With less than 50 days until the November general election, Marquette University Law School Poll released its most recent poll on August 26, which surveyed 891 Wisconsin registered voters between August 12-20, 2026. The margin of error for registered voters polled was +/-4.0%. This is Marquette’s first poll following the August 11 primary election. This new poll covers the 2026 general election, including the gubernatorial race, as well as various policy areas.

The following August 2026 poll findings may be of interest:

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates – 2026 November General Election

Here is how Wisconsin likely voters said they would vote in the November general election:

• Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley (D)                 49%
• Congressman Tom Tiffany (R)                                                   44%      
• Undecided                                                                                      7%

General Issues

The most important issue among registered voters:

• Inflation and the cost of living                                   43%
• Illegal immigration and border security                  12%
• Health insurance                                                           10%
• Jobs and the economy                                                 7%
• Property taxes                                                               6%
• Affordability of housing                                               6%
• Data centers                                                                   5%
• Abortion policy                                                              4%
• Public schools                                                                3%
• Crime in your community:                                          1%

The following are brief summaries of this Study Committee’s first three meetings:

August 13 Meeting Summary (from the Wheeler Report)

The 2026 Legislative Council Study Committee on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care met [on August 13] to examine how AI is being deployed across health systems, insurance, Medicaid/Medicare, and mental health, and what role Wisconsin law should play. National policy experts and state-level advocates described a fast-moving, fragmented landscape: some states are restricting AI from being the sole basis for adverse coverage decisions, others are piloting AI “sandboxes” to test tools under regulator oversight, and many are experimenting with disclosure, consent, and governance rules. A recurring theme was how to balance innovation, cost-savings, and access with patient safety, privacy, and public trust, especially in areas like prior authorization, chatbots, and behavioral health.

September 9 Meeting Summary (from the Wheeler Report)

[The September 9] hearing focused on consumer health data, patient privacy, AI-assisted clinical practice, medical board authority, electronic health record tools, health-system implementation, rural and safety-net considerations, and the need for practical guardrails. It was emphasized that AI is already present in healthcare workflows, from administrative support and appointment scheduling to clinical documentation, care-gap identification, imaging, and decision-support tools. Presenters urged the committee to consider identifying lower-risk uses that support clinicians from higher-risk applications that communicate directly with patients, make autonomous recommendations, or could be perceived as replacing licensed healthcare professionals.

• The Future of Privacy Forum provided an overview of the fragmented federal privacy landscape and the rapid growth of state comprehensive privacy laws.

• The Federation of State Medical Boards discussed how AI tools are being used by both patients and clinicians, including AI-powered symptom tools, ambient scribes, clinical decision-support platforms, and pilots involving automated prescription renewal.

• Dr. Richard Bruce of the University of Wisconsin–Madison described radiology as one of the earliest and most active areas of AI adoption in medicine.

• UnityPoint Health–Meriter outlined practical considerations for healthcare organizations implementing AI, including cost, return on investment, staffing, vendor roadmaps, privacy, data retention, patient consent, environmental impact, quality of care, and the need for research.

• Marshfield Clinic described AI use from the perspective of a rural health-system deployer. They discussed generative AI tools for staff, ambient listening, care-gap closure, and inbox management.

• Outreach Community Health Centers discussed federally qualified health centers serving low-income, uninsured, Medicaid, unhoused, and medically vulnerable patients.

• Epic described its approach to AI development, emphasizing collaboration with users, validation, monitoring, and deployment.

September 10 Meeting Summary (from the Wheeler Report)

The Study Committee on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care held their third hearing [on September 10]. Dr. Sean Griffin highlighted the importance of independent accreditation, noting 600 best practices and the need for transparency and accountability. He stressed the potential risks, including data bias and ethical considerations. Ann Trinkler from Delta Dental Wisconsin detailed their use of AI in claims utilization management, ensuring human oversight. Ryan Peterson from the Alliance Cooperative underscored the unique challenges and benefits of self-funded healthcare plans, advocating for flexible, outcomes-based regulation to support AI's responsible integration. Lakeland Care, a nonprofit managing Medicaid services, emphasized AI's role in reducing repetitive tasks and improving operational decisions.

In August, the Universities of Wisconsin (UW) announced that their consolidated FY2027-2029 budget request will include funding to work towards the goal of training 35,000 new health care clinicians over the next decade. This is known as the “Healthy Wisconsin” initiative, which comprises a $90 million budget request to train health care clinicians throughout the UW’s 13 campuses across the state. This budget request has been submitted to the Office of the Governor to be considered to be part of the FY2027-2029 consolidated state government budget request that the Governor will submit to the Legislature in early 2027.

In August, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announced that they are seeking responses from Wisconsinites on how best to spend its share of opioid settlement funds. The State of Wisconsin expects to receive more than $874 million between 2022 and 2038 due to a multi-state lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies. Interested Wisconsinites may fill out the DHS online survey, which will be available through September 30, 2026.

On Tuesday, August 11, the Partisan Primary Election took place in Wisconsin. Statewide turnout was approximately 26% to 29% of the voting age population. That is slightly higher than turnouts in primary elections in 2024, which was 26%, and in 2022, which was between 25.5% and 25.8%.

Hoven Consulting has drafted this memo to provide you with results for state legislative and federal races of interest. As the campaign season progresses, we will provide you with a post-general election report on various races, including those at the federal level, as well as polling data.

Bearing in mind the divisive political environment nationwide, as well as the state legislative redistricting that took place in recent years, the election cycle could result in the most significant changes since the 2010 election. At this time, control of Wisconsin state government is divided. Incumbent Governor Tony Evers (D) has been in office for eight years – two terms – and has decided not to run for re-election. Republicans currently control both chambers of the state legislature. In the Senate, there are 18 Republicans and 15 Democrats. In the Assembly, there are 54 Republicans and 45 Democrats. As State Senate terms are four years, 17 of the 33 State Senate seats are on the ballot in 2026. All 99 State Assembly seats will be on the ballot this year, as those legislators serve two-year terms. If the Legislature were to flip to Democratic control, Democrats would need to win two new seats in the Senate and win five new Assembly seats.  The conventional wisdom is that there is a significant chance for the Democrats to win a majority in the State Senate. Political observers generally feel that it is possible for the Democrats to win control of the Assembly, also, but it is less likely than in the Senate. 

State Government Elections

Gubernatorial Race – Democratic Primary

The 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary has likely been the most volatile Wisconsin primary election in recent memory. Initially, there were seven major candidates – State Rep. Francesca Hong of Madison, Lieutenant  Governor Sara Rodriguez, former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Evers Administration official Joel Brennan, State Senator Kelda Roys of Madison, and former  Evers Administration official Missy Hughes. However, as of the day of the primary election, only four candidates – Hong, Crowley, Brennan, and Roys – remained in the race. Hughes and Crowley were the first two candidates to  drop out of the race. Amidst a campaign finance scandal, Rodriguez ended her candidacy. At the time, Rodriguez  was attempting to coalesce support as the mainstream Democratic alternative to Hong, who was the leading  candidate at the time in the polls. In an attempt to be the new mainstream Democratic alternative to Hong, Crowley re-entered the race, with Democratic Governor Tony Evers’ endorsement. Following that endorsement, Barnes dropped out of the race amidst media reports about his personal conduct.

In a stunning upset victory, as noted below, Crowley beat Hong by less than one percentage point on primary election day. According to Wisconsin election law, a recount is not automatic. A losing candidate would need to formally request a recount – and in this case, since the margin of victory is greater than 0.25% - pay for it. However, that point is now moot since media reports indicate that Hong has conceded to Crowley. The winner is marked in bold font.

Democratic Primary Results

• Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley                      39.8%
• State Rep. Francesca Hong (Madison)                                    39.3%
• State Sen. Kelda Roys (Madison)                                              7.5%
• Former Evers Administration Official Joel Brennan             4.7%
• Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes*                  4.1%
• Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez*                                    4.1%
• Former Evers Administration Official Missy Hughes*         0.4%

*While these candidates dropped out prior to primary election day, they remained on the ballot.

Gubernatorial Race - Republican Primary

In contrast to the Democratic primary, the race for the Republican primary was quite uneventful. Much earlier in the race, Milwaukee-area businessman Bill Berrien and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann had filed to run for the Republican nomination. However, both of them ended their respective candidacies months ago. Congressman Tiffany ultimately received the coveted endorsement from President Trump, effectively making him the leading candidate for the Republican nomination. Andy Manske is generally viewed as a minor candidate due to his extremely low polling numbers. The winner is marked in bold font.

Republican Primary Results

• Congressman Tom Tiffany (Minocqua)                                 95.3%
• Medical Service Technician Andy Manske                             4.6%

Race for Lieutenant Governor

The primary winner is marked in bold font.

Republican Primary

• David Varnam                                                                              55.5%
• Will Martin                                                                                     44.3%

Democratic Primary

• Sarah Godlewski
• This was an uncontested race.

In late July, Governor Tony Evers (D) informed state agencies that they should not submit FY2027-2029 budget requests to the Office of the Governor that include funding increases. Exceptions include funding for K-12 education, the University of Wisconsin system, Medicaid, and overhauling the state prison system.

Current practice is that state agencies submit budget requests to the Office of the Governor on September 15, then the Governor consolidates those requests – often with modifications – and then submits his full budget request to the Legislature early the following year. Of course, a new governor will be elected in November 2026, and the new governor could make significant modifications.

On July 20, Governor Tony Evers (D) announced that he approved a new state regulation that will allow more qualified nurses to teach clinical nursing courses. This change was one of the recommendations made by the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce. Previously, in order to teach a clinical nursing course to nursing students, a nurse would need to have a master’s degree. According to the Governor’s press release, nursing faculty must now meet the following updated criteria:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing;  
• Be a current, active, and unencumbered RN with license or privilege to practice in Wisconsin;  
• Have at least two years of clinical experience relevant to the specific clinical area that they would be teaching; 
• Be enrolled in a graduate program and maintain steady progress towards completion, have completed graduate-level courses or education in clinical best practices, or have a national certification in a nursing field specialty relevant to the assigned clinical field they would be teaching; and 

On July 31, the state Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) – the state’s occupational credentialing agency – announced that they intend to start issuing Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) credentials in September. Each such credential will indicate a recognized role for which the nurse has been certified. The roles are: Nurse Practitioner (NP), Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA).

For more information, DSPS has posted an APRN frequently asked questions document on its website.

With less than one month until the primary election, Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez announced on Friday, July 17, that she was ending her campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. This followed a very challenging week for her campaign, during which she discovered that her campaign’s financial reports included a very significant number of errors. These errors resulted in her campaign account having a significantly lower balance than originally reported. In response, she fired her campaign manager.

On July 15, candidates for the Office of Wisconsin Governor were required to report campaign finance data – including all contributions – from January 1, 2026, through June 30, 2026. The following campaign finance data from this time frame addresses the current candidates for governor, as of July 17:

Former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes (D)

• Raised $840,000
• Spent $1.1 million
• Had $240,000 cash on hand as of June 30

State Rep. Francesca Hong (D-Madison)

• Raised $709,000
• Spent $433,000
• Had $411,000 cash on hand as of June 30

Former Evers Administration Official Joel Brennan (D)

• Raised $666,000
• Spent $858,000
• Had $360,000 cash on hand as of June 30

State Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Madison)

• Raised $527,000
• Spent $454,000
• Had $406,000 cash on hand as of June 30

Congressman Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua)

• Raised $8.72 million
• Spent $6.4 million
• Had $3 million cash on hand as of June 30