MADISON – Attorney General Josh Kaul will run for reelection instead of launching a bid for governor, a long-awaited decision that could shake up the dynamic of the 2026 Democratic primary for governor.
Kaul’s absence in the gubernatorial primary could leave room for another high-profile Democrat to enter the race, like former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is considering a run for governor.
The 44-year-old will instead seek a third term as Attorney General, his campaign told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
“The personal considerations were a big part of my decision making process but the other thing that I think is really significant right now is how critical the role of attorney general is in this moment in time,” Kaul told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an interview.
“Right now, the rule of law and some of our basic freedoms are under threat in a way that they certainly have not been previously in my lifetime,” he said. “It’s critically important that we have somebody who is strong in that role and committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting our freedoms.”
Without Kaul, the Democratic field for governor does not yet have a frontrunner.
A recent survey of 500 likely voters conducted by Platform Communications showed 38% of voters polled did not have a favorite in the race. Barnes received the most support, at 16%. The rest of the candidates and potential hopefuls, including Kaul, all received less than 10% each.
On Tuesday, Barnes said he is strongly considering entering the race.
“I’ve been blown away by the number of people across the state who have reached out and asked me to run, and I will have more to say very soon,” he told the Journal Sentinel.
Kaul said the frontrunner in the Republican primary for governor, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, will create a “stark contrast” with whoever ends up being the Democratic nominee.
“He has a record that I think is far more extreme than what Wisconsinites want. His approach following the 2020 election would have put us into chaos since he supported not certifying the results,” Kaul said.
“I think his view on abortion is way out of line with where Wisconsinites are. And he supports the Trump tariffs. And so I think that there’s going to be a clear contrast.”
A spokeswoman for Tiffany did not immediately have a reaction to Kaul’s comments.
Kaul was first elected as the state’s top law enforcement official in 2018, when Democrats swept statewide races as voters here soured on Republicans during President Donald Trump’s first term. He was reelected in 2022.
Since Trump’s second term began in January, Kaul has filed or joined dozens of lawsuits seeking to block policies of the administration. He said he sees the role of attorney general as a safeguard against what he described as “undermining the rule of law.”
Kaul said as AG, he would seek to prevent Trump from sending National Guard troops to Wisconsin to act as police, for example.
“Barring truly exceptional circumstances, the military should not be deployed in American cities,” Kaul said. “The comments the president made about training grounds, for instance, are deeply disturbing. And they’re fundamentally inconsistent with our values and the values that free countries hold close, which is that we have civilian control of the government.”
During his tenure as attorney general, Kaul successfully pushed to overturn the state’s 19th Century abortion law that banned the practice in nearly every situation and was put back into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
He also represented Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in a lawsuit that ultimately overturned the state Legislature’s electoral maps, which reduced Republican advantage in legislative elections.
Kaul also filed charges against high-profile attorneys, including a former Wisconsin judge, who are considered to be the architects of a scheme organized in the aftermath of Trump’s 2020 election loss to overturn the result by drafting slates of fake Trump electors in battleground states like Wisconsin.
Some Democrats have criticized Kaul for not charging the Wisconsin Republicans who participated in the scheme.
Kaul said if elected to a third term, he would seek more funding for crime victim services and he would pursue more background checks on firearm purchases in the state.
The 2026 race for attorney general has effectively been stalled as potential candidates waited for Kaul to make his decision on whether he would run again.
Among those likely to enter the race includes Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, who lost to Kaul in 2022.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Democrat Josh Kaul to seek reelection as attorney general, won’t launch bid for governor
Reporting by Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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