State Executive · Primary August 11, 2026
Who is running for Secretary of State of Wisconsin in 2026?
6 candidates are running.
Why this race matters
Incumbent Sarah Godlewski stepped down to run for Lt. Governor. The Republican to receive the most votes in the primary will advance to the general election.
ⓘ 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 →Democratic primary
Republican primary
Green primary
Who has raised the most money?
| Candidate | Raised | Where it's from | Spent | Cash on hand | Through |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Karas | $30,664 | $33,710 | $20,143 | filings through Aug 3, 2026 |
Federal data: FEC. State data: WI Ethics Commission Sunshine (non-commercial voter education use).
Ad money in this race
Who is paying to influence this race — supporting or attacking each candidate, and how much is a candidate's own committee vs. outside groups. Spend and reach are platform-disclosed ranges; figures are estimated midpoints. This shows pressure, not who wins.
Pete Karas
$2k
Supporting
$0
Attacking
169k
Reach
$2k own committee · $0 outside (estimated)
Brayden Myer
$1k
Supporting
$0
Attacking
68k
Reach
$1k own committee · $0 outside (estimated)
JoCasta Zamarripa
$547
Supporting
$0
Attacking
51k
Reach
$497 own committee · $50 outside (estimated)
Jay Schroeder
$0
Supporting
$250
Attacking
17k
Reach
$0 own committee · $250 outside (estimated)
Cindy Werner
$198
Supporting
$50
Attacking
16k
Reach
$198 own committee · $50 outside (estimated)
In the news about the Secretary of State of Wisconsin race
Coverage a BadgerBrief editor reviewed and confirmed belongs here. We link out — we don’t summarize. How we handle coverage ↗
- Outside investigator reviewing Zamarripa, Chambers confrontation ↗2026-05-07Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · news outletGannett
- 'Absurd waste of taxpayer dollars': Milwaukee Council condemns woman's detention ↗2026-06-02Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · news outletGannett
- Portion of South 35th Street to close, impacting northbound travel ↗2026-05-21Milwaukee Journal Sentinel · news outletGannett
- Wisconsin Secretary of State election: Meet the candidates ↗2026-07-15WUWM · news outlet · WUWM is funded through a combination of listener donations, grants, and public funding.WUWM is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, with the license held by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. source ↗
- Candidate For Secretary Of State: Jay Schroeder ↗2018-07-26Wisconsin Public Radio · news outlet · The outlet is funded through a combination of state appropriations, listener donations, and grants.Wisconsin Public Radio is owned by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System, Board of Regents. source ↗
- Milwaukee Alderperson Running For Secretary of State ↗2025-09-04Urban Milwaukee · news outlet · The funding model for Urban Milwaukee includes both advertising and a small retail outlet that sells Milwaukee-themed souvenirs and gifts.Urban Milwaukee was founded by Jeramey Jannene and Dave Reid, with Jeramey Jannene currently serving as president. Bruce Murphy joined as the editor in 2012. source ↗
- Democrats ask Wisconsin Supreme Court to boot Green Party from ... ↗2024-08-20Wisconsin Public Radio · news outlet · The outlet is funded through a combination of state appropriations, listener donations, and grants.Wisconsin Public Radio is owned by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System, Board of Regents. source ↗
Sources
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