Wisconsin Secretary of State: 2026 Race Winner

The Wisconsin Elections Commission voted unanimously to prohibit the state's roughly 1,800 municipal clerks from using the federal SAVE database to verify voters' citizenship status, citing a state law restricting disclosure of voter registration data. Critics note the law includes an exemption for sharing data with law enforcement agencies. The decision follows a September Supreme Court ruling allowing the Trump administration's expanded SAVE program to continue amid litigation. The move has drawn criticism from Republican state lawmakers and election-integrity advocates, while Democratic candidates for governor and secretary of state have backed expanding benefits, including driver's licenses, to noncitizens.

The dispute could carry weight ahead of November elections, given narrow past margins in statewide Democratic primaries and estimates of tens of thousands of noncitizens residing in Wisconsin.

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor, said during a debate that his 2020 objection to certifying Wisconsin's presidential election results stemmed from private election-administration grants funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, dubbed "Zuckerbucks" by critics. More than 200 Wisconsin communities received about $10 million from the Zuckerberg-backed Center for Tech and Civic Life during the pandemic. Tiffany also cited Milwaukee and Dane county clerks allowing "indefinitely confined" voters to skip photo ID for absentee ballots. He backed Trump's failed bid to disqualify 220,000 absentee ballots and voted against counting Pennsylvania and Arizona electoral votes. Democratic opponent David Crowley questioned whether Tiffany can be trusted to certify 2028 results; Tiffany said he would.

In a Wisconsin governor's race debate, Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany said his 2020 objections to certifying Wisconsin's election results stemmed from concerns over election funding from Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, often called "Zuckerbucks." Tiffany pointed to grants from the Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life, which sent about $10 million to more than 200 Wisconsin communities during the pandemic, and to Milwaukee and Dane county guidance letting voters claim "indefinitely confined" status to get absentee ballots without photo ID. Democratic opponent David Crowley argued Tiffany identified no actual fraud and questioned whether he would certify the 2028 results; Tiffany said he would, "regardless of who the winner is."

U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor, said in a debate that private election grants funded by Mark Zuckerberg — dubbed "Zuckerbucks" by critics — drove his support for Trump's efforts to overturn Wisconsin's 2020 results. Tiffany also cited Milwaukee and Dane County clerks allowing "indefinitely confined" voters to skip photo ID requirements. Over 200 Wisconsin communities received roughly $10 million from the Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life during the pandemic; voters later banned such private election funding via a 2024 constitutional amendment. Democratic opponent David Crowley argued Tiffany's explanation was inadequate and questioned his trustworthiness to certify 2028 results, though Tiffany pledged he would certify regardless of outcome.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor, said during a debate that private election funding dubbed "Zuckerbucks" — grants from a Mark Zuckerberg-backed nonprofit that helped Wisconsin communities run elections during the pandemic — was a key reason he objected to certifying the state's 2020 results and backed Trump's bid to disqualify absentee ballots from Milwaukee and Dane counties. Democratic opponent David Crowley called the explanation inadequate, noting Tiffany alleged no actual fraud, and questioned whether Tiffany could be trusted to certify 2028 results. Tiffany pledged he would certify the 2028 election regardless of outcome. Wisconsin voters later banned private election grant funding via constitutional amendment.

Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District has emerged as one of the most closely watched races that could help decide control of the U.S. House next year. Republican incumbent Derrick Van Orden faces a rematch against Democratic challenger Rebecca Cooke, who lost to him by roughly 11,000 votes in 2024. Analysts describe the campaign as increasingly negative, with both sides now focused on attacking each other's records rather than introducing themselves to voters.

President Trump looms over the contest even though he is not on the ballot. Van Orden has embraced Trump, saying he would welcome him back to the district, breaking from Republicans elsewhere trying to distance themselves from the president amid his low approval ratings. Cooke, who calls herself a moderate Democrat, is appealing to voters who have split tickets in the past, arguing Republican control of Congress and the White House makes the GOP accountable. The race is one of several competitive midterm contests nationally that will shape House control.

Democrats have added Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Bryan Steil, to the DCCC's "red to blue" program targeting vulnerable GOP incumbents. Challenger Mitchell Berman, a nurse and first-time candidate, is betting that voter anger over the economy, health care costs and gas prices under President Trump can overcome Steil's fundraising edge and name recognition after eight years in office. Steil, who succeeded Paul Ryan in a district with deep manufacturing losses, has won all four of his races by at least 9 points and entered August with a large cash advantage over Berman.

The race illustrates broader national trends: Trump-aligned PACs have spent tens of millions on House ads since September, with the vast majority going toward defending districts Trump carried in 2024 rather than targeting Democratic-held seats, signaling Republicans are largely on defense this cycle. Democrats hope a strong enough "blue wave" could flip even well-funded, longtime incumbents like Steil, though party officials on both sides say an upset remains a steep climb for Berman.

Wisconsin's projected budget surplus has climbed to about $3 billion, up from roughly $2.5 billion projected in January, after state revenue for fiscal year 2026 came in higher than expected. The Department of Revenue reported a 3.4% increase in tax collections, reaching about $23.1 billion, though the figures remain preliminary pending review by the State Controller's Office ahead of an October 15 fiscal report.

The larger surplus comes months after a bipartisan deal combining taxpayer rebates, property tax relief, and school funding failed in the state Senate. With voters set to choose a governor and Legislature in November, the surplus has become a campaign flashpoint. Republican candidate Tom Tiffany wants to return the full surplus to taxpayers, while Democratic candidate David Crowley favors targeted relief and long-term investments in schools and services. Polling shows voters divided on the issue, with a slim majority favoring spending on services over full rebates, though it's unclear how heavily the surplus will weigh on ballots this fall.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission approved guidance instructing the state's roughly 1,800 local clerks on how to respond if federal law enforcement, including ICE, DHS or FBI agents, show up at polling places on Election Day. The move comes amid voter anxiety, particularly among Latino, Black and Asian American communities, over the Trump administration's intensified immigration enforcement activity, and follows clerks reporting a surge of voter questions about the scenario.

Under the guidance, if agents arrive, polling site leaders must notify the municipal clerk, who alerts the county clerk and the state commission. Agents acting as observers must register like any other observer and follow existing rules. The commission also urged law enforcement to appear in plain clothes rather than uniforms to avoid intimidating voters.

The vote was not unanimous: Republican commissioner Bob Spindell opposed the guidance, calling it unnecessary given over two centuries without such a need, and warning it could discourage turnout. Commission chair Don Millis and administrator Meagan Wolfe framed it as routine contingency planning, with Millis saying he expects the election to proceed normally. DHS has denied plans to deploy agents to polling sites broadly, calling such concerns fearmongering, and legal experts note federal law strictly limits armed personnel at election sites. Wisconsin's governor's race is among the state's most closely watched contests this cycle.