As Wisconsin voters prepare to cast ballots in the state’s November 3 elections, the high-profile gubernatorial contest is capturing most of the public’s attention, leaving the rematch for Wisconsin attorney general slightly down-ballot in visibility. Incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, and Republican challenger Eric Toney, the district attorney for Fond du Lac County, are facing each other once again for control of the state’s top law enforcement post.
The upcoming ballot is a rematch of the 2022 election, where Kaul narrowly defeated Toney by about 1.3%, translating to roughly 35,000 votes, as reported by The Badger Project. During that previous cycle, Kaul ran significantly behind Gov. Tony Evers, a fellow Democrat who secured reelection by a margin exceeding 3%.
Fundraising reports heading into the final stretch show Kaul maintaining a slim financial advantage over his GOP opponent. Kaul has raised nearly $1.8 million in total for the 2026 election cycle, slightly outpacing Toney’s roughly $1.4 million. Kaul, who first took office in 2019, has pulled in about $1.6 million this year from individual contributors and political action committees, with the remainder supplied by the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. In Wisconsin, individual donors are capped at a maximum contribution of $20,000 per statewide election cycle, while PACs representing labor unions, corporations, and Native tribes can give up to $44,000.
Toney, who has served as Fond du Lac County’s district attorney since 2013, has secured about $1.2 million from individuals and political action committees, with the balance funded by the state Republican Party. Both campaigns have drawn support from major political donors. Kaul received maximum donations in June from billionaire philanthropist Lynn Schusterman, widow of oil billionaire Charles Schusterman, as well as from her daughter, Stacy Schusterman. Meanwhile, Toney received maximum donations in June from conservative megadonor Elizabeth Uihlein of ULINE packing supplies and in the summer from Kunes Auto & RV Group founder Gregg Kunes.
Campaign Finance Loopholes and Party Spending
State campaign finance laws place no limits on the amount political parties can raise from individual donors before passing those funds along to candidates. This mechanism allows wealthy donors to bypass direct candidate contribution limits by routing millions through party apparatuses. While state Democrats have historically leveraged this loophole, Republican fundraising has surged this cycle, fueled largely by a trio of megadonors—Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein and Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply Co.—who have collectively contributed roughly $60 million to the state GOP.
Josh Kaul is the type of politician everyone hates. He ran in ’18 on the promise to fix Wisconsin’s broken crime labs — today they’re taking 2x as long to test less DNA evidence, despite more staff and better technology. His response has been excuse after excuse.During this…
Despite heavy party spending elsewhere in state races, such as approximately $35 million directed toward U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s gubernatorial campaign, party investments in the attorney general contest remain relatively modest. The state GOP has contributed $180,000 to Toney, while the Democratic Party of Wisconsin has provided Kaul with about $144,000.
Voter Awareness and Candidate Platforms
A recent Marquette University poll indicates that a substantial portion of the electorate remains unfamiliar with both contenders. Among surveyed voters, 22% view Kaul favorably and 18% unfavorably, while 59% stated they have not heard enough to form an opinion. For Toney, 76% of respondents indicated they have not heard enough about the challenger.
Kaul’s campaign highlights endorsements from environmental groups including the Clean Wisconsin Action Fund and Wisconsin Conservation Voters. He points to his office’s involvement in the Wisconsin Supreme Court opting not to apply a law from the 19th century that banned abortion in the state and notes that the Wisconsin Department of Justice has joined other states in challenging federal efforts to contest the 2020 presidential election results, reduce federal funding, and end birthright citizenship.
Toney positions himself as a prosecutor focused on public safety and law enforcement support. During his tenure in Fond du Lac County, he helped establish the county’s first drug court and worked to curb the placement of sex offenders into local communities.
Candidates were required to file their final pre-election campaign finance reports on October 26.
