Two well-credentialed candidates rooted in the WOW counties have stepped forward to run as Republicans for governor of Wisconsin in 2026. Both would be a breath of fresh air in a party that has lost its way from its fundamental principles in the chaotic perfect storm of the Trump era.
Josh Schoemann
Joshua Schoemann, 43, has spent 11 years as a leader – now elected executive — of Washington County. He is a seasoned public executive who is more than prepared to step up to the state level. He has filed his papers for a 2026 run.
Bill Berrien, who owns a high-tech manufacturing operation in Waukesha County, is a seasoned executive. IMHO, candidates with managerial chops make far better choices for elected government leadership positions than legislative office holders. Berrien has formed a campaign committee, but has yet to formally announce.
Bill Berrien
Both men are military veterans and highly educated. Schoemann served in the Iraq War in the Army Reserve. He has a B.A. from UW-Whitewater and master’s degree in in political science from Northern Illinois University.
Berrien was a leader in the Navy SEALs, arguably the toughest fighting unit in the world. He holds two degrees, a baccalaureate from Princeton, where he was class president, and an MBA from Harvard. He is a Blackbelt quality expert.
An obvious differentiator is that Berrien has been a leader in the private sector, while Schoemann’s career has been in the public sector.
Several other Republicans have indicated interest in the governor’s job, but have been low-profile to date. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a far-right congressman from northern Wisconsin, has expressed interest, but is having an exciting time in the GOP House majority in lock-step with President Trump. It’s hard to see him leaving his current safe seat.
The over-riding reality for any Republican candidate is his or her relationship to a dominant Trump.
How will the GOP candidates play the Trump card? Will they seek his endorsement in the inevitable primary? Will they tie their state issues to Trump’s national issues?
Trump’s approval ratings have slumped in his first 100 plus days, especially among independents who are all-important in our very purple state.
Another big unknown is whether Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will run for a third term. He is getting long in the tooth. He will be 75 in 2026. He is a cancer survivor. The age factor worked in a dramatic way against Joe Biden at 81, even though Trump also demonstrated recall challenges at 78. He gets his facts scrambled.
The Democratic governor nominee, whoever it is, will surely link the Republican nominee to Trump’s track record. That will be the case even if Trump’s ratings improve in the eyes of the public by then.
All Republicans are acutely aware of the April Supreme Court race. Brad Schimel, endorsed by Trump and his buddy Elon Musk, lost big-time to Democrat Susan Crawford. Trump proved to be a drag on Schimel.
Accordingly, Schoemann and Berrien will probably go into a bit of a holding pattern to see how Trump’s approval/disapproval ratings go before deciding how closely to align with him.
In another dimension, both men are young enough to be looking past 2026 if they don’t win then. They will be building name recognition across the state that could serve them well in a 2030 candidacy.
Even if not in the Governor’s Mansion on Lake Mendota next year, both will still have visible active lives – Berrien as a business leader and spokesman and Schoemann as Washington County executive whose term does not expire until 2028.
The two Republicans have issues they care about. Berrien is devoted to upskilling the Wisconsin workforce as a way to lift wages in a state that lags the national average on wage levels.
Schoemann has staked out “Next Generation” affordable housing in his county, but it’s also a pressing need across Wisconsin.
Theirs should be a contest that is healthy for Wisconsin.
