Update: Mandela Barnes has withdrawn from the Democratic primary for governor (July 30, 2026) →
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← Attorney General of Wisconsin
Josh Kaul

Photo: Campaign website

Josh Kaul

DemocraticIncumbent

Incumbent Wisconsin Attorney General

ⓘ What do the party and ideology labels mean?

On the ballot, partisan candidates run under a party — in Wisconsin almost always Democratic or Republican, with the occasional third-party or independent candidate. Words like progressive, conservative, libertarian, or democratic socialist are labels people use to describe themselves, not separate parties on the ballot. A label is a starting point; each candidate's sourced positions show where they actually stand.

How we do this →

What is Josh Kaul running for?

Josh Kaul is on the ballot for Attorney General of Wisconsin in the August 11, 2026 Wisconsin partisan primary, as the incumbent. One other candidate is on the ballot.

Also on this ballot

Who is Josh Kaul?

Incumbent Wisconsin Attorney General (since 2019); attorney; son of former U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli

Where does Josh Kaul stand on the issues?

ⓘ What do these stance labels mean?

Each label describes how a candidate has spoken about an issue, drawn from a sourced statement — not our opinion. Support and oppose mean they've clearly taken that side. Mixed means their statements point both ways. Evolving means their stated position has changed over time. Unclear means we couldn't find a clear public statement. Every label links to the source it came from.

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ⓘ Sourced position vs. campaign claim — what's the difference?

A sourced position is something we tied to a specific public statement, with a link. A campaign claim is what a candidate's own site says about their priorities. We keep them separate so you can see the difference between a documented stance and a self-description.

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abortionsupport

Kaul says he successfully sued to stop an 1848 law banning abortions from being enforced after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the procedure was not constitutionally protected.

Position sources (1)
elections-democracysupport

Kaul describes joining multistate lawsuits against the Trump administration, including a suit against an order ending birthright citizenship and efforts to dismantle federal programs.

Position sources (1)
healthcaresupport

Kaul claims success fighting the opioid epidemic, citing a reported drop in opioid-related deaths and lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors that recovered funds for communities.

Position sources (1)
public-safetysupport

Kaul cites actions on the opioid epidemic, a sexual assault kit tracking system, strengthening the Office of School Safety, and pushing for more resources for crime victims.

Position sources (1)
taxes-budgetoppose

Kaul criticizes tax cuts signed into law under Trump, saying they provided benefits for the wealthy rather than working families.

Position sources (1)
ⓘ How do I read these campaign-finance numbers?

Individual contributions come from people; PAC (political action committee) money comes from organized groups. Cash-on-hand is what a campaign has left to spend. Money shows who is backing a campaign — it is not an endorsement by us, and more money does not mean a candidate is better.

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Top reported contributors

  • Democratic Party of Wisconsin (Madison)$48,041
  • Operating Engineers 139 PAC (Pewaukee)$44,000
  • WI Pipe Trades Assn PAC (Madison)$30,500
  • Donald Katz (Madison)$20,000
  • Thomas Rothman (Los Angeles)$20,000
Show 5 more
  • Rachel Dow (New York)$20,000
  • Stacy Schusterman (Tulsa)$20,000
  • Abigail Dow (New York)$20,000
  • Lynn Schusterman (Tulsa)$20,000
  • Ross Boucher (San Francisco)$20,000

Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use

Top organization & PAC donors

  • Democratic Party of Wisconsin (Madison)PAC/Committee$48,041
  • Operating Engineers 139 PAC (Pewaukee)PAC/Committee$44,000
  • WI Pipe Trades Assn PAC (Madison)PAC/Committee$30,500
  • IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund (Washington)Unregistered$18,000
  • OB-GYN PAC (Washington)Unregistered$15,000
Show 5 more
  • Wisconsin Carpenters PAC (Madison)PAC/Committee$5,000
  • DAGA Individual PAC (Washington)Unregistered$4,476
  • DAGA Victory Fund (Washington)Unregistered$800
  • Group Health Cooperative (Madison)$557
  • Wisconsin Hospitals PAC (Madison)PAC/Committee$347

Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine) · non-commercial voter education use

What it means. 48% of individual and business donations came from outside Wisconsin.

Where the money comes from

Funding mix by source type
Individuals84%$903,1092867 donors
Party committees5%$48,0411 donors
Union PACs7%$74,5002 donors
Other4%$44,61011 donors
12% from donations under $200 (2,266 donors)
  • under $200$107,904 · 2,266 donors
  • $200–$999$148,103 · 399 donors
  • $1,000 and up$647,102 · 202 donors

Individual donors only, grouped by each donor's total

52% from Wisconsin
  • Wisconsin$471,948 · 2,103 donors
  • Out of state$432,062 · 768 donors
  • Unknown$0 · 0 donors

Individuals and businesses; committees excluded

Monthly fundraising

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Monthly fundraising totals
2026-01$30,153
2026-02$79,886
2026-03$79,416
2026-04$131,446
2026-05$181,486
2026-06$373,535
2026-07$190,838

Itemized contributions, filings through Aug 3, 2026 · Source: WI Ethics Commission (Sunshine)

In the news about Josh Kaul

Coverage a BadgerBrief editor reviewed and confirmed belongs here. We link out — we don’t summarize. How we handle coverage ↗

Sources

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