Here is your Wisconsin gubernatorial election guide, with a Chronicle question on antisemitism
With antisemitism on the rise and a gubernatorial primary election set for Aug. 11, you may be wondering which candidates are thinking about the needs of the Jewish people.
With this in mind, we contacted Wisconsin’s top gubernatorial candidates and asked them to send responses to two questions, including one on antisemitism. We contacted the two Republican primary candidates. We also contacted five Democratic primary candidates from a larger field, limiting inclusion to those who each had a favorability rating of at least 10 percent in the Feb. 25 Marquette Law School Poll.
Our questions were as follows:
- Confirmed antisemitic incidents in Wisconsin surged to 174 in 2025, an 83% increase from 2024 to 2025, according to the 2025 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents released in late May 2026 by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Since 2015, the number of incidents has risen by 923%. Do you have any thoughts on what can be done about this problem? What’s the governor’s role to help, if any?
- The Wisconsin Jewish community also cares deeply about our state. In general, what are your top three priorities for the state of Wisconsin?
We asked candidates to limit their responses to 300 words per question. All candidates responded; here are brief bios written by us, followed by their answers verbatim.
DEMOCRAT CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR
Mandela Barnes
Mandela Barnes was born and raised in Milwaukee and attended Alabama A&M University. He served as Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2023. He was the first African American in Wisconsin to serve in that position. Barnes also served two terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly. “Frustrated by a lack of action from lawmakers on the issues affecting working people, Mandela ran for office and became a State Representative at 27,” according to his website.
On antisemitism:
“Hate has no home in Wisconsin. The increase in hate crime rates—including the rise of antisemitism—is deeply troubling and everyone in every single elected office should be fighting hard to curb the level of hate in our communities and our politics. I got my start as an interfaith organizer in the streets of Milwaukee. I know there’s more that unites us than divides us. As Governor, I’ll work to bridge those divides. I will take on discrimination in every form and ensure that every single Wisconsinite feels at home in this state.”
On top state priorities:
“Donald Trump’s Washington Way has put Wisconsinites in a bind. Costs are skyrocketing, gas prices are through the roof, and tariffs are killing small businesses and family farms across the state. The deck is stacked in favor of billionaires while working families are left behind—and the ultra-wealthy are buying politicians to keep it that way. As Governor, I will change that by getting things done the Wisconsin Way. This starts by fixing the rigged system that puts billionaires ahead of working families. As Governor, I will tax the rich and make out-of-state corporations pay their fair share so we can cut taxes for middle-class families. I support a tax on millionaires and closing the loopholes that allow the ultra-wealthy to get away without paying their fair share. On day one, I will call a special session to expand BadgerCare and provide a public option. I will veto any state budget without BadgerCare expansion. Expanding BadgerCare is a meaningful first step to providing affordable healthcare access to thousands of uninsured Wisconsinites. Pairing it with a public option for folks to buy-in will be critical for bringing down rising healthcare costs. I will also freeze utility rates. Wisconsin pays some of the highest utility bills in the Midwest because our utility monopolies are raising rates while continuing to make record profits. I’m going to hold those monopolies accountable by capping executive pay, and banning the use of ratepayer dollars on lobbying and political expenses. Above all, I’m going to do everything in my power to make Wisconsin the best state to live, work, and raise a family.”
David Crowley
David Crowley was born in Milwaukee and attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is the current Milwaukee County executive. He has also served as a state representative. “Under his leadership, Milwaukee County has diversified positions, streamlined government services, addressed legacy fiscal challenges, and delivered investments that are moving the community forward,” according to his website.
On antisemitism:
“The sharp rise in antisemitic incidents over the last decade should concern every one of us. No one should feel unsafe because of their faith, their heritage, or who they are. When Jewish families, students, business owners, or community members are targeted with harassment, threats, or violence, it attacks the values that make Wisconsin strong.
As governor, I would make it clear that antisemitism and all forms of hate have no place in our state. That starts with strong partnerships between state and local law enforcement to investigate hate crimes and threats, ensuring communities have the resources they need to protect houses of worship and community institutions, and supporting education that helps young people understand the consequences of hatred and extremism.
I’d also encourage leaders to speak out consistently and unequivocally against antisemitism whenever it appears. Too often, people are willing to condemn hate only when it is politically convenient. I believe we have a responsibility to reject antisemitism regardless of where it comes from or who is promoting it.
Throughout my career, I have worked to bring people together across different backgrounds and faiths. Wisconsin’s diversity is one of our strengths, and our differences should never be used to divide us. As governor, I will continue working with Jewish leaders and communities across the state to ensure their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed.”
On top state priorities:
“My top priority is making Wisconsin more affordable for working families. Too many people are working hard but still struggling to afford housing, childcare, healthcare, and everyday necessities. Through my Badger Basics agenda, I want to lower costs, expand opportunity, and ensure that Wisconsin remains a place where people can build a good life.
Second, I want to strengthen our economy by investing in people. That means improving public education, expanding apprenticeship and workforce development programs, supporting our universities and technical colleges, and helping businesses find the workers they need to grow. Wisconsin’s future depends on developing talent and creating pathways to good paying jobs in every part of the state.
Third, I want to ensure that every Wisconsinite can access quality, affordable healthcare and the support they need to thrive. That includes expanding access to mental health care, addressing workforce shortages in healthcare, improving maternal and child health outcomes, and making healthcare more affordable and accessible, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Wisconsin has enormous potential. If we invest in our people, support our communities, and focus on practical solutions rather than political division, we can build a state where families can afford the basics, businesses can grow, and every child has the opportunity to succeed.”
Francesca Hong
State Rep. Francesca Hong was born and raised in Madison, where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She serves in the State Assembly alongside her work as a professional chef and small business owner. Hong identifies as a democratic socialist. “She built her life from the dish pit to the State Legislature,” reads Hong’s website.
On antisemitism:
“We face an epidemic of violence targeted by race and faith. Hate speech, including blatant and public anti-Semitism, has been normalized. I would be interested in finding ways to connect Jewish community leaders with resources making hate crime tracking and reporting easier and safer, supporting the JCRC’s audit. But I prefer to be proactive–it’s necessary to prevent hate crimes and anti-Semitism, rather than just react when they occur. I am inspired by leaders and organizations who form relationships with the communities around them and would support community outreach and events. As governor, I’ll use my platform to take a firm and public stance against forces of discrimination in our state and elevate all communities under siege, including Wisconsin’s Jewish community, in public conversation.
Ultimately, I believe inclusive education is the seedbed of intercultural understanding. When I was elected to the 76th Assembly District, I became the first Asian-American lawmaker in Wisconsin’s state legislature. When I passed AB1106 — with bipartisan support — I got the state superintendent of public instruction to develop curriculum on the history and culture of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to the development of Wisconsin and the United States. I believe we can do something similar with Jewish Wisconsinites, distinct from but in addition to the Holocaust Education Program, and would create a plan with the Department of Public Instruction to build a common understanding in our schools.”
On top state priorities:
“Restoring a strong progressive income and corporate profit tax. Working-class Wisconsinites pay a greater share of their income in taxes than the wealthy – some of whom pay less than 1% of their income in taxes. We are asked to subsidize this discrepancy through explosive property taxes. Through the establishment of a new bracket on a family’s millionth dollar of income or a large corporation’s millionth dollar of profit, we can drop the average property tax bill by 44% while fully funding public schools.
Protecting Wisconsinites from AI. I am the only candidate in this race with a comprehensive proposal for issues of AI. My CONTROL-ALT-DELETE package calls for a one-year moratorium on data center construction alongside a refusal to extend tax breaks to AI data centers and a plan to use any community-approved construction to subsidize the development of publicly owned clean energy. My LABOR SHIFT package is a thorough update of labor law for the 21st century: aggressive crackdowns on state contractors firing workers for AI, prohibiting surveillance wages and automated personnel decisions; and a trust fund for public infrastructure that, unlike AI data centers (the viability of which is still undetermined) actually serves Wisconsin long-term. Finally, my FIREWALL package addresses civil and consumer rights for an AI world: a ban on algorithmic pricing and insurance claim denials, increased standards for AI use in law enforcement, and consumer protections against AI scams.
Universal childcare. My model, based on those designed in New Mexico and Vermont, uses a 0.75% payroll tax to create a universal childcare program that’s completely free for most Wisconsin families and aggressively capped for everyone else. It also invests heavily in stabilizing child care center revenues while increasing wages for childcare workers and providing additional benefits like tuition reimbursement for early childhood education programs.”
Sara Rodriguez
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez was born in Milwaukee and raised in Brookfield. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, studying nursing and public health at Johns Hopkins University. She has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and is lieutenant governor of Wisconsin. “[She] is focused on expanding Medicaid, fixing the healthcare workforce crisis, protecting reproductive freedom, investing in public education, and building an economy that works for everyone,” reads an official bio.
On antisemitism:
“The rise in antisemitic incidents in Wisconsin is alarming, unacceptable and must be met with moral clarity. As Governor, I will provide it by being a leader who stands up and speaks out against anti-Semitism. I will also support resourcing the response to intolerance, discrimination, and hate. That means funding for school curricula that teach the history of the Holocaust and antisemitism, not as ancient history but as a living warning. It means supporting law enforcement training to identify and respond to hate crimes. And it means making sure prosecutors treat hate crimes as the serious offenses they are. I will also show up. As governor I will be a consistent, visible partner to Wisconsin’s Jewish community. Not just when incidents make the news, but all the time. I’ve traveled to all 72 Wisconsin counties four times. I know fighting anti-Semitism requires showing up everywhere and bringing people together to speak with one voice against it so we don’t become blind or numb to the hate that fuels it. The Jewish community has been a strong part of building a better Wisconsin for generations. You deserve a governor who will stand with you – in words and in action. That’s the governor I will be.”
On top state priorities:
“I’m a nurse. I diagnose the whole problem, then get to work on the treatment. Here’s what I see when I look at Wisconsin right now.
First, we need to bring costs down for Wisconsin families. Seven in ten Wisconsin voters say we are in a cost-of-living crisis. Health care costs too much, childcare is out of reach, utility bills keep climbing, and housing has gotten so expensive that a teacher or a nurse can’t afford to live in the community where they work. As governor I will fight on all of it – a public option for health care to reduce premiums and make quality affordable health care universally available in Wisconsin, a cap on what families pay for childcare, a freeze on utility rate increases, and a real housing plan that builds more homes and puts ownership back within reach for working families.
Second, we need to fully fund our public schools. For years, Republican legislators in Madison have shortchanged funding for public schools and stuck property taxpayers with the bill. As governor I will fully fund our schools, increase funding for special education, and respect the hard work of teachers with the pay and benefits they have earned helping students succeed.
Third – we need to win. I know that sounds simple, but it matters. Wisconsin has a real shot at a Democratic trifecta for the first time in more than 15 years – governor, Assembly, Senate. That is the difference between fighting for all of these things and actually delivering them. I’ve won in Waukesha County. I’ve won statewide. I know how to build the coalition that wins in November, and I know what to do with the majority once we have it. I’m ready to get to work.”
Kelda Roys
State Sen. Kelda Roys grew up in Taylor County. She graduated from New York University and University of Wisconsin Law School. She represents the Madison area in the state Senate and is an attorney and small business owner. A better Wisconsin “starts by making our public schools the best in the country … making health care affordable and accessible, and empowering families,” reads her website. Roys was raised by a Lutheran mother and a Jewish father, according to UpNorthNews.
On antisemitism:
“In 2017, my family arrived at Madison’s Gates of Heaven Synagogue to celebrate Erev Rosh Hashanah to find a swastika spraypainted outside. A few years later, a man came in during a service, lingering in the back. He was dressed strangely and behaving erratically – probably unhoused and mentally ill, but my sixth sense went off. I stepped out and asked police to simply be present, which they did right away. After about half an hour, he left – he wasn’t a threat, and I wondered whether I’d done the right thing – but that fear I felt remains.
I am deeply concerned about the rise in antisemitism and violence against Jewish people and institutions. I’ve used my platform to speak out against antisemitism on both the political right and left and have urged my colleagues and law enforcement to take seriously the increasing violence and hateful rhetoric directed against Jews. I’ll continue that leadership as governor.
Jewish safety, and that of other minority communities, depends on a strong democracy, the rule of law, and vigorous enforcement of civil rights laws. As an attorney and lifelong ACLU member, I know civil liberties, free speech, and robust democratic institutions ensure that Jews are protected and able to thrive. Public education is central to preserving democracy and protecting all of our rights, which is why I’ll reinvest in public education, including early childhood, K12, and higher ed. We also need to teach media literacy, religious freedom, tolerance, and Jewish history. I proudly coauthored Wisconsin’s Holocaust education law and legislation making it easier to sue when our civil rights are violated, and I support strengthening hate crime prevention, reporting, and enforcement.
Most importantly, I will use every tool to protect Wisconsinites from discrimination and violence, including from this dangerous federal authoritarian regime.”
On top state priorities:
“As governor, I’ll deliver higher wages, lower costs, better schools, and more freedom for Wisconsinites.
Our country is in a moment of crisis; we need a governor who will stand up and fight this Republican regime’s authoritarianism. I’ve set forth the strongest plan to combat ICE’s violent abuses, and will use every tool at my disposal to protect Wisconsinites from the many harms of the Republican regime, from their illegal tariffs to their corruption and cuts to healthcare that are decimating our farmers, small businesses, and families.
Affordability is the major concern in every part of our state as wages have stagnated for decades. That’s why I’ve authored Living Wage legislation to increase the minimum wage from $7.25/hr to $15, with a path to $20 by 2030. I’ll also restore collective bargaining rights.
I also have detailed plans to lower costs on the biggest ticket items: housing, healthcare and prescription drugs, childcare, and utilities. I will open up the state’s own employee health insurance pool to allow anyone to buy in at cost. We need urgent, realistic action to expand access to healthcare, as several hundred thousand Wisconsinities are estimated to lose coverage in the coming years, causing insurance rates to skyrocket and providers to close their doors.
After three decades of underfunding public schools, I will make Wisconsin’s the public education state again, from early childhood to higher ed. I’ll fix our broken funding formula, invest state dollars in education to reduce property taxes, and bring the failed private voucher scheme to a responsible end.
Finally, as an attorney who will not allow our Constitution to be shredded, I will protect our rights and freedoms, from reproductive freedom, to LGBTQ+ equality, to voting, protesting, and free speech, to data privacy, due process, and public safety.”
REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR
Andy Manske
Andy Manske was born in Milwaukee and raised in Franklin, Wisconsin. According to WMTV in Madison, he is a medical service technician by trade. “I’m not a career politician, and that’s exactly the point. I’m not tied to the system that created these problems. I live under the same policies as everyone else, and I see how they affect people in every corner of our state,” Manske’s website states.
On antisemitism:
“Personally, ‘antisemitic incidents’ have no place in the United States let alone WI. My view is that much of the perceptions leading up to these events are spread online through media. That media could be theories, antisemitic comments, and more concepts. My view is that we have two pathways. The first is that the government could seek to crack down on these views. This could be seen as monitoring conversations/spaces online, or directly engaging individuals on thoughts/actions. I find this perspective very troubling at the expense of our rights index positioning globally, and could in the wrong hands be used to make a bad situation worse. My option two is making a society where jobs are plentiful, and where families are encouraged. Where jobs exist, homes, relationships/love, families, and a lower cost of living we would see these statistics tank. First when someone has a job they have less time to fall into a rabbit hole leading towards an “antisemitic incident.” When someone has a stable relationship dating wise, or even marriage they are family orientated. This would result in not caring about the fringe of the world, and being grafted into society as a less hateful person. When homes exist, the cost of living is down, and community and family exist. Well that world makes falling into dangerous actions and mindsets near impossible. Can’t blame a group for the problems if the problems don’t exist. As a governor a governor can shine a light on the darkness of the worst of society. They can push for a better education system, and fight for the affordability metrics I described prior. In my mind a Governor in WI who is truly people-focused, and gets life better will see these incidents drop statistically.”
On top state priorities:
“I dislike limiting a reform minded get things done platform to only three priorities for WI. If I must pick my first would be homes broadly. Home ownership has declined, and my view is that when corporations/wall street come here they often buy up neighborhoods setting the new “normal” price. We also could offer more options for existing homeowners. I support a fixed $500-$1000 for homeowners after they pay their home off. I also talk on having sensible limits for ownership. Whether more options for prior WI citizens over foreigners, or allowing say a homeowner to be civically involved for the next generation Jewish or not to pass less on property taxes. I would look to turn the dial back in WI to $100k to $200k homes being the average again. I would do initiatives teaching young people home building while they also learn the skills/knowledge to buy land, and build their own home long term. Building homes, changing zoning laws, changing regulations, and adjusting our current state laws on large term investor properties to be less favorable. This would result in a non forced, gradual selloff adding inventory. My 2nd policy would be making society adjustments for AI. First I oppose AI data centers viewing them as a net negative. I want to see a more industry friendly workforce where trades, and high skill jobs/certifications are easier to achieve. This would mean adjusting colleges bringing millions back to taxpayers streamlining the process in a AI disruption world, and would also entail a workforce that can barter, and fall back on a trade for example. My third policy is infrastructure. I have proposed reforming how we do sidewalks, and roads with never ending construction. I believe in an infrastructure world where WI is more productive.”
Tom Tiffany
Rep. Tom Tiffany represents northern Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds degrees from University of Wisconsin-River Falls and University of Wisconsin-Superior. He has experience running a small business. Tiffany wants to make Wisconsin “more affordable, restore accountability to state government, and ensure every family has the opportunity to achieve the Wisconsin Dream,” according to an official bio.
On antisemitism:
“No Wisconsinite should be threatened or targeted because of their religion, race, or background. In addition to enforcing Wisconsin’s bipartisan laws, I will make protecting public safety and holding criminals accountable top priorities.”
On top state priorities:
“The issues I will prioritize as governor are the same ones Wisconsin families talk about around their kitchen tables every day: affordability, education, energy costs, and accountability. Wisconsin is too great a state to accept the path we are on — with some of the highest property taxes in the nation, the second-highest utility rates in the Midwest, and one of the worst states in America to start a business. First, we must end the 400-year property tax increase and get utility costs under control. Second, we must restore excellence in education by raising standards, empowering parents, and making sure education dollars reach students, teachers, and classrooms. And finally, we must restore common sense to state government by reopening Wisconsin for business, increasing transparency through audits and accountability, and bringing health care price transparency to families so they know costs upfront.”
Loading ...