Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ announcement in July that he would not seek reelection opened up the field for gubernatorial hopefuls. The most recent Democrat to enter the race is Mandela Barnes, Evers’ former lieutenant governor and an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022.

Just two Republicans are vying for the seat: Congressman Tom Tiffany and Washington County executive Josh Schoemann.

The race is expected to draw national attention and high spending.

Partisan primaries for the Republican and Democratic candidates will take place on Aug. 11, 2026. The Republican and Democratic nominees will face off in the midterm elections on Nov. 3, 2026.

Below is the current lineup. This list will be updated as candidates enter or exit the race.

Republicans

Josh Schoemann 

Schoemann has served as Washington County executive since April 2020; he previously worked in other positions in Washington County administration. A veteran, Schoemann served in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. As county executive, Schoemann says he streamlined the size of the county’s workforce and prevented increases in property tax rates.

Tom Tiffany

Tiffany has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020. He currently sits on the U.S. House’s Natural Resources and Judiciary committees, and is chair of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands. Tiffany previously served for seven years in the state Senate, representing Minocqua, and for two years in the state Assembly. In his announcement speech, according to the Wisconsin Examiner, Tiffany said he would freeze property taxes if he became governor. A strong hunting advocate, he reintroduced legislation in January to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list.

Democrats

Mandela Barnes

Barnes was lieutenant governor of Wisconsin from 2019-2023. He unsuccessfully challenged Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson for his senate seat in 2022; after the loss, Barnes launched a political action committee aimed at supporting candidates of color and LGBTQ+ candidates. Barnes previously represented Milwaukee in the state Assembly from 2013-2017.

David Crowley

Crowley has been Milwaukee County executive since May 2020. In that role, he helped negotiate the passage of reforms to the state’s shared revenue system. He represented Milwaukee in the state Assembly from 2017-2020.

Francesca Hong

Hong represents Madison in the state Assembly, a role she has held since 2020. She helped enact a bill that requires K-12 public school districts to teach Asian-American and Hmong history. Hong is the former co-owner of Morris Ramen, which closed in 2024, and bartends part time. She is a member of the Assembly Democratic Socialist Caucus.

Missy Hughes

Hughes is the former secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, a public-private agency that focuses on business development. Hughes holds a law degree from University of Wyoming College of Law. She is also a former executive of Wisconsin dairy cooperative Organic Valley.

Sara Rodriguez

Rodriguez has been the lieutenant governor of Wisconsin since 2023; she’s a frequent ambassador for Evers and advises him on healthcare issues. From 2021-23 she served in the state Assembly representing Brookfield. Rodriguez is a former nurse and healthcare executive and chairs the Wisconsin Interagency Council on Homelessness and Evers’ Task Force on Healthcare Workforce.

Zachary Roper 

Roper is a 22-year-old college student at Carthage College. In 2024, he sought a Muskego-area state Assembly seat as a Democrat.

Kelda Roys

Roys has served as one of Madison’s state senators since 2021; she previously represented Madison in the state Assembly from 2009-2013. As a legislator, Roys has enacted or introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at healthcare reform and reproductive care access. She holds a law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and is the CEO and owner of real estate company Open Homes.

Independents

Brett Hulsey

Hulsey is a former state Assembly member who represented Madison from 2010-2015; formerly a Democrat, he began identifying as an independent in 2014. Hulsey is the president of Better Environmental Solutions, a Madison-based environmental consulting firm.

Former candidates

Bill Berrien

Berrien, a businessman, entered the race as a Republican in July. He dropped out in September after a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article showed he followed multiple sexually explicit authors on the web publishing platform Medium.

Ryan Strnad

Strnad, a beer vendor at American Family Field, entered the race in August as a Democrat. He dropped out on Dec. 2.