Wisconsin’s next gubernatorial election is in 2026, with a primary Aug. 11 and the general election Nov. 3. Incumbent governor, Democrat Tony Evers, is not running for a third term.
WUWM reviewed media coverage, press releases, campaign websites, and Wisconsin Ethics Commission candidate filings to compile this list of the candidates running for governor.
Republicans
Josh Schoemann
Current occupation: Washington County executive
Schoemann touts his experience as a veteran and public official. His campaign website lists his accomplishments as Washington County executive, including cutting taxes and reducing government staff. Schoemann says he wants to pursue those priorities on a larger scale as governor.
Tom Tiffany
Current occupation: U.S. Representative
Tiffany currently represents a Northern Wisconsin district in Congress. Before being elected to Congress in 2020, Tiffany was a state legislator. On his candidate website, Tiffany says he will freeze property taxes, do away with Gov. Evers' 400-year revenue increase for schools, and cut regulations to make housing, childcare and healthcare more affordable.
Andy Manske
Current occupation: Medical service tech
Manske’s campaign website says he was born in Milwaukee and raised in Franklin. He proposes reforming property taxes so homeowners who have paid off their homes pay less. Manske also supports embracing AI to reduce government size, legalization of marijuana and building high speed rail.
Democrats
David Crowley
Current occupation: Milwaukee County executive
Crowley was the first Black man elected Milwaukee County executive. He’s been in that job since 2020 and before that represented a Milwaukee district in the state Assembly. In his campaign announcement, Crowley touted his experience leading Wisconsin’s largest county. He said if elected, he would fight to lower costs for families.
Sara Rodriguez
Current occupation: Lieutenant governor
Rodriguez was elected lieutenant governor, serving alongside Gov. Tony Evers in 2022. Before that, she represented portions of Waukesha and Milwaukee counties in the state Assembly. On her campaign website, she also highlights her experience as a registered nurse. Rodriguez says her priorities include: reproductive rights, cutting costs for families, strengthening schools and protecting natural resources.
Missy Hughes
Former occupation: WEDC CEO
Hughes stepped down from her role leading the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to run for governor. She previously was an executive in dairy industry. On her campaign website, she says her priority is to create a better economy for Wisconsinites by raising wages, making childcare and healthcare more affordable and funding public schools.
Francesca Hong
Current occupation: State representative
Hong has represented a Madison district in the state Legislature since 2021. She used to work as a chef, and highlighted her service industry experience and her experience as a single mom in her campaign announcement. Hong says she aims to represent working class people as governor by supporting fully funding public schools, universal childcare and affordable healthcare.
Kelda Roys
Current occupation: State senator
Roys is an attorney who represents Madison in the state Legislature. She previously served in the state Assembly. On her campaign website, Roys’ priorities if elected include: standing up to the Trump administration, creating economic opportunity for all, championing public education, building affordable housing, and standing up for reproductive freedom.
Brett Hulsey
Current occupation: Small business owner
Hulsey is a former state representative from Madison and Dane County Board member, who according to his campaign announcement, runs an energy and environmental small business. His goals if elected include reducing carbon emissions to net zero in all Wisconsin buildings, supporting clean energy and jobs and investing in schools.
Candidate website: none found
Zachary Roper
Current occupation: College student
A 2025 Carthage College article says that Roper is a student studying political science at Carthage College who previously ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly to represent a district that includes his hometown of Muskego. He lost that election to Chuck Wichgers. In a video on his Twitter page, Roper talked about wanting to address the economic challenges people in Wisconsin face.
Candidate website: none found
Ryan Strnad
Current occupation: Beer vendor
A Wisconsin Examiner story says Strnad works as a beer vendor at American Family Field. Strnad’s campaign website says he lives in Mukwonago and is running for governor to improve the working class, put healthcare administration on “a tight leash,” back the police and support quality education. His website says he left the Republican Party in 2001 to become a Democrat.
Tim Jacobson
WUWM was not able to find further information about this candidate, beyond a Wisconsin Ethics Commission campaign registration.
Independent
Mike Kohn
WUWM was not able to find further information about this candidate, beyond a Wisconsin Ethics Commission campaign registration.
Crystal Harper
WUWM was not able to find much information about Harper or her priorities. She has some social media posts about her campaign for governor.
