News
May 01, 2025 | By Benjamin Yount
Policy Issues
Accountable Government

Washington County’s Schoeman Enters 2026 Race for Governor

Schoeman has made headlines for his focus on housing and economic growth in Washington County, and for his local election integrity push.

Josh Schoemann to Run for Governor

Wisconsin’s next race for governor is officially underway.

Washington County executive Josh Schoemann on Thursday filed the paperwork to run for governor.

Schoeman has not announced anything , officially, but people close to him say that may change soon.

Schoemann has been Washington County Executive since 2020, before that he was County Administrator and the county's manager.

He was re-elected as county exec in the April 2024 election. He did not have an opponent in that race.

Schoemann has made headlines for his focus on housing and economic growth in Washington County, and for his local election integrity push.

Last year he announced a $150,000 commitment to expanding early voting, using voting machines, and even looking into ending the central count operations in West Bend and Germantown.

Washington County is one of the state's most Republican-leaning counties, and is the deepest Red of the key WOW counties.

While Schoemann is the first candidate to jump into the 2026 race, he will not be the last.

Bill Berrien, a businessman from Whitefish Bay and a former Navy SEAL, has announced a PAC that is seen as his sof-tentry into the race. But Berrien has not made any official announcements.

Gov. Tony Evers has also not said if he plans to run again. If he does, it would be Evers' third campaign for governor.

Evers bhas said he won't make any announcements about his political future til after the next state budget is written, passed, and signed.

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