US EditionJoel Brennan, former top Evers aide, joins crowded 2026 Wisconsin governor race
Joel Brennan highlights his 25 years in private sector and government, aiming to unite Democrats and Republicans against chaos attributed to President Trump, in a field of 10 Democrats.
- On Thursday, Former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan announced he is running to succeed two-term Gov. Tony Evers in the 2026 Wisconsin Democratic primary, joining a field of 10 Democrats.
- As a former Department of Administration secretary, Brennan said, `We got to work, putting the state on firmer financial footing, generating a budget surplus of nearly $4 billion and growing our rainy day fund to $1.7 billion.`
- In his launch video, Brennan said he led Milwaukee's Discovery World for 11 years and now heads the Greater Milwaukee Committee, a group of about 200 leaders.
- The race's near-term timeline shows an August primary will narrow the field ahead of the November general election, with Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany as the highest-profile GOP candidate.
- Brennan argues his background of 25 years in the private sector and Evers-era experience gives him a fundraising edge, but he admitted in his campaign ad many Wisconsinites don't know him, while Tanya Bjork, Democratic strategist, said `Joel is a great candidate`.
31 Articles
31 Articles
Joel Brennan, former top Tony Evers aide, enters race for Wisconsin governor
Reading Time: 2 minutes Joel Brennan, former top Cabinet official for Gov. Tony Evers, has joined the Democratic primary for governor, vowing to “stand up to Trump’s dysfunction” and be “laser-focused” on improving people’s lives if elected. In a campaign launch video released Thursday, Brennan discussed growing up with 10 siblings in Wisconsin in a family that was “long on potential, although sometimes a little short on resources.” Brennan talk…
Former Evers cabinet secretary Joel Brennan enters governor race
Joel Brennan, former top cabinet official for Gov. Tony Evers, has joined the Democratic primary for governor, vowing to “stand up to Trump’s dysfunction” and be “laser-focused” on improving peoples’ lives if elected. In a campaign launch video released Thursday, Brennan discussed growing up with 10 siblings in Wisconsin in a family that was “long on potential, although sometimes a little short on resources.” Brennan talks about working a variet…
Wisconsin State Journal
Winona Daily NewsFormer DOA Secretary Joel Brennan launches bid for governor
Brennan joins a packed field of candidates that started growing after Gov. Tony Evers announced in July that he will not seek reelection after his second term concludes next year.
Brennan In, Conroy Out
Since the announced sale of Exact Sciences, which makes the colon cancer test kit, a few months ago, there’s been speculation that the company’s founder and CEO Kevin Conroy would get in the race for Wisconsin governor. It now comes down to this: how do you get along with your brother-in-law? Because yesterday Joel Brennan, who is Conroy’s brother-in-law, announced that he’s joining the crowded field of Democrats looking to replace Tony Evers. I…
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