Attorney General of Wisconsin
Josh Kaul
Attorney General of Wisconsin (since January 7, 2019)DINCUMBENT
- Race
- Attorney General of Wisconsin
- Election
- 2026-11-03
- Opponent
- Eric Toney (R)
- Research
- Basic
Party linenone
No recorded floor votes — not a current legislator in our records.
Said vs. did0 statements · 0 votes
Josh Kaul is the incumbent Democratic Attorney General of Wisconsin, seeking a third term in a rematch with Republican Eric Toney, whom he narrowly defeated in 2022. A former federal prosecutor, he took office in January 2019. His campaign centers on public safety; his office has also joined more than 60 lawsuits against the Trump administration and brought the suit over Wisconsin's 1849 abortion law.[1][2][3]
On the ballotAttorney General
2026-11-03
| Josh Kaul D | incumbent |
| Eric Toney R | challenger |
Democratic nominee for Attorney General.
Biography
Josh Kaul is the incumbent Democratic Attorney General of Wisconsin, seeking a third term in a rematch with Republican Eric Toney, whom he narrowly defeated in 2022. A former federal prosecutor, he took office in January 2019. His campaign centers on public safety; his office has also joined more than 60 lawsuits against the Trump administration and brought the suit over Wisconsin's 1849 abortion law.[1][2][3]
Basic profile — the most important sourced facts we found.
Josh Kaul grew up in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac and graduated from Fond du Lac High School.[3][4] He earned a bachelor's degree in economics and history from Yale University in 2003 and a law degree from Stanford Law School in 2006, where he was president of the law review, and then clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge Michael Boudin.[4]
Kaul worked at the law firm Jenner & Block from 2007 to 2010, and from 2010 to 2014 he was an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Maryland.[4] In 2014 he joined Perkins Coie as a voting rights attorney.[4]
Kaul was sworn in as Wisconsin's 45th Attorney General on January 7, 2019, and PBS Wisconsin reports that he has won twice by less than a percentage point.[2][1] He advanced from the August 11, 2026 Democratic primary, and his campaign describes him as a father, a husband and a former federal prosecutor.[4][3]
On the record
Official actions: bills, executive acts, filings and court records.
- legal2025-01-21 · Joined a first lawsuit against the Trump administration on January 21, 2025, challenging an executive order on birthright citizenship, and has since joined more than 60 such lawsuits, many over federal funding cuts, per PBS Wisconsin.[5]
- legalFiled a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of Wisconsin's 1849 abortion law; the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the law in a decision issued in July 2025, leaving a 20-week limit in place, per PBS Wisconsin.[5]
- actionRequested 19 additional crime-laboratory positions in the 2025 state budget; the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee provided none. In 2023 he had sought 16, and the Legislature approved 3, per PBS Wisconsin. Toney says a nonpartisan audit found positions went unfilled and DNA testing slowed; Kaul says the shortfall reflects the Legislature's funding decisions.[5][6]
- legal2026-09-14 · Wisconsin DOJ joined a coalition suing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to halt the Trump administration's new public charge rule, announced September 14, 2026; Kaul is quoted in the release.[7]
- action2026-09-21 · Wisconsin DOJ announced on September 21, 2026 that Wisconsin joined a $694 million multistate settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation; Wisconsin is to receive an estimated $218,319, per the release.[8]
In their own words
Priorities
- Public safety, which he calls his top priority as Attorney General, including requests to the Legislature for more positions at the state crime laboratories.[5]
- Challenging federal actions: he says his office has won "case after case" in lawsuits that keep federal funds from being frozen or conditioned.[5]
Statements, quoted without a stance
- Protect legal access to abortion
“I had filed a lawsuit seeking to block enforcement of a law that dates back to the mid-1800s.”[5]
In an October 2026 PBS Wisconsin interview, about his lawsuit over the 1849 law; the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the law in July 2025, per PBS
Campaign moneyNo FEC filing summary matched — state candidates file with their state, not the FEC.
Profile: /people/josh-kaul
Compare all 2 candidates side by side ›
Sources cited in this profile
- 1.What are the top issues in Wisconsin's 2026 election for AG? · PBS Wisconsin (Here & Now) · 2026-10-13 News report
- 2.Wisconsin Department of Justice · Wisconsin Department of Justice Official record
- 3.Kaul for Attorney General · Kaul for Attorney General (campaign) Candidate's own words
- 4.Josh Kaul · Ballotpedia Reference
- 5.What are the top issues in Wisconsin's 2026 election for AG? · PBS Wisconsin (Here & Now) · 2026-10-13 News report
- 6.Attorney General Debate 2026: Josh Kaul Gives Failing Crime Labs an "A" · Toney for Attorney General (campaign) · 2026-10-11 Candidate's own words
- 7.Wisconsin DOJ Sues to Block Trump Administration's Public Charge Rule · Wisconsin Department of Justice · 2026-09-14 Official record
- 8.Wisconsin DOJ Joins $694 Million Multistate Settlement with Subprime Auto Lender Credit Acceptance Corporation · Wisconsin Department of Justice · 2026-09-21 Official record