Josh Kaul will seek reelection as attorney general, won’t run for governor

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul won’t run for governor in 2026, announcing Tuesday that he’ll seek reelection to his current job leading the state Department of Justice.

There had been speculation for months that Kaul would run for governor, and his experience in statewide campaigns could have given him an edge in what could be a crowded Democratic primary.

In an interview with WPR, he said his decision was partly “personal in nature,” but also reflective of the work his office has undertaken in challenging President Donald Trump’s administration. 

“This is such an important time for the role of attorneys general around the country,” he said. “I think it’s a pivotal time for the country, and I think some of our most basic rights are under threat.”

Kaul’s Wisconsin Department of Justice has signed onto several dozen multistate lawsuits against the Trump White House. Those have targeted different cuts to federal funds and grants, access to personal data, firings of federal workers, and Trump’s attempt to block birthright citizenship, among other policies. 

Kaul also said he’ll run for a third term on the basis of a record that includes supporting abortion rights and the Office of School Safety. 

“I think there’s more progress that we need to make by investing in public safety and through other measures like universal background checks for firearm purchases,” he said.

During Kaul’s second term, he’s overseen the case against Wisconsin’s false electors, those Republicans who signed official-looking documentation attesting that Trump won Wisconsin in 2020, even though he had lost to former President Joe Biden. 

Kaul has faced some criticism from fellow Democrats who argue he has not been forceful enough against the architects of the scheme, which was first developed in Wisconsin. Kaul has filed felony fraud charges against former Trump campaign attorneys Jim Troupis and Kenneth Chesebro, and former Trump campaign official Mike Roman. 

Kaul declined to comment on those criticisms, citing the pending criminal case. 

A likely electoral domino effect  

There are currently no declared Republicans in the race for Attorney General. Kaul’s announcement Tuesday will likely have a domino effect, as some Democrats may now explore a run for governor and Republicans will seek to challenge his incumbency leading the Department of Justice. 

“Now that he has decided that he is not going to run for governor, it leaves the race very much wide open on the Democratic Party side,” said Anthony Chergosky, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. 

Several candidates have already jumped into the governor’s race, including Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Madison state Sen. Kelda Roys, Madison state Rep. Francesca Hong and former Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO Missy Hughes.

The Republican field for governor includes Congressman Tom Tiffany of Minocqua and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.

Meanwhile, Kaul seeking a third term at the DOJ could also set up a race that is closely tied to voters’ perspectives on Trump, Chergosky argued. 

“The stars really do align here to make Trump a crucial factor in the AG race, because you have a Democratic attorney general who is heavily involved in legal challenges to the Trump administration, and you’ve already got a midterm election that we would assume will be, to some extent, a referendum on Trump,” he said. 

Kaul’s elections — like many other statewide contests in Wisconsin — have been close. Kaul took office by defeating incumbent Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel in 2018 by 0.7 percentage points. He was reelected in 2022 against Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney by 1.3 points. 

WPR’s Shawn Johnson contributed reporting.