Former WEDC CEO Missy Hughes launched her campaign Monday to seek the Democratic nomination for Wisconsin governor. (Hughes campaign photo)

Missy Hughes, Wisconsin’s former top economic development official, says she offers a distinctive choice in the 2026 Democratic primary for governor — an effective non-politician with a strong economic track record.

“Listen, I’m not a politician. I’m different than other folks you’ve seen run for governor. That’s the point,” Hughes says in her launch video released Monday morning.

Hughes, a lawyer who served as Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) CEO and secretary for six years, becomes the seventh Democrat to join the field for the party’s nomination after Gov. Tony Evers announced in July that he will not seek a third term in 2026.

“I think right now, there’s a moment where we’re looking for a Democrat who understands the economy, who understands how to build the economy, who understands how to move Wisconsin forward, and so I happen to have the chance to meet that moment,” Hughes told the Wisconsin Examiner in an interview Monday. 

“As governor, I’ll create a Main Street economy that includes you and works for you,” Hughes says in the launch video. “Where we strengthen our Main Streets, make sure Wisconsinites have higher wages and housing they can afford, our families have child care and health care that doesn’t break the bank, and our public schools prepare our kids for the future.”

Hughes was an executive for 17 years at Organic Valley before Evers appointed her to lead the WEDC. In her campaign video, she says that the cooperative, which markets organic dairy products sourced from more than 1,800 farms across the U.S., topped $1 billion in revenue during her tenure.

She took the reins at the WEDC Oct. 1, 2019, where she headed Wisconsin’s negotiations with major employers expanding their operations or relocating to the state. She resigned Sept. 19, 10 days before launching her campaign.

During her tenure at the agency, “major companies like Milwaukee Tool, Microsoft, Eli Lilly, Kikkoman and more committed to invest over $10 billion and create 45,000 good-paying jobs across Wisconsin,” the Hughes campaign stated in a debut email.

Hughes also raised the department’s profile in small business and local community economic development. The WEDC oversaw many of the state’s COVID-19 relief programs, which focused heavily on small business recovery from the short but sharp economic hit brought on by the pandemic.

Among the highest profile efforts was the Main Street Bounceback, which directed $10,000 grants to more than 9,500 small businesses across Wisconsin.

The WEDC is also the lead state agency involved in Wisconsin’s successful application for federal support to establish a technology hub centered on the state’s biohealth sector.

Hughes is the second Democrat with an Evers administration background to seek the party’s nomination in the August 2026 primary. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was the first to enter the race, declaring her candidacy less than 24 hours after Evers announced he was not running.

Other declared hopefuls are Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison) and state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison). Milwaukee factory worker and baseball stadium beer vendor Ryan Strnad and former state Rep. Brett Hulsey are also seeking the nomination.

Hughes told the Wisconsin Examiner that economic concerns and how she’s addressed them in her career are central to her case. 

“I think the economy is something that Wisconsinites think about day to day,” Hughes said. “No matter what, we know that folks are going to be thinking about those issues, those kitchen table issues that are really important to how they live their lives every day.”

Her campaign message that she’s “not a politician” aims to convey “that I’m in it to serve the people of Wisconsin and to support them as they go through their daily lives trying to make ends meet and have a little bit of fun at the same time,” Hughes said.

“I’m not someone who has spent a career working in politics and working to shout louder than the person standing next to me,” she said. From working with farmers to community economic development projects, “my job has always been about having economic impact and helping people to succeed.”

While centering an economic message, her campaign has also nodded broadly to themes of personal freedom and democracy that have been the foremost concerns of some voters. 

In the video, over shots of the White House and then a gleaming urban office tower, Hughes says, “I’m not going to go looking for a fight, but I’ll stand up to anyone, from the White House to Wall Street, who comes after your rights or tries to make your life harder.”

Hughes reiterated that message in the interview, adding that she  believes it’s possible to cut through political  polarization. 

“Certainly, folks are talking about what rights are on the table, how we’re interacting with each other and either supporting our rights or taking them away,” she said. 

From her home community near Viroqua in Southwestern Wisconsin to her  travels around the state, Hughes said people are yearning for greater harmony. 

“Everyone is just so exhausted by the division and the ongoing fighting and they want someone who says, ‘Let’s come to the table. Let’s find common ground,’” Hughes said. 

“I feel like there’s a complete path to victory that involves making sure that we’re building a strong economy, and at the same time, we’re bringing people together so they can talk about their differences, and they can work on projects and have an impact together.”

This report has been updated.

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U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany delivers a speech at his launch event in Wausau. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

WAUSAU — In his first event since launching his campaign for governor of Wisconsin, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany made the case for his governorship and promised the large crowd seated and standing around a barn on Wednesday that he’ll work hard to win in 2026.

The 2026 race will be the first open election for governor of Wisconsin in over 15 years as Gov. Tony Evers decided to retire at the end of his second term. Tiffany became the third Republican candidate in the race on Tuesday. Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and Whitefish Bay manufacturer Bill Berrien are also running in the Republican primary for the office. The Democratic field is growing with at least six candidates so far. The primary is scheduled for August 2026.  

“We are making America great once again,” Tiffany, who stood in front of an American flag, told the crowd. “Now we need a governor that’s going to lead Wisconsin to prosperity. Are we going to be one of those states that chooses prosperity like Texas and Florida and Tennessee and Ohio or are we going to be one of the laggards like New York or California?”

Tiffany declared during his speech that he is “the leader” in the race as he called for people to join him in his work. 

“I will put every ounce of my energy into this… but I cannot do it alone,” Tiffany said. “I am going to need your help.” 

Berrien, who has never held elected office, criticized Tiffany as a “career politician” in a statement after his launch. 

“We need builders who will create prosperity for all through work, revitalize the manufacturing infrastructure that lies dormant in our state, and jumpstart our economy,” Berrien said. “As the only builder in this race, I’m the strongest general election candidate Democrats will face — and they know it!”

Schoemann, meanwhile, welcomed Tiffany to the race. 

“Looking forward to a Republican primary focused on ideas and winning back the governor’s office,” Schoemann said in a social media post on Tuesday. 

In his 16-minute speech, Tiffany highlighted his childhood on a dairy farm in Elmwood, in the western part of the state as one of eight children.

“Growing up on the farm, we learned to work hard. We learned how to work hard, and we learned to live on a budget, and there are no excuses on the farm, you pick up the shovel, you pick up the pitchfork and you go to work,” Tiffany said. “That’s the way it is. There’s no excuses when those chores start to pile up, and it’s kind of the Wisconsin way.”

The crowd of attendees, some wearing “Make America Great Again” hats, Turning Point USA shirts and even vintage Tiffany for Senate shirts, cheered enthusiastically throughout the speech. 

Linda Michalski, a Wausau resident who retired from working for Marathon County as an  accountant, said she got an invite to Tiffany’s event from the Marathon County Republican Party, of which she is a member. She said she hasn’t researched the other Republican candidates in depth, but that she believes Tiffany’s name recognition will give him an edge.

Michalski said Tiffany’s backstory stuck out to her. 

“Dairy farmers work hard. You can’t just let things slide. You can’t just go on vacation if you’re a dairy farmer, in a dairy farmer family. Things have to get done, and they can’t… If more people had a strong work ethic, they wouldn’t be faced with financial difficulties,” Michalski said. 

Tiffany is hoping to lean on voters like Michaski in the areas of the state where he is most at home, telling reporters after his speech that he needs to “juice up” turnout in northern and western Wisconsin in order to win in 2026. 

“I’m driving all over the state of Wisconsin today, and I was talking to people that were making commitments, and I think you’re going to see more people climb on board here,” Tiffany said. “I got to prove myself to people, the state of Wisconsin.” 

Tiffany, who lives in Minocqua, has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, a massive area encompassing the northern part of the state, in the House of Representatives since 2020. Before he went to Washington D.C., Tiffany served in the Wisconsin Legislature, first in the Assembly for about three years, followed by nearly eight years in the state Senate, where he was a member of  the powerful, budget-writing Joint Finance Committee. 

Tiffany told reporters that he is expecting that he’ll have to raise $30 or $40 million, and that his campaign is “off to a good start.”

Republicans in the gubernatorial primary are anxiously awaiting a possible endorsement from  President Donald Trump. Tiffany said his last conversation with Trump, which centered mostly on the 7th CD, was in August. 

“We will see how he responds. If he chooses to endorse me, I will certainly welcome that endorsement,” Tiffany said. 

In his speech, Tiffany said he would freeze property taxes and said the annual $325 school revenue limit increase that districts receive due to a partial veto by Evers would be “dead on day one.” 

The annual revenue limit increase gives school districts the option to bring in additional revenue, though without additional state aid, their only option to benefit from the increase is to raise local property taxes. Many school districts throughout the state have been leaning on property taxes to help with costs, since state aid to schools has not kept pace with inflation for almost two decades.

Michalski, a homeowner, said that a freeze in property taxes would be a “welcome relief.” She said her own property taxes have jumped nearly $1,000 recently, a hike that she blames on the Wausau Common Council. 

“Our current government is — it’s awful. It’s just awful, what Gov. Evers is doing. He’s pushing away businesses, he’s adding taxes upon taxes, and… he’s imposing a tax on property owners for 400 years,” Michalski said. 

Tiffany didn’t have additional specifics when it came to exactly how he would freeze property taxes while talking to reporters after his speech. 

“There’s plenty of money in Madison that I think we can help out those local municipalities to do the property tax freeze taxes at the local level. Where are the schools and the local municipalities going to get their money, right? I think the state can help out, especially after the spending blowout with this budget,” Tiffany told reporters after his speech. 

Asked by a reporter if he would seek a suspension of school referendums, Tiffany said he hasn’t “dug that deep into the details” and would “have to study that a little bit.” 

Kevin Lund, a nurse from Kronenwetter, said he appreciates the “Wisconsin First” message that Tiffany delivered. While he identifies as a libertarian, not a Republican, Lund said he has been following Tiffany since he took over from former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy in 2020. 

“He’s paralleling a lot of the conservative type of sentiments that have been kind of nationwide,” Lund said, adding that he is happy about that. “He’s winning on the 80-20 issues, and as long as he can continue to convey that message throughout the state, I think, he’ll find a lot of success.” 

Those issues, Lund said, include immigration and the economy. 

“When you have money, all of a sudden, everybody’s a little bit happier,” Lund said, adding that young people in particular are dealing with challenges trying to afford a home and are “seeing a stagnation in wage growth.” 

“That’s got to be concerning to the younger generation. I’ve got a daughter that’s young, and… I’m wanting to see young people be able to have the chance to succeed in the state,” Lund said.

Tiffany, speaking about his tenure in Congress, highlighted his visits to the southern border where he said he saw “the damage that was being done to America, where every state had become a border state.” Tiffany, who is a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, has been supportive of Trump’s crackdown on immigration during his second term. 

During his speech, Tiffany repeatedly blamed Democrats for problems in the state and played up cultural issues.

“For too long, Democrats have torn down what has been built up in Wisconsin,” Tiffany said. “If we give them four more years? Buckle up! Buckle up! Because you’ll see illegal aliens having driver’s licenses. You’ll see men playing girls’ sports and cheap foreign labor will replace you.” 

Tiffany also declared that there would be “no sanctuary cities” in Wisconsin under his leadership and called diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) “unconstitutional and un-American.” 

“I talk to parents, and they have a simple message in regards to education, they just say, ‘Just educate our kids. Don’t indoctrinate them. Just get them a good education.’” Tiffany said, adding that he would seek to ensure that “dollars for education are going to students, teachers, and communities, not the system.”

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State Sen. Kelda Roys calls attention to the issue of child care funding during a June press conference alongside her Democratic colleagues. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner)

Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys of Madison said she will fight back against “extremists” as she launched her campaign for governor Monday morning. 

Roys, 46, is now the fourth candidate to enter the open Democratic primary. She joins Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley as well as Mukwonago beer vendor Ryan Strnad.

“I’ve been protecting our freedoms when others didn’t even see the threat coming. That’s leadership. See the problem. Build the coalition, deliver results,” Roys said in her campaign announcement ad. “I’ve done it while raising five kids and running a small business, because when something matters, we find a way.” 

Roys gave two reasons for why she is running for governor in an interview with the Wisconsin Examiner. 

“I’m running because Wisconsin needs a governor who’s going to stand up to what the Republican regime is doing and protect Wisconsinites from the harms that they are causing us,” Roys said. “And also because this is a time of incredible opportunity for Wisconsin, and we need a governor who knows how to get things done, how to deliver meaningful change for families across the state.” 

Promising to push back on the Trump administration, Roys said that means that “as people are losing their health care coverage because of the federal budget, as farmers don’t have the workforce to help harvest their crops, as small businesses are struggling with the high cost and uncertainty caused by Trump’s policies, I’m going to do everything in my power to help Wisconsinites thrive.”

Roys said the Democratic Party is struggling with low approval ratings because people aren’t seeing Democrats do enough to combat Trump.

“When I talk to folks all around the state, it’s because people are angry that Democrats don’t seem to be meeting this moment and ringing the alarm bells the way that we need to be right now,” Roys said. 

Roys was elected to the Senate in 2020 and has served as one of four Democrats on the Joint Finance Committee, which is responsible for writing the state’s biennial budget, since 2023. Prior to this, she served two terms in the state Assembly, including one under former Gov. Jim Doyle and one under former Gov. Scott Walker. 

Roys said her experience in the Legislature would help inform the way she would lead as governor. 

“Much to my chagrin, when you look at the governors who have been effective at cementing their legacies into the law, it’s the governors that have come from the Legislature,” Roys said. “Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker are really the top examples that we have, because they understood how to work with the Legislature.” 

Roys said the makeup of the state Legislature will not change her determination to get things done, though she is “bullish” in her belief that the state Senate will flip Democratic in 2026 and possibly the state Assembly, too. 

“My feeling is that you’re never going to get anything done alone. You always are going to need a team, and the job of the governor is to build that so that you can make durable change, and I will continue to maintain a strong relationship with Republican and Democratic legislators,” Roys said. “As governor, I’m going to be always looking for opportunities to partner with the Legislature, to reach across the aisle, because this is a purple state.” 

Roys said her history shows her ability to advance her priorities, even in a Republican Legislature, and that is what sets her apart from other Democratic candidates in the race.

One accomplishment, she noted, was her experience as a law student working with the Wisconsin Innocence Project to help pass Act 60, a criminal justice reform law aimed at helping prevent wrongful convictions, in a Legislature dominated by Republicans. Roys also noted the when she was executive director of NARAL Wisconsin, she advocated for the passage of the Compassionate Care for Rape Victims Act, which requires Wisconsin hospital emergency rooms to provide medically accurate oral and written information regarding emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault and to dispense emergency contraception upon request. 

Roys has been an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights during her service in the Legislature as well, calling for the repeal of the 1849 criminal law that ended abortion services in the state for a year and a half after Roe v. Wade was overturned, and the loosening of other abortion restrictions in the state.

Roys, who voted against the recent state budget, said she did so in part because of the lack of education funding. As governor, she said she would want to improve public education and ensure that “we’re not perpetually forcing our schools to go to their neighbors and ask them to raise their own property taxes just to keep the lights on and keep teachers in the classroom.”

Beyond funding, Roys laid out a couple of priorities for schools on her campaign website, including “using evidence-based learning, keeping smartphones out of the classroom, retaining high standards, engaging parents and community members as stakeholders and ensuring high quality professional development for educators.” 

This is Roys’ second time running. She came in third in the Democratic primary in 2018, when Evers was first elected, behind Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. 

Wisconsin’s gubernatorial primaries are about 11 months away, scheduled for August 2026.  

The Republican primary is still taking shape as well. Whitefish Bay manufacturer Bill Berrien and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann have officially entered the race. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany has said he will make a decision about entering the race by the end of the month. 

Berrien said in a statement about Roys’ campaign launch that Wisconsinites were not going to “elect a career politician who views the governor’s mansion as another stepping stone in her career” and that voters had already rejected her “extreme, far-left policies and Medicare for All Agenda.”

“As governor, I’ll create prosperity for all through work because it doesn’t matter who the Democrats nominate, I will beat them,” Berrien said. 

Roys said she hadn’t seen Berrien’s full statement, but it sounded “laughable.”

“I’ve actually spent more of my career in the private sector than in the public, but I still have way more experience than any of the Republicans thinking of running for governor,” Roys said.

In the six-year gap between her service in the Assembly and Senate, Roys founded Open Homes, an online real estate service, in 2013, as a way to “lower fees and make it easier for people to buy and sell their homes,” according to her campaign announcement. She first got her real estate license at 19 when she lived in New York City to help pay for college, according to the business website.

As for Berrien’s charge that she is “extreme,” Roys says, “there is no place for violence or violent rhetoric in our politics, but you have to look no further than the President that these Republicans support, who has unleashed an incredible amount of violent rhetoric that is meant to scare and intimidate Americans who disagree with him, and it’s not just his words, but it’s his actions.”

Roys noted Trump’s pardons of January 6th insurrectionists. 

“I don’t know what you can call those pardons, if not a permission slip for violence,” Roys said. “I don’t want to hear one word from Republican candidates about extremism, until they denounce their own president and his contributions to the terrible situation that this country is in.”

Roys said the biggest challenge that Democrats face in competing statewide in 2026 is a group of “very, very well funded billionaires and right wing extremists that gerrymandered our state and have been trying to buy elections here for a generation.” She said she would work to combat that by “building a strong statewide grassroots campaign of people from across the political spectrum who want to see Wisconsin actually solve our problems and move forward again.”

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Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes at the Hannover Messe trade show in Germany last week. (Photo courtesy of WEDC)

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes will step down from her position in the Evers Administration on Sept. 19, according to a Friday announcement. 

Hughes was first appointed to the position in 2019 and was confirmed by the state Senate in 2021 and in 2023. She is the first woman to serve in the position. Prior to that, she served as general counsel and chief mission officer at La Farge dairy cooperative, Organic Valley.

Hughes thanked Evers in a statement for “his vision and support for our efforts to build an economy for all.” 

“Each of our state’s successes serves to inspire more development, more innovation, and more growth,” Hughes said. “People start seeing something good happening in their communities, and they want to keep it moving forward. Opportunities to be in the national news for positive accomplishments show companies and talent that Wisconsin competes on the global stage. Every day, Wisconsin is solving problems for the world, and we’ve made sure the world has us on its mind. I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of this work and the Evers Administration.”

According to Evers’ office, WEDC during Hughes’ tenure has worked with companies to commit over $8 billion in planned investments and to create or retain over 45,000 jobs. 

Hughes’ departure comes as she considers a run for governor in 2026, in the first open race since 2010, though she made no indication of her future plans in her statement. 

Gov. Tony Evers’ decision not to run so he can spend time with his family has left a lane for Democratic leaders across the state to consider a run. So far, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez entered the race first and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley launched his campaign this week. Others considering include state Sen. Kelda Roys, Attorney General Josh Kaul and state Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison).

Evers said Hughes has played an important role in his administration’s focus on “building an economy that works for everyone, investing in Wisconsin’s homegrown talent and Main Streets, and supporting and expanding some of our state’s most iconic brands and companies while attracting new industries and opportunities here to Wisconsin.”

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