor Ryan Strnad points to Amerinca Family Field at his campaign announcement last week. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
Ryan Strnad of Mukwonago knows he might be a “polarizing” candidate for governor, but he says it could work in his favor. A beer vendor for over 25 years, Strnad works three jobs, has never served in elected office and has broad political positions: he’s pro-labor, opposed COVID-19 restrictions, supports allowing access to abortion and is pro-cop.
The retirement of Gov. Tony Evers has made the 2026 race the first since 2010 to open a lane for anyone from either party to get in without having to challenge a popular incumbent. Most of the Democrats preparing for or considering a run for Wisconsin’s top executive office are current or former elected officials.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was the first Democrat to announce a bid to succeed Evers. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who also once served in the state Assembly, has announced plans to run; Sen. Kelda Roys, Attorney General Josh Kaul, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and state Rep. Francesca Hong are all potential Democratic contestants.
On the Republican side, Whitefish Bay manufacturer Bill Berrien is so far the only candidate officially running who hasn’t held elected office before — something that he is using to compare himself to President Donald Trump and as an argument for his candidacy.
Strnad, who officially launched his campaign last week, tells the Wisconsin Examiner that even his mom told him that he should “run for something smaller.” He sees the governor’s office as the place where he could have the most influence, however.
“It’s a job I would love to have… I love state politics more than anything else,” Strnad says. “I would have a unique say of things. I can propose the budget. I can make some executive orders. And I can also sign and veto bills.”
For his campaign kick-off, in which he made good on his 2023 vow to run, Strnad stood at Mitchell Boulevard Park across the street from American Family Field where he has worked as a beer vendor for over 25 years.
Strnad says that he’s not making “hands over fist” as a vendor, but it helps him afford his expenses. He also works two other jobs including third shift at a factory (he won’t say where) and at a dry cleaning business.
He also loves the environment of the stadium. “Just walk into that ballpark and… being in the sun when the roof’s open or dealing with the fans… and listening to the music and going along with the crowd,” Strnad says. “Being part of the experience, that’s half of it right there.”
““We do enough to support the environment anyway,” Beer vendor Ryan Strnad said. “Go to a store, get yourself one of these.”(Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner)
This will be Strnad’s first time running for office as a Democrat. As a Republican he ran unsuccessfully for the state Assembly in 2000 while living near the south shore in Milwaukee County. He sayst he switched parties because his labor beliefs align better with Democrats: He was introduced to unions when he started working as a beer vendor in 1998, after previously working as a stadium food vendor.
“There was no union with the food vendors,” Strnad says. “I had some real good union stewards who introduced me to the job, and I experienced how labor works.” Seeing the money being made at the stadium has made him want to ensure that employees benefit enough, too.
In 2017, Strnad started “Drinks in Seats” — a political action committee and lobbying group to advocate on behalf of drink vendors — in part because the stadium’s management was trying to grow the number of places where beer was sold on the premises, and he was concerned about the competition vendors would face. His group hasn’t been registered to lobby since the 2023-24 legislative session.
In his campaign, Strnad says he would focus on labor issues, including repealing Act 10, which restricted the collective bargaining rights of most public sector employees, and getting rid of “right to work” policies, which make it illegal to require employees to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment. He also wants to make it harder for employers to fire employees.
“Workers are doing their employers a favor by choosing to go and work for them and stay with them. It really hurts a lot when you go and tell an employee that they’re no longer working there,” Strnad said at his announcement press conference.
Strnad said he would seek more bipartisanship as governor. He’s bothered that politics has “become a lot of us against them,” he said.
He told reporters that he would be “trying to garner some support from the right as well” as Democrats. He was critical of Democrats’ supporting COVID-19 restrictions, which he blamed for Democrats’ struggle to win support from working class voters.
“I cannot think of another Democrat who was vocal about coronavirus restrictions,” Strnad said. “I was rather vocal about how it was not fair to us to lose our jobs or work because of coronavirus restrictions.”
On abortion, Strnad said “any pregnant mother to be or mother who wants an abortion can have an abortion.” When it comes to the environment, he was critical of activists who are trying to to shut down oil and gas pipelines. “We do enough to support the environment anyway,” he said, and the fight against pipelines is “costing people’s jobs.”
Strnad lifted up a recycling bin. “Go to a store, get yourself one of these,” he said. “Just buy yourself one of these, $15 at your local hardware store, start recycling — Boom! You’re helping the environment right there.”
Strnad also emphasizes his support for law enforcement and firearms, including Wisconsin’s concealed carry law.
“I back the police and I want to make it that every block in this country is a livable one,” Strnad tells the Examiner.
While not a traditional candidate, Strnad says he hopes people are able to see themselves in him. “He’s one of us” is one of his campaign slogans.
“I’m doing three jobs. I live in a rented apartment. I know what it’s like, you know, to be where they’re at,” Strnad says. “It’s been really now more than ever that decisions made at the Legislature, especially from a governor or especially from a president, have a direct impact on the everyday person’s life, especially those in the working class and the middle class.”
The AmeriCorps program helped fund 8,400 people working at 900 organizations around Wisconsin in 2024. The program faces an uncertain future after cuts from the Trump administration.
From left, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley will look to run for governor in the 2026 Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez announced her campaign Friday and Attorney General Josh Kaul declined to comment on his plans. (Photos by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)
Less than 24 hours after Gov. Tony Evers announced he wouldn’t run for another term in office, the field for the Democratic primary for governor is beginning to take shape as Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez launched her campaign Friday morning while other potential candidates are still considering.
Evers’ video announcing that he would retire because of his family ended months of speculation about a potential third term and triggered the start of the first open race for governor in Wisconsin since 2010.
The Republican field is still shaping up, with Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and Whitefish Bay manufacturer Bill Berrien have officially announced. Other potential candidates include U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and businessmen Eric Hovde and Tim Michels, both of whom have recently lost statewide campaigns.
The first Democrat in the race, Rodriguez in her campaign launch video took aim both at Republicans in Washington and at the GOP majority in the Legislature.
“We’ve got a maniac in the White House. His tariffs are killing our farmers and his policies are hurting our kids,” Rodriguez said of President Donald Trump. “Our [state] Legislature refuses to expand Medicaid, even though 41 other states have done it. I mean Arkansas expanded Medicaid. Arkansas, but not Wisconsin. I’ll get it done.”
Rodriguez was elected lieutenant governor in 2022, when Evers won his second term. She succeeded former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate against Republican Sen. Ron Johnson that year.
“I’ve been an ER nurse, a public health expert and a small business owner. I’m used to being on my feet and getting right to the point,” Rodriguez said in her video. “I have an announcement: I’m running for governor.”
“I know what you’re thinking, you don’t have the time for the rest of this video,” Rodriguez said. “Look, I get it I’m a busy parent too, so here’s what you should know: I’ve got two kids that are way too embarrassed to be in this video, a dog named Chico and I met my husband salsa dancing – all true. My parents were Wisconsin dairy farmers. My dad served during Vietnam and fixed telephones at Wisconsin Bell. Mom was a union member who helped kids with special needs.”
Rodriguez got degrees in neuroscience and nursing before working as a nurse in an emergency room in Baltimore. She has also worked for the Centers for Disease Control and has served as vice president for several health care-related businesses, including at Advocate Aurora Health from 2017-2020.
Rodriguez said in the video that entering politics wasn’t part of her plan, but seeing “a broken system” she decided to run for the Assembly. She flipped a Republican seat that covered parts of Milwaukee and Waukesha in 2020 by 735 votes, and served for one term before making her run for lieutenant governor in 2021. After winning the Democratic primary, she joined Evers on the ticket.
The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association quickly endorsed Rodriguez Friday.
Rodriguez noted that control of the state Legislature is also at stake in 2026, with Democrats having the chance under new, fairer maps adopted in 2024 to win control. The last time there was a Democratic trifecta in Wisconsin was in the 2009-2010 session.
“Look, we’ve got a real shot at flipping the state Legislature, and with a Democratic governor we can finally expand Medicaid and boost our health care workforce. We can strengthen our farms and unions and small businesses, fund our public schools and give teachers the raise they’ve earned. That’s the right path, and it’s what you and your family deserve,” Rodriguez said. “I can’t wait to earn your vote.”
Other Democrats on whether they’ll run
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said in a statement Friday morning that he cares about the future direction of Wisconsin and that “I will be taking steps toward entering the race for Governor,” in the coming weeks.
“The stakes are simply too high to sit on the sidelines,” Crowley said. “Governor Evers has laid a strong foundation. I believe it’s our responsibility to build on that progress — and I look forward to engaging in that conversation with the people of Wisconsin.”
Crowley, 33, was elected to the county’s top office in 2020, the first African American and the youngest person to serve in the position. During his time in the job, Crowley has been a staunch advocate for the state’s largest county, including helping secure a sales tax increase for Milwaukee. He also previously served for two terms in the state Assembly.
Asked whether she plans to run, state Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) told the Wisconsin Examiner Friday she is “giving it really serious consideration.” Roys came in third in the 2018 primary that nominated Evers.
“This is going to be a wide open primary,” Roys said. “I don’t think anybody has a strong advantage in it, and I think the stakes are incredibly high.”
Roys said she thought Evers has “given more than anyone could ask to this state” and has earned the right to do whatever he wants. She said, however, that Democrats shouldn’t rely on old tactics in 2026 and that people want a candidate who will inspire them.
“Tony Evers has been a beloved governor of this state, and so I think he would have certainly been able to win a third term if that’s what he wanted to do,” Roys said. “At the same time, I think that there is a real hunger in the party and in the country generally, to see the next generation of leaders getting a chance, and we have a very strong bench in Wisconsin.”
Roys also ran for the U.S. House in 2012, losing in the primary for the 2nd District to U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan.
Roys said that there is a lot at stake in the 2026 race. The country is at an “incredibly dangerous moment” with the Republican control in Washington, D.C., she said, and Wisconsin Democrats could have a “incredible opportunity” to deliver on an array of issues at the state level, including funding public education, supporting Wisconsin’s public universities and technical colleges, expanding access to health care, addressing the high cost of housing and child care, and protecting peoples’ rights and freedoms.
For the last five years, Roys has served in the state Senate, including as a member of the Joint Finance Committee, and has been a strong advocate for funding child care and reproductive rights.
Recalling her time in the Assembly from 2009-2013, including the last session when Democrats held a trifecta, Roys said Democrats didn’t accomplish enough.
“I’m determined to make sure that we do not blow this opportunity,” Roys said. “I think we need strong leadership from our next Democratic governor to make sure that we deliver for people in this state.”
Roys said she is considering many factors in deciding whether to join the race, including whether she would be the right person for the position, her recent experience and her family, including their security.
Whether she runs or not, Roys said she will work across the state to help Democrats flip both houses. She isn’t up for reelection this year and Democrats have set a goal of winning control of the Senate and Assembly for the first time in over 15 years.
“My hope is that all the candidates who are considering a run for governor are prioritizing flipping the Legislature,” Roys said. During Evers’ two terms with a Republican majority in both houses, “He wrote great budgets. They threw them in the garbage,” she said. “He wanted to pass a lot of great legislation that Democrats offered in the Legislature, and he could hardly sign many into law, because he was busy with that veto pen.”
Attorney General Josh Kaul, who would likely be a top candidate if he runs, declined to tell reporters about his plans Friday, saying that it is important to reflect on Evers’ service and “the significance of where we’ve come in the last six and a half years.”
“I don’t have any announcement today,” Kaul said. “I think in the next several weeks, you’ll hear from a number of people as to where they stand.”
Kaul was first elected to the statewide position in 2018 and won a second term in 2022 in a close race against Eric Toney, a Republican prosecutor from Fond du Lac County. Since Trump took office for his second term, Kaul has joined several multistate lawsuits to push back on some of the federal government’s actions, including the withholding of funding
Other potential candidates include Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.
Wisconsin’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers, announced Thursday that he will not seek a third term in 2026, creating the first open race for governor in the battleground state in 16 years.
It will be Wisconsin’s highest-profile race next year as Democrats also angle to take control of the Legislature thanks to redrawn election maps that are friendlier to the party. They are also targeting two congressional districts as Democrats nationwide try to retake the House.
The Legislature has been under Republican control since 2011, and some Democrats had hoped that Evers, 73, would run for a third term to give him a chance to potentially work with a Democratic-controlled one.
In a video announcing his decision, Evers said he was “damn proud” of working 50 years in public service. But he said it was time to focus on his family.
“For five decades, my family has sacrificed to give me the gift of service,” Evers said. “They’re my world and I owe it to them to focus on doing all the things we enjoy and love doing together.”
Possible candidates
The open race is sure to attract several Democratic and Republican candidates. Democrats mentioned as potential candidates include Attorney General Josh Kaul, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, state Sen. Kelda Roys, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.
Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and suburban Milwaukee businessman Bill Berrien are running as Republicans. Others, including U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and state Senate President Mary Felzkowski, are considering it.
Berrien, in a statement reacting to Evers’ decision, said the governor was “too scared to run” on a “record of failure.”
“I’m going to spend the next 15 months making sure whoever the Madison liberals pick from their bench of radical career politicians learns the same lesson,” Berrien said.
Tiffany said in a statement that Evers “leaves behind a legacy of decline” and “it’s time we change course.” But he stopped short of saying whether he would run.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, said whichever Republican wins the primary will be “too extreme for Wisconsin,” and she pledged to keep the office under Democratic control.
The last open race for governor was in 2010, when Democratic incumbent Jim Doyle, similar to Evers, opted not to seek a third term. Republican Scott Walker won that year and served two terms before Evers defeated him in 2018.
The only Wisconsin governor to be elected to a third four-year term was Republican Tommy Thompson, who served from 1987 to 2001. He resigned midway through his fourth term.
Evers won his first race by just over 1 percentage point in 2018. He won reelection by just over 3 points in 2022.
Before being elected governor, Evers worked for 10 years as state superintendent of public instruction after a career as a teacher and school administrator.
Evers often clashes with Republicans
Evers has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump’s administration, and his tenure has been marked by his often contentious relationship with the Legislature.
Before Evers even took office, Republicans convened a lame-duck session to pass a package of laws to weaken his power.
Evers angered Republicans during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when he ordered schools and nonessential businesses to close, issued a statewide mask mandate and tried, unsuccessfully, to delay the state’s April presidential primary.
Republicans broke with tradition to reject 21 Evers appointees. They also blocked many of his proposals, including expanding Medicaid, legalizing marijuana and spending more on child care, K-12 schools and higher education.
Evers used his broad veto powers to stop Republicans from enacting a wide range of conservative priorities, including making voting requirements more strict, expanding gun rights, growing the private school voucher program and making abortions more difficult to obtain.
But Evers did work with Republicans to pass the most recent state budget, which included $1.5 billion in tax cuts prioritized by the GOP and more funding for both K-12 special education and the Universities of Wisconsin. Evers also worked with Republicans to keep the Brewers in Milwaukee and funnel more money to local governments.
Evers pushed for the redrawing of Wisconsin’s legislative boundary lines, which the state Supreme Court ordered after liberal justices gained a majority in 2023.
The maps drawn by Republicans, which had been in place for more than a decade, were widely regarded as among the most gerrymandered in the country. The new maps drawn by Evers are more favorable to Democrats and helped them pick up seats in last November’s election. Democrats are optimistic that they can win control of at least one legislative chamber next year.
Evers waited until after he signed the state budget before making his retirement announcement.
Evers positioned himself as a folksy governor who would sprinkle the occasional mild swear word into his comments and other Midwestern colloquialisms such as “holy mackerel” and “folks.” His mild-mannered demeanor stood in stark contrast to Trump and other political firebrands.
“I think he is the most quintessential Wisconsin politician I’ve ever seen,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, who has been in elected office since 1991.
After winning reelection in 2022, Evers noted that he is frequently described as boring, but said: “As it turns out, boring wins.”
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit and nonpartisan newsroom. Subscribe to our newsletters to get our investigative stories and Friday news roundup.This story is published in partnership with The Associated Press.
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