Saturday, July 12, 2025
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Saturday, July 12, 2025

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

Wisconsin District Attorneys josh kaul endorsement
Josh Kaul (l) and Eric Toney (r)

Wisconsin District Attorneys Are Turning Their Backs on AG Josh Kaul

By Jessica McBride & Jim Piwowarczyk
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It’s very unusual that law enforcement leaders and DAs have so firmly turned their back on the man who holds the position known as the state’s “top cop.”

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul has only been able to get 5 of the state’s 71 Wisconsin district attorneys to support his campaign, laughably calling it a bipartisan “coalition.”

His Republican opponent, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, the president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association, has the support of 30 district attorneys, 28 who are sitting DAs and two who are retired.

Furthermore, Kaul has announced zero law enforcement endorsements from police chiefs and police associations, and he has only three sheriffs backing him, whereas Toney has a long list.

Kaul’s bizarre attempt to turn a measly 5 DAs into a “coalition” is reminiscent of the wording used by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mandela Barnes, who initially announced a grand total of 9 law enforcement endorsements before 2 fell off the list (one said he didn’t actually endorse him).

But it’s especially shocking that law enforcement and DAs have so firmly turned their back on the man who holds the position considered by many to be the state’s “top cop.”

Toney is endorsed by over 100 Sheriffs, District Attorneys, and Police Chiefs, and has been unanimously endorsed by the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge, Milwaukee Police Association, Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization, and the Kenosha Professional Police Association.

“I’m honored and excited to endorse Eric Toney for attorney general,” Racine County DA Patricia Hanson said. “He’s a proven, tough-on-crime prosecutor who’ll work with local law enforcement to clean up the mess Josh Kaul has made at the Department of Justice.  Crime in Wisconsin is surging, and we do not have time for on-the-job training.  He’s the only candidate who has managed a team of prosecutors and utilized the resources of the DOJ to keep our communities safe. Eric Toney will make an excellent ‘top cop’ for Wisconsin.”

Kaul’s 5 Wisconsin District Attorney endorsements are Buffalo County DA Tom Bilski. Jefferson County District Attorney Monica Hall, Wood County DA Craig Lambert, Kenosha County DA Michael Graveley, and La Crosse County DA Tim Gruenke.

Eric Toney’s Wisconsin District Attorney Endorsements are:

  • Brown County County DA David Lasee
  • Calumet County DA Nathan Haberman
  • Clark County DA Melissa Inlow
  • Chippewa County DA Wade Newall
  • Dodge County DA District Kurt Klomberg
  • Douglas County DA Mark Fruehauf
  • Green County DA Craig Nolan
  • Iron County DA Matthew Tingstad
  • Juneau County DA Kenneth Hamm
  • Lafayette County DA Jenna Gill
  • Langlade County DA Elizabeth Gebert
  • Lincoln County DA Galen Bayne-Allison
  • Manitowoc County DA Jacalyn LaBre
  • Marinette County DA DeShea Morrow
  • Monroe County DA Kevin Croninger
  • Outagamie County DA Melinda Tempelis
  • Oconto County DA Edward Burke
  • Ozaukee County DA Attorney Adam Gerol
  • Polk County DA Jeff Kemp
  • Richland County DA Jennifer Harper
  • Racine County DA Patricia Hanson
  • Shawano County DA Greg Parker
  • Sheboygan County DA Joel Urmanski
  • St. Croix DA Karl Anderson
  • Washington County DA District Mark Benson
  • Waukesha County DA Susan Opper
  • Waupaca County DA Veronica Isherwood
  • Winnebago County DA Eric Sparr
  • Winnebago County DA Christian Gossett*
  • Fond du Lac County DA Tom Storm*

Organizations Endorsing Eric Toney

Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police

Milwaukee Police Association

Racine Police Association

Racine County Deputy Sheriff Association

Milwaukee Police Supervisors Organization

Kenosha Professional Police Association

West Allis Professional Police Association

Sheriffs Endorsing Eric Toney

Adams County Sheriff Brent York
Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald
Bayfield County Sheriff Paul Susienka
Brown County Sheriff Todd Delain
Buffalo County Sheriff Michael Schmidtknecht
Burnett County Sheriff Tracy Finch
Calumet County Sheriff Mark Wiegert
Clark County Sheriff Scott Haines
Crawford County Sheriff Dale McCullick
Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt
Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd
Eau Claire County Sheriff Ronald Cramer
Florence County Sheriff Dan Miller
Fond du Lac County Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt
Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman
Green Lake Sheriff Mark Podoll
Iron County Sheriff Paul Samardich
Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath
Juneau County Sheriff Brett Oleson
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth
Kewaunee County Sheriff Matthew Joski
La Crosse County Sheriff Jeff Wolf
Lafayette County Sheriff Reg Gill
Langlade County Sheriff Mark Westen
Lincoln County Sheriff Ken Schneider
Manitowoc County Sheriff Dan Hartwig
Marathon County Sheriff Scott Parks
Marinette County Sheriff Jerry Sauve
Marquette County Sheriff Joe Konrath
Menominee County Sheriff Rebecca Smith
Monroe County Sheriff Wesley Revels
Oconto County Sheriff Todd Skarban
Oneida County Sheriff Grady Hartman
Ozaukee County Sheriff Jim Johnson
Pepin County Sheriff Joel Wener
Pierce County Sheriff Nancy Hove
Polk County Sheriff Brent Waak
Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt
Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling
Rusk County Sheriff Jeff Wallace
Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister
Sawyer County Sheriff Doug Mrotek
Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber
Sheboygan County Sheriff Corey Roesler
St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson
Taylor County Sheriff Larry Woebbeking
Trempealeau County Sheriff Brett Semingson
Walworth County Sheriff Kurt Picknell
Waupaca County Sheriff Tim Wilz
Washburn County Sheriff Dennis Stuart
Washington County Sheriff Martin Schulteis
Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson
Waushara County Sheriff Walter Zuehlke
Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz
Wood County Sheriff Shawn Becker
Vernon County Sheriff John Spears
Vilas County Sheriff Joseph Fath
Sheriff Mylan Fink*
Sheriff Gary Pucker*
Sheriff Jim Gilmore*
Sheriff David Graves*
Sheriff Gary Hamblin

Police Chiefs Endorsing Toney

Greg Dieke
David Beal
Renee Schuster
Sean Marschke (former President: Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association)
Scout Louden
Thomas Bishop
Thomas Dornbrook
William Wallner
Gary Durkee
Gary Rose
Aaron Goldstein
Paul Mott
Nate Klapoetke
Bryan Frank
Kevin Fenske
Russ Monacelli*
Kevin Verdine*
Dale Heeringa*
Dave Lukoski*
Tony Barthuly*
William Lamb*
Mike Koval*

See the rest of Toney’s law enforcement endorsements here.

We’d link to the rest of Kaul’s, but he doesn’t have many.

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The Center Square -

(The Center Square) – Josh Schoemann, the only Republican currently in the race for governor next year, is criticizing Gov. Tony Evers’ approach to the next state budget by comparing it to his plans in Washington County.

“In Washington County our budget cycle starts right now, and it’s not due until November. We will propose our budget goals to the County Board in the next couple of months. We will share ‘This is what we’re thinking.’ It gives them months of time to think those through, give us feedback, and [have] that kind of dialogue,” Schoemann explained in an interview on News Talk 1130 WISN.

Schoemann said that is far better than the approach Evers is taking again this year.

“That’s not how government is supposed to work,” Schoemann said. “It’s not the vision of the governor. It’s not the vision of any one person.”

Evers and the Republican legislative leaders who will write the budget have been involved in on-again, off-again budget talks this month. On Thursday, the governor’s office said those talks were off once again because of gridlock in the Senate.

“Ultimately, the Senate needs to decide whether they were elected to govern and get things done or not,” Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback said in a post on X.

Schoemann’s criticism of Evers is nothing new. He has long been a critic of the governor and has turned that criticism up since launching his campaign for governor.

But the recent criticism was also aimed at other Republicans who may jump into the 20206 governor’s race later this year.

“Nobody else in this race on the Republican side, being rumored to this point, has the executive leadership of skills and history to be able to show ‘This is how I’ve done it before, and here’s how we’ll do it Madison,’” Schoemann said. “The results in Washington County speak for themselves.”

Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany is also rumored to be looking to get into the Republican race. Before he went to Congress, Tiffany was a Republican lawmaker in Madison.

Businessman and veteran Bill Berrien is also on the short list of likely GOP candidates for 2026.

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Wisconsin Budget Negotiations Reach Impasse Between Evers, Legislature

The Center Square -

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin budget negotiations have reached an impasse with both sides pointing fingers at the other in Wednesday afternoon statements.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Republican Legislative leaders backed out of negotiations after he agreed to “an income tax cut targeting Wisconsin’s middle-class and working families and eliminating income taxes for certain retirees.” He said Republican leaders would not agree to “meaningful increased investments in child care, K-12 schools, and the University of Wisconsin System.”

Republican Assembly leaders said the two sides were "far apart. Senate leaders say Evers’ desires “extend beyond what taxpayers can afford.”

“The Joint Committee on Finance will continue using our long-established practices of crafting a state budget that contains meaningful tax relief and responsible spending levels with the goal of finishing on time,” said a statement from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Assembly Finance Co-Chairman Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam.

Evers said that there were meetings between the sides every day this week before the impasse.

“I told Republicans I’d support their half of the deal and their top tax priorities – even though they’re very similar to bills I previously vetoed – because I believe that’s how compromise is supposed to work, and I was ready to make that concession in order to get important things done for Wisconsin’s kids,” Evers said.

Senate Republican leadership said that good faith negotiations have occurred since April on a budget compromise.

“Both sides of these negotiations worked to find compromise and do what is best for the state of Wisconsin,” said a statement from Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, and Senate Joint Finance Co-Chairman Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green.

In early May, the Joint Committee on Finance took 612 items out of Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal, including Medicaid expansion in the state, department creations and tax exemptions.

Born previously estimated that Evers’ budget proposal would lead to $3 billion in tax increases over the two-year span.

Wisconsin Policy Forum estimated that the proposal would spend down more than $4 billion of the state’s expected $4.3 billion surplus if it is enacted.

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