Voters across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Connecticut, and Vermont cast their ballots yesterday, choosing candidates for governor, attorney general, treasurer, and the states' legislatures.
Wisconsin
Governor
The Wisconsin gubernatorial race has emerged as one of the most closely watched contests of this election cycle, as Governor Tony Evers (D) opted not to run for a third term, leaving the seat open in the high-profile purple state. On the Republican side, U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany was the clear frontrunner, securing approximately 95% of the vote to claim the nomination. The Democratic primary, by contrast, was marked by intraparty friction, ultimately concluding in a dramatic finish when Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley upset race frontrunner and Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong by just over 3,000 votes, despite Hong having led in most polls by 20 to 30 points. Crowley had briefly suspended his campaign in July before reentering the race with Governor Evers’ endorsement.
Crowley has served as Milwaukee County Executive since 2020, prior to which he served in the Wisconsin Assembly from 2017 to 2020. His campaign priorities include modernizing and expanding apprenticeship programs, streamline permitting across state agencies, cutting red tape for local entrepreneurs, expanding mobile outreach, addiction treatment access, and EMS innovations across the state, and investments in public schools. Data centers emerged as a flashpoint in the Democratic primary, and in contrast to Hong who had called for a one-year moratorium on data centers, Crowley emphasized the need for greater transparency and oversight while voicing support for continued AI growth.
Tiffany has represented Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District since May 2020. Before that, he served in the Wisconsin Senate and Assembly following earlier stints as a town supervisor in Little Rice and a member of the Oneida County Economic Development Board of Directors. His campaign platform centers on freezing property taxes, lowering energy costs by expanding reliable baseload power, cutting regulatory burdens on businesses, and restricting investment firms and data companies from purchasing homes and Wisconsin farmland. Tiffany has secured President Trump's endorsement and voted to object to the certification of Pennsylvania's and Arizona's electoral results on January 6, 2021.
Following Crowley’s nomination, political analysts including Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted their race rating of Wisconsin’s governor race from toss-up to Leans Democratic. Crowley is widely viewed as a moderate Democrat, and pre-primary polls placed him slightly ahead of Republican Tom Tiffany, in contrast to Hong who had trailed Tiffany by an average of three points. Regardless, Wisconsin voters have shown time and again that polling does not always predict the outcome, and this race is likely to remain closely watched all the way to November.
Attorney General
Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) is running for a third term and was unopposed in yesterday's primary. Kaul first took office in 2019 after narrowly defeating incumbent Attorney General Brad Schimel (R), and he was reelected in 2022 edging out Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney (R) by 1.5 percentage points. Before entering elected office, Kaul worked as a federal prosecutor in the Baltimore U.S. Attorney's Office and in private practice at Jenner & Block. His reelection campaign is built around his record in office, including the $115 million "Safer Wisconsin" legislative package he introduced in 2021, which would have directed funding toward community policing, violence prevention, and mental health and substance abuse treatment programs.
Toney advanced from yesterday's primary unopposed, setting up a rematch of the 2022 race. He has served as Fond du Lac County District Attorney for more than a decade, previously led the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association as president, and was named the state's 2024 District Attorney of the Year. His campaign priorities center on strengthening public safety and law enforcement, addressing the drug crisis, and modernizing crime labs to clear the existing case backlog.
With both candidates having already proven competitive once, this 2026 rematch is shaping up to be another close race.
Treasurer
Wisconsin Treasurer John Leiber (R) is seeking a second term and ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Before taking office, he served as president of his local Park and Recreation Commission and as a commissioner for his local Housing Authority. Campaigning as a "true fiscal conservative," Leiber promises to run the state treasurer's office without expanding the reach of government. His campaign centers on his record, including his management of the $1.6 billion Common School Fund trust, and he has pledged to continue delivering strong investment returns for schools if reelected.
On the Democratic side, two candidates competed for the chance to challenge Leiber in November. Yee Leng Xiong (D) ultimately won the nomination, defeating former auditor Dylan Helmenstine (D). Xiong previously worked as youth coordinator at the Hmong American Center and was elected to the Marathon County Board of Supervisors in 2016. In 2019, Governor Evers appointed him to the Governor's Financial Literacy Council in recognition of his financial and fiscal policy expertise. If elected, Xiong has pledged to protect and grow the Common School Fund, return millions of dollars in unclaimed property to residents, and expand financial literacy programs across the state.
State Legislature
All 99 assembly seats are on the ballot this cycle, along with 17 of the state's 33 senate seats. Six Republicans opted not to seek reelection to the Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R). The Assembly will see even more turnover, with three Democrats and nine Republicans not refiling. This list includes Democratic gubernatorial nominee Francesca Hong (D), 20-year legislator and Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Petersen (R), and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), the longest-serving speaker in Wisconsin history. In one of the primary’s other notable results, Assemblymember Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) lost her primary to Ismael Luna, who was backed by the Assembly Democratic Campaign Committee.
Democrats are hoping the wave of retirements works in their favor as they aim to flip both chambers and secure a full state government trifecta if Crowley is successful in November. The path looks more attainable in the senate, where the party needs to flip just two of the four competitive seats to win a majority. The assembly presents a steeper climb, where Democrats must flip five seats to claim control for the first time in 16 years. They'll be building on momentum from 2024, when the party picked up 14 legislative seats statewide.
Minnesota
Governor
Governor Tim Walz (D) launched a campaign for a third term in September 2025 but officially withdrew from the race in January 2026. Senator Amy Klobuchar was the clear frontrunner in the Democratic primary ahead of election day, fundraising far ahead of her competitors. Klobuchar secured 89% of the vote, coasting to November’s generation election. She was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and is the first woman elected to represent Minnesota in the upper chamber. She is currently the lead ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry where she has helped to pass several bipartisan Farm Bills. Klobuchar’s campaign centers on affordability, where she highlights plans aiming to lower healthcare, housing, and childcare costs. She also calls to eliminate fraud and restore accountability to state government, highlighting proposals to improve permitting processes, modernize state IT systems, and conduct a top-to-bottom audit of state government.
The Republican primary for governor was one of the most competitive races of the night with seven candidates vying for the party’s nomination. Leading the pack were state House Speaker Lisa Demuth, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell, and businessman Kendall Qualls. While Demuth was leading her competitors in fundraising ahead of election day, Lindell received an endorsement from President Trump and had pulled ahead in recent polls.
Ultimately, Demuth won the primary with approximately 43% of the vote. She is the first Black lawmaker and Republican woman to serve as Minnesota Speaker. She was first elected to the house in 2018 and was selected by her colleagues as minority leader in 2022. A centerpiece of Demuth’s campaign is her Fraud Prevention Plan, a direct result of reports of Medicaid fraud under the oversight of the Walz administration. She plans to centralize program eligibility determinations within a state-run entity and will push for the creation of an independent Office of Inspector General. Other campaign priorities include increasing investments in public safety resources, promoting an all-of-the-above energy approach, and cutting business permitting timelines.
Demuth will face Klobuchar in a general election race that both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball label as Solid Democrat.
Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General Keith Ellison faced attorney and business owner Dave Madgett in the Democratic primary for attorney general but easily secured the party’s nomination. Ellison was first elected in 2018. He would use his third term to build upon his work throughout his time in office, where he has focused on lower prescription drug costs, reforming medical debt practices, and preventing price-gouging. Prior to his time as attorney general, he served in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District and co-chaired the Progressive Caucus.
Attorney Ron Schutz ran unopposed in the Republican primary for attorney general. Schutz is a nationally ranked lawyer, named to Forbes’ list of America’s Top 200 Lawyers in 2024 and 2025. He previously served as a delegate at the Republican National Convention and chaired the Minnesota Commission on Judicial Selection. Key campaign priorities include taking on state government fraud, strengthening consumer protections, reducing violent crime, increasing funding for law enforcement, and protecting women’s sports.
State Legislature
All 67 state senate seats and all 134 state house seats are up for election. A total of 17 senate incumbents and a total of 26 house incumbents did not file for reelection. Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth is not running for reelection after securing the Republican nomination for governor, setting the stage for a new house floor leader in 2027. Senate President Pro Tem Ann Rest is retiring after serving 41 years in the state legislature.
Democrats and Republicans currently hold nearly an even split in the house and senate, with Democrats having a one seat advantage in the house and Republicans having a one seat advantage in the senate. These open races will determine party control going into the next legislative session.
Connecticut
Governor
Incumbent Governor Ned Lamont (D) faced one primary competitor on Tuesday, state Representative Joshua Elliott, and secured the nomination with approximately 67% of the vote. First elected governor in 2018, Lamont’s priorities for his third term in office include expanding access to childcare, implementing universal pre-K, increasing housing supply, expanding access to healthcare, and lowering utility costs.
The Republican primary for governor was canceled with state Senator Ryan Fazio advancing to the general election to challenge Lamont. Fazio was elected to the state senate in 2021. Throughout his time in the legislature, Fazio has sponsored legislation that cuts utility rates and taxes, and capped property tax rates. Fazio’s campaign expands upon this work, highlighting plans to lower electricity costs and platforming a four-part plan to cap property taxes. Additionally, Fazio calls to expand access to middle-income housing, streamline veteran services, and reinstate proactive policing.
Lamont is expected to easily secure a third term in office with the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball labeling this race as Solid Democrat.
Attorney General
Both the Democratic and Republican primary for attorney general were canceled, automatically advancing incumbent Attorney General William Tong (D) and attorney John Bolton (R) to November’s general election.
Attorney General Tong was first elected in 2018. Prior to his time as attorney general, Tong served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 2007 to 2019 where he was the chair of both the Judiciary and Banking committees. He also practiced as a litigator in state and deferral courts for 18 years. Since taking office, Tong has sued President Trump more than 50 times around federal funding for essential services and the administration's efforts to rollback climate and environmental regulations. Throughout his first two terms, Tong prioritized consumer protection through enforcement actions and investigations against the opioid industry, tech companies, and utility companies.
Bolton is a seasoned attorney and previously served as Westport Planning and Zoning commissioner. In 2024, Bolton competed for a seat in the Connecticut House, ultimately losing in the general election to Representative Jonathan Steinberg (D). His campaign centers on his “Standing Up For Connecticut” agenda which focuses on holding utility companies responsible for rate increases, expanding consumer protections, restoring state government transparency, and expanding parental rights over their child’s education.
Treasurer
The Democratic and Republican primary for treasurer were both canceled, advancing incumbent Treasurer Erick Russell (D) and former state Representative Fred Wilms (R) to the general election.
Treasurer Russell was first elected in 2023. Prior to his time in office, he was a partner at the firm Pullman & Comley where he worked for the firm’s Public and Private Finance Group. During his time in office, he launched the CT Baby Bonds program, the first-in-the-nation program that invests in financial resources for future generations. In his second term, Russell would focus on improving the state’s overall fiscal health, strengthening the state pension fund, and fighting back against federal overreach.
Wilms currently serves as Senior Vice President at a Webster Bank. From 2015 to 2019, he served in the Connecticut House and sat on the Appropriations, Planning and Development, Transportation, and Public Health committees. Prior to his time in the legislature, he served as Chairman of Norwalk’s Board of Estimate and Taxation for eight years. Wilms campaign priorities include reforming the state pension system, reducing state debt, and restoring transparency and accountability to the state treasurer’s office by disclosing key performance data and publishing a quarterly scorecard that highlights the state’s fiscal performance.
State Legislature
All 36 senate seats and all 151 house seats are up for election. Five senate incumbents and 14 house incumbents did not file for reelection. Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D) is not running for reelection, concluding his 46-year legislative career. Senate Deputy President Pro Tempore and Education Committee Chair Doug McCroy (D) lost his primary to House Deputy Majority Leader Maryam Khan (D).
Vermont
Governor
Governor Phil Scott is seeking a sixth two-year term, a milestone that would make him Vermont's longest-serving governor upon completion. Scott ran unopposed in the Republican primary and has maintained steadfast support throughout his tenure, winning 69% of the vote in 2022 and 73% in his 2024 reelection bid. National polling reinforces that popularity, ranking him the most popular governor in the country with a 71% approval rating. Before becoming governor, Scott served three terms as lieutenant governor from 2011 to 2017 and represented Washington County in the state senate from 2000 to 2010. Democrats held a supermajority in both chambers of the Vermont legislature throughout Scott's first four terms in office, a streak Republicans finally broke in the 2024 election. This cycle, Scott's campaign has reportedly focused on recruiting Republican and moderate Democratic legislators who align with him on tax and affordability policy. His priorities as governor have been focused on housing, education, affordability, and public safety.
Two Democrats sought the nomination to challenge Scott: economist Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards, former CEO of Let’s Grow Kids. Janoo narrowly prevailed, winning the primary with 49% of the vote. Her progressive platform centers investing in local businesses, farmers, workers, and cooperatives, modernizing Vermont’s property tax and housing classification system, expanding school-based mental-health and social-work support, placing a moratorium on AI data centers, and expanding primary and preventive healthcare residency programs.
Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball rate the race Solid Republican, a reflection of just how entrenched Scott's popularity remains.
Attorney General
Primaries for attorney general were low-stakes affairs, with both candidates running unopposed. Attorney General Charity Clark (D) is seeking a second term. Her career began in private practice in Vermont and New York before she joined the Vermont Attorney General's Office as an assistant attorney general in the public protection division under former Attorney General William Sorrell (D) in 2014. She later served as chief of staff to former Attorney General T.J. Donovan (D) from 2018 to 2022. Her reelection priorities include data privacy and social media regulation, public safety, legal challenges against the Trump administration, and environmental protection from polluters. She has participated in numerous national environmental initiatives and has described this work as central to her tenure.
On the Republican side, perennial candidate H. Brooke Paige (R) ran unopposed in the primary. Vermont permits candidates to file for multiple offices within a single election cycle, and Paige has filed for attorney general, treasurer, state auditor, and secretary of state simultaneously this cycle. He has said he plans to concentrate his campaign on the secretary of state race against Democratic incumbent Sarah Copeland Hanzas and will plan to withdraw from the attorney general contest. That withdrawal would clear the way for the Vermont Republican State Committee to recruit a replacement candidate for the general election, as it did in 2024.
Treasurer
Incumbent State Treasurer Michael Pieciak (D) secured the Democratic Party’s nomination for reelection facing no primary competition. He previously served six years as the commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR). He also served as deputy commissioner of DFR’s Securities Division.
H. Brooke Paige advanced from the Republican primary for state treasurer as the party’s only candidate. If he chooses to withdraw from the race, the Vermont Republican State Committee can replace him for the general election.
State Legislature
All 150 house seats are on the ballot along with all 30 senate seats. The house will see significant turnover, with 34 incumbents not filing for reelection, including 10 Republicans and 24 Democrats. In addition, three Democrat incumbents lost their primary races yesterday. On the senate side, three incumbents did not refile, including two Democrats and one Republican. The scale of turnover follows a difficult 2024 for Democratic state lawmakers, who lost more than two dozen seats across both chambers and saw their supermajorities in both the house and senate wiped out.