A longtime baseball beer vendor is running for governor.
Ryan Strnad of Mukwonago announced Aug. 14 he intends to make good on a promise made back in 2023 — that he will run for governor in 2026 if Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided not to pursue a third term.
Strnad, 54, said he would hold an event to mark the launch of his campaign on Aug. 20 outside American Family Field, where Strnad has served refreshments to Brewers fans for 37 years. He filed a campaign committee July 25 − the same day Evers said he would not seek a third term.
Strnad joins Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez in the Democratic primary.
Prior to this race, Strnad ran for office just once before in 2000 as the Republican nominee for then Assembly District 21 — a race he lost to then-Democratic incumbent Jeff Plale.
A year later, Strnad joined the Democratic Party to better represent his “pro-employee” beliefs.
In 2023, when Strnad first expressed interest in running for governor, he said one of his top priorities in the office would be advocating for Wisconsin’s unions and working-class people.
“For the last couple of decades now, the middle class — especially the working class — has been dealt the wrong end of financial benefits and other benefits, when it comes to trying to make a difference and trying to make a living,” Strnad said in 2023.
Crime reduction was another area of focus for Strnad, who graduated from Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1999 with a police science degree.
Strnad is running on what is dubbed as the “Strnad Plan,” according to his campaign website. A few principles in his plan, listed verbatim, include:
Strnad is a former union steward for Workers United and the founder and managing member of Drinks In The Seats, a political action committee that lobbies on behalf of in-seat beer vendors.
Strnad has been a Wisconsin resident since 1975, and is an Army veteran.
Anna Kleiber can be reached at akleiber@gannett.com.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Beer vendor for governor? Ryan Strnad makes good on a 2023 promise to run for the office if Evers didn’t
Reporting by Anna Kleiber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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