Wisconsin voters set their general election matches Aug. 14, and the face-offs in November will be what the polls predicted.

For governor, Democrat Tony Evers will take on incumbent Republican Scott Walker.

For U.S. senator, Democratic incumbent Tammy Baldwin will face Republican challenger Leah Vukmir.

For lieutenant governor, incumbent Republican Rebecca Kleefisch will face Mandela Barnes.

For state treasurer, Democrat Sarah Godlewski will face Republican Travis Hartwig.

For attorney general, Democrat Josh Kaul will face incumbent Republican Brad Schimel.

In the 1st Congressional District, for the seat held by Paul Ryan, Republican Bryan Steil will face Democrat Randy Bryce.

In the 3rd, incumbent Democrat Ron Kind will defend his seat against Republican Steve Toft.

In the 4th Congressional District, Republican Tim Rogers will face Democratic incumbent Gwen Moore.

In the 5th, Democrat Tom Palzewicz will challenge incumbent Republican F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.

In the 6th, Democrat Dan Kohl will challenge incumbent Republican Glenn Grothman.

In the 7th, Democrat Margaret Engebretson will challenge incumbent Republican Sean Duffy.

In the 8th, Democrat Beau Liegeois will challenge incumbent Republican Mike Gallagher.

Democrat Earnell Lucas won the primary for Milwaukee County sheriff, defeating Robert Ostrowski and Richard R. Schmidt and there are no Republicans running.

On Aug. 16, Democrats planned a unity tour around the state, with the nominees for governor and lieutenant governor joined by local leaders at each stop on the campaign kickoff.

  • MILWAUKEE: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery (901 E. Juneau Ave.) Aug. 16, 10:45 a.m.
  • GREEN BAY: Democratic Party Office (118 S. Chestnut St.) Aug. 16, 2 p.m.
  • MADISON: Goodman Community Center (149 Waubesa St.) Aug. 16, 5:35 p.m.
  • STEVENS POINT: UW Stevens Point (2100 Main St.) Friday, Aug. 17, 12:05 p.m.
  • LA CROSSE: Pearl Street Brewing (1401 St Andrews St.) Aug. 17, 3:25 p.m.

Reaction to the results…

Voces de la Frontera, the state's leading immigrant rights group, issued a statement proclaiming "Sweeping victories for immigrant rights movement in Wisconsin primary elections."

Voces celebrated "victories for candidates who made resistance to Trump's attacks on immigrant families central to their platforms."

Most notably, in Milwaukee County, Earnell Lucas defeated ex-Sheriff David Clarke's longtime assistant, Richard Schmidt.

Also, in the 1st Congressional District, Voces supported Bryce, who campaigned for Medicare for All, tuition-free public college and the abolition of ICE.

Also, Voces supported Marisabel Cabrera, who won the Democratic nomination for State Assembly District 9. Cabrera serves on the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission, where she opposed efforts to change MPD standard operating procedures to remove protections against investigation into immigration status.

"Lucas', Bryce's and Cabrera's victories show broad support for sanctuary policies and for a bold, pro-immigrant, pro-worker agenda," said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera Action.

She also noted Evers supports legislation to restore driver licenses to Wisconsin immigrant residents, "which is especially important because ICE is targeting people stopped for driving without a license for deportation."


LGBT Victory Fund, a national group dedicated to electing LGBT officials, focused on the November Senate race — "a general election battle between an anti-LGBTQ extremist and the first openly LGBTQ U.S. senator in American history. For almost two decades, Vukmir has voted against pro-LGBTQ legislation and remains opposed to marriage equality and protections for LGBTQ youth. The Wisconsin race is one of the most competitive Senate races in the nation this cycle."

Annise Parker, president & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said, “Wisconsin voters will have a stark choice come November. … Leah Vukmir built her career on opposing basic equality for LGBTQ Americans and considers designated hate groups among her closest supporters. Wisconsin voters have a proud history of electing and reelecting groundbreaking LGBTQ candidates like Sen. Baldwin, and we are confident they will reject Vukmir’s hostile agenda come November."


The Human Rights Campaign recognized the equality champs who won Democratic primaries, including Baldwin; U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore; and Josh Kaul for Attorney General.

HRC-endorsed Josh Kaul will face incumbent Brad Schimel in the race for attorney general. Schimel joined the suit against the Obama administration’s life-saving guidance protecting LGBTQ students and recently urged the U.S. Supreme Court to grant a potentially sweeping license to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Schimel also accepted thousands of dollars from the notoriously anti-LGBTQ Alliance Defending Freedom to speak at the group’s recent conference in California.

The organization, the largest LGBT civil rights group in the country, said it is "on the ground working to defeat incumbent Gov. Scott Walker, who is seeking a third term in office and has made anti-LGBTQ activism a cornerstone of his political career."

HRC has identified more than 560,000 “equality voters” in the state  — voters who support  LGBTQ-inclusive policies.


The progressive group Democracy for America cheered Barnes' primary win.

Here's the statement from chair Jim Dean: "Mandela Barnes already has a strong record of leading the fight for progressive economic policy, criminal justice reform and health care, both in the state Assembly and as the national director of a coalition for state legislators nationwide, and tonight's victory makes him one step closer to leading the fight for inclusive populist political change across Wisconsin as its next lieutenant governor.

Dean also issued a statement on Bryce's win: "Democracy for America was the first national progressive group to back Randy's campaign because our members saw him as the kind of unapologetic, inclusive populist fighter we needed to take on the Speaker of the House. A champion for Medicare for All with a demonstrated commitment to standing up in the fight for racial and economic justice, Randy Bryce is more than ready to defeat Paul Ryan's mini-me in November."


At the Democratic Governors Association, chair Gov. Jay Inslee, D-Washington, congratulated Evers: “Tony has spent his career working for the people of Wisconsin, educating children and bringing people together to get things done. After eight years of Governor Walker’s divisiveness and warped priorities that put his own political career ahead of Wisconsin’s schools, roads, and health care, it’s time for new leadership. And Tony is just the right person for the job.

“The contrast this November couldn’t be clearer: Tony Evers will fight for better schools, affordable health care, and opportunity for working families; Scott Walker will only fight for himself. The DGA sees Wisconsin as one of our major pickup opportunities this fall, and I look forward to working with Tony Evers to win back the state.”


Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin executive director Nicole Safar issued a statement congratulating Evers and Barnes, saying "both candidates are proven women's health champions."


At One Wisconsin Now, executive director Scot Ross said in a statement that Walker and the Republicans "are desperate and running scared."

He continued, “Since the start of 2018, with historic wins in state Senate races and progressives’ convincing victory in the April statewide election for state Supreme Court, Democrats and progressives are showing up to vote and winning elections.

“Up and down the ticket progressives are fielding a strong ticket of candidates to take back the state. While Scott Walker and his gang have already turned to scare tactics and racist attacks, the people of Wisconsin won’t be fooled. They know we can do better than what we’ve been getting from Republicans for the last eight years.”

Editor's note: This report will be updated.

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