Incumbent Kaul slightly outraising Toney in rematch for Wisconsin AG

Democrat Josh Kaul squeaked past his Republican challenger, Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney, winning by about 1% in 2022.

By Annie Pulley, THE BADGER PROJECT

The governor’s race is commanding the lion’s share of attention in Wisconsin’s midterm elections, but voters must also choose the state’s top law enforcement official on Nov. 3.

This year, current Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, and Fond du Lac District Attorney Eric Toney, a Republican, face off once again for the statewide office. Kaul narrowly won the race against Toney in 2022, by about 1.3%, or about 35,000 votes. Kaul ran well behind Gov. Tony Evers, also a Democrat, who won reelection that year with more than 3% of the vote.

So far, Kaul is only slightly outraising his opponent. He has raised a total of nearly $1.8 million in 2026, slightly more than Toney’s total of about $1.4 million.

Kaul, who first took office in 2019, has received about $1.6 million in total contributions from individuals and political action committees so far this year. The rest has come from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin.

In Wisconsin, a person can give a maximum of $20,000 to a candidate for statewide office per election cycle.

Lynn Schusterman, the billionaire widow of oil billionaire Charles Schusterman who frequently donates to Democratic candidates, gave Kaul the max donation in June. Stacy Schusterman, her daughter, also gave Kaul the max donation. And Kaul has received tens of thousands from political action committees that represent labor unions.

Political action committees for entities like unions, corporations and native tribes can give a maximum of $44,000 to candidates for attorney general.

Toney, who has been Fond du Lac County’s district attorney since 2013, has received about $1.2 million from individuals and political action committees, with the rest coming from the state GOP.

Conservative megadonor Elizabeth Uihlein, of ULINE packing supplies, donated the max to Toney’s campaign in June. Gregg Kunes, the founder of Kunes Auto & RV Group, also donated the max to Toney in the summer.

The candidates can continue fundraising through the election, and must report their campaign finances a final time on Oct. 26.

Wisconsin law places no caps on what political parties can raise from individual donors and then give to candidates, a loophole that could be closed by the state Legislature, though they have not. This has allowed the ultra-wealthy to circumvent donation limits to candidates by routing millions through the party.

In recent years, state Democrats have taken advantage of the loophole in campaign finance law to dominate the political money game. But this year, thanks to just three billionaires, the Wisconsin GOP has roared back, pouring cash into campaigns across the state, including about $35 million to U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s run for governor.

The parties have not gotten as heavily involved in the attorney general race. The state GOP has contributed slightly more to its candidate, giving Toney $180,000, while the Democratic Party has given Kaul about $144,000 so far this year.

The state GOP has been mostly bankrolled this year by a trio of megadonors: Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein of ULINE packing supplies and Diane Hendricks of ABC Supply Co. Combined, the three have given the party about $60 million so far this election cycle.

Who is Wisconsin’s Top Cop, and what do they do?

Results from the latest Marquette University poll suggest the public knows relatively little about either candidate. For Kaul, 22% view him favorably, 18% view him unfavorably, and 59% of the public haven’t heard enough. For Toney, 76% say they haven’t heard enough.

Kaul highlights endorsements on his campaign website from the Clean Wisconsin Action Fund and Wisconsin Conservation Voters, organizations that advocate for pro-environment policy. He argues his office played a part in the Wisconsin Supreme Court opting not to apply a law from the 19th century that banned abortion in the state.

Under Kaul, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has joined other states in opposing federal efforts to deny the results of the 2020 presidential election, to significantly cut federal funding and to end birthright citizenship.

Toney touts himself as tough on crime and supportive of the state’s law enforcement officers. In Fond du Lac County, Toney says he helped establish the county’s first drug court and has helped to prevent sex offenders from being “dumped” in communities. The Wisconsin District Attorneys Association named Toney District Attorney of the Year in 2024.

The state’s attorney general is the head of the Wisconsin Department of Justice. The agency employs about 750 full-time employees and represents the State of Wisconsin in court, trains and assists the state’s law enforcement officers and prosecutors, and investigates crimes that are statewide in nature.

The attorney general is the second-highest paid elected official in Wisconsin, with an annual salary of about $179,000. The governor makes about $185,000.

In 2022, the last time Kaul and Toney ran against each other for control of this office, Toney raised about $1 million in 2022, according to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Kaul raised nearly $4 million that year.

On Nov. 3, voters will again be asked to decide between the two. Early voting can start Oct. 20 and run until the Sunday before the election, but options vary depending on location.

The Badger Project is an independent news nonprofit in Wisconsin.