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.”

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.”

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Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Mukwonago.

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.

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