Friday, February 13, 2026
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Friday, February 13, 2026

Milwaukee Press Club 'Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism' 2020 & 2021 Award Winners

eric toney Ag
eric toney AG

Eric Toney: AG Candidate Endorsed by More Than 50 Sheriffs, DAs

Jim790@gmail.com'
By wisconsin
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Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County District Attorney who is running for state Attorney General as a Republican, has racked up the endorsements of more than 50 current and retired sheriffs, police chiefs, and district attorneys.

Toney is the president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association.

“As Fond du Lac District Attorney, Eric Toney has proven himself to be a tough but fair prosecutor,” said Ryan Waldschmidt, Fond du Lac County Sheriff. “He’s stood with law enforcement by working to keep violent criminals behind bars, encouraging programs to curb offenders from repeating, and ensuring deputies and officers have the legal knowledge they need to make sound decisions on the street when lives are on the line.  Please join me in endorsing Eric Toney for Wisconsin Attorney General.”

“Eric Toney has distinguished himself as a tough prosecutor dedicated to the safety of our communities,” said Ryan Windorf, President of Wisconsin State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police. “He has an exemplary track record of working with police to enforce and uphold the laws of the State of Wisconsin. Eric’s personal and professional achievements demonstrate a genuine support for law enforcement officers, as well as a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding modern policing. His track record proves he is the best candidate for Attorney General – Wisconsin’s to law enforcement official.”

Sean Marschke, Sturtevant police chief and former President: Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association, said, “Eric Toney is one of the toughest prosecutors in our state. And, he has the respect of his fellow prosecutors and cops on the street. Eric Toney is clearly the best choice for Attorney General. Violent crime has surged in our communities and we need to get back to basics and get tough on crime. We need a top cop who has experience in the courtroom taking on violent criminals. Now is not the time for a rookie.”

Toney is facing a primary challenger in University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Ryan Owens. We previously wrote about Owens’ endorsement by Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson. Both men are seeking the Republican nomination in an attempt to unseat liberal AG Josh Kaul.

Although it’s early, Toney appears to be shaping up to be the choice of more DAs and Sheriffs in the Republican primary; Owens is supported by some politicians/legislators and former Supreme Court justices.

Toney has been endorsed by 26 current and one retired Wisconsin district attorneys. They are:

  • Outagamie County DA Melinda Tempelis
  • Waukesha County DA Susan Opper
  • Bayfield County DA Kimberly Lawton
  • Ozaukee County DA Attorney Adam Gerol
  • Brown County County DA David Lasee
  • Washington County DA District Mark Benson
  • Dodge County DA District Kurt Klomberg
  • Sheboygan County DA Joel Urmanski
  • Calumet County DA Nathan Haberman
  • Winnebago County DA Christian Gossett
  • Manitowoc County DA Jacalyn LaBre
  • Marinette County DA DeShea Morrow
  • Shawano County DA Greg Parker
  • Monroe County DA Kevin Croninger
  • Juneau County DA Kenneth Hamm
  • Polk County DA Jeff Kemp
  • Green County DA Craig Nolan
  • Richland County DA Jennifer Harper
  • Iowa County DA Matt Allen
  • Langlade County DA Elizabeth Gebert
  • Lincoln County DA Galen Bayne-Allison
  • Clark County DA Melissa Inlow
  • Jackson County DA Dan Diehn
  • Douglas County DA Mark Fruehauf
  • Vilas County DA Martha Milanowski
  • Lafayette County DA Jenna Gill
  • Fond du Lac County DA Tom Storm*

Toney has been endorsed by 16 current and three retired sheriffs. They are:

  • Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt
  • La Crosse County Sheriff Jeff Wolf
  • Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner
  • Kewaunee County Sheriff Matthew Joski
  • Vernon County Sheriff John Spears
  • Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis
  • Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt
  • Sheboygan County Sheriff Corey Roesler
  • Calumet County Sheriff Mark Wiegert
  • Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz
  • Waushara County Sheriff Walter Zuehlke
  • Marinette County Sheriff Jerry Sauve
  • Burnett County Sheriff Trace Finch
  • Monroe County Sheriff Wesley Revels
  • Oconto County Sheriff Todd Skarban
  • Iron County County Sheriff Paul Samardich
  • Sheriff Mylan Fink*
  • Sheriff Gary Pucker*
  • Sheriff Jim Gilmore*

He lists these six police chief endorsements:

Sean Marschke (former President: Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association) – Sturtevant
Greg Dieke – Wrightstown
William Wallner – Ripon
Kevin Verdine – Rosendale
Thomas Dornbrook – Campbellsport
Tony Barthuly* – retired, Fond du Lac and former DOJ employee at training and standards

He also lists these state and local official endorsements.

  • Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel
  • Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt
  • Representative Michael Schraa
  • Representative Alex Dallman

In a letter to Owens, Toney wrote that the endorsements are now up to 50. “More than 50 law enforcement officials and the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed my campaign,” he wrote.

For his part, Owens has listed the following endorsements:

16 Co-Chairs – two each from all eight Wisconsin Congressional districts

4 former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justices and 4 former Assembly Speakers: Justice Dan Kelly (2016-2020), Justice Michael Gableman (2008-2018), Justice David Prosser (1998-2016), and Justice Jon Wilcox (1992-2007)

Speakers Mike Huebsch (2007-2009), John Gard (2003-2007), Ben Brancel (1997-1999), and David Prosser (1995-1997)

43rd Wisconsin Lt. Governor Margaret Farrow (2001-2003)

The Honorable Paul Clement, 43rd Solicitor General of the United States (2005-2008)

Current Legislators

· Senator Alberta Darling (R – River Hills)

· Senator Steve Naas (R – Whitewater)

· Representative Dave Murphy (R – Greenville)

· Representative Pat Snyder (R – Schofield)

· Representative Calvin Callahan (R – Tomahawk)

· Representative Travis Trannel (R – Cuba City)

· Representative Gae Magnifici (R – Dresser)

· Representative John Macco (R – Ledgeview)

· Representative Elijah Behnke (R – Oconto)

· Representative David Armstrong (R – Rice Lake)

· Representative Cody Horlacher (R – Mukwonago)

· Representative Gary Tauchen (R – Bonduel)

· Representative Rob Swearingen (R – Rhinelander)

· Representative Adam Neylon (R – Pewaukee)

Former Legislators

· Former Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R – West Salem)

· Former Assembly Speaker John Gard (R – Suamico)

· Former Assembly Speaker David Prosser (R – Appleton)

· Former Assembly Speaker Ben Brancel (R – Portage)

· Former Senator Dan Kapanke (R – La Crosse)

· Former Representative Bob Kulp (R – Stratford)

· Former Representative Adam Jarchow (R – Amery)

· Former Representative Romaine Quinn (R – Rice Lake)

· Former Representative Mike Rohrkaste (R – Neenah)

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(The Center Square) – Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction spent $368,885 to hold a four-day standard setting event in June 2024 at a Wisconsin Dells waterpark, according to a new report.

The event included 88 expert educators who were subject to non-disclosure agreements related to the workshop, according to records obtained by Dairyland Sentinel.

The publication fought for more than a year to obtain records of the meeting through Wisconsin Open Records law and attributes the Monday release of 17 more pages of documents to the involvement of the Institute for Reforming Government.

“The agency did not provide receipts for staff time, food, travel, or lodging,” Dairyland Sentinel wrote of the event at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. “Taxpayers are left to wonder how much of that $368,885 was spent on resort amenities, alcohol, or water park access for the 88 educators and various staff in attendance.”

There are no recordings of the event, DPI told the outlet, and meeting minutes were not sent as part of the public records response.

DPI was found by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty to have lowered school report card cut points in 2020-21, changed the labels on those in 2023-24 and lowered the cut points again that year as well.

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WisconsinEye Back On the Air With Temporary State Funding; Bill Heard

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(The Center Square) – WisconsinEye was back on the air broadcasting legislative hearings at Wisconsin’s capitol Tuesday, starting with a hearing on a bill to send long-term funding assistance to the private nonprofit that broadcasts Wisconsin state government meetings.

WisconsinEye received $50,000 in funding through the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization to go on the air during February.

Assembly Bill 974 would allow the network to receive the interest from a $9.75 million endowment each year, estimated to be between 4-7% or between $390,000 and $682,000. The network would have to continue raising the rest of its budget, which board chair Mark O’Connell said is $950,000 annually.

He spoke during a public hearing in the Assembly Committee on State Affairs on Monday. A companion bill in the Senate is not yet filed.

“We’ll need some kind of bridge,” O’Connell cautioned, saying it will take time for the trust fund granted in the 2024-25 budget to earn interest and get it to the network.

O’Connell also said that he hopes the legislation can be changed to allow for the Wisconsin Investment Board to be aggressive while investing the fund.

O’Connell noted that WisconsinEye raised more than $56,000 through donations on GoFundMe since it went off the air Dec. 15 and that there are seven donors willing to give $25,000 annually and one that will donate $50,000 annually if the legislation passes, which he said would put the network in a “relatively strong position in partnership with the state.”

O’Connell noted that many states fund their own in-house network to broadcast the legislature and committees.

“This legislation will fund only about 1/3 of what we need,” O’Connell said.

The bill has four restrictions, starting with the requirement that appointees of the Assembly Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Minority Leader and Senate Minority Leader that are not members of the Legislature be added to the WisEye board of directors.

WisEye will be required to focus coverage on official state government meetings and business, provide free online access to its live broadcasts and digital archives and that WisEye provides an annual financial report to the Legislature and Joint Finance Committee.

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(The Center Square) - A bipartisan Assembly bill that would re-start live stream operations of Wisconsin government from WisconsinEye is expected to receive its first committee discussion during a public hearing at noon Tuesday in the Committee on State Affairs.

The bill proposes granting WisconsinEye funds from $10 million set aside for matching funds in an endowment so that WisconsinEye can resume operations now, something that WisEye President and CEO Jon Henkes told The Center Square in November he was hoping to happen.

WisEye shut down operations and removed its archives from the being available online Dec. 15.

The bill, which is scheduled for both a public hearing and vote in committee Tuesday, would remove the endowment fund restrictions on the funds and instead put the $10 million in a trust that can be used to provide grants for operations costs to live stream Wisconsin government meetings, including committee and full Assembly and Senate meetings at the state capitol.

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