🔥 Trending 2026 Wisconsin Gubernatorial Election: Key Issues and Candidates

The 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of Wisconsin ¹². This election marks Wisconsin's first open gubernatorial contest since 2010, as current Governor Tony Evers announced in July 2025 that he would not seek reelection ³⁹.

Key Candidates

The major party nominees have emerged following the primaries.

• Democratic Nominee: David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, secured the Democratic nomination ¹.
• Republican Nominee: Tom Tiffany, a U.S. Representative, is the Republican nominee ¹.

Other candidates, such as Madison democratic socialist ⁶ and Brett Hulsey, an environmentalist who previously ran in the 2014 gubernatorial primary, were also mentioned as having declared intentions to run or were part of the candidate field ¹⁰.

Key Issues

Candidates are addressing a range of critical issues facing Wisconsin. Discussions and debates have highlighted topics such as:

• Small Business Issues: This has been a significant point of discussion among Democratic candidates ³.
• Immigration Enforcement: Similar to small business issues, immigration enforcement has been a key topic in candidate debates ³.
• Data Centers: The development and impact of data centers are being discussed by candidates ⁷⁸.
• Education Funding: This remains a central issue in the election ⁷⁸.
• Housing Costs: Candidates are addressing the rising costs of housing ⁸.
• Tax Policy: Tax strategies and policies are part of the gubernatorial candidates' platforms ⁸.
• School Funding: Alongside broader education funding, specific school funding initiatives are being discussed ⁷.

Candidates have been participating in various forums to discuss these issues, including video interviews with WisPolitics-State Affairs and WisconsinEye, as well as voter guides released by Wisconsin Public Radio ⁵⁷.