Businessman Kurt Kober, a Sheboygan native, announced late Wednesday he has filed to run for guv as he explores a bid.
Kober told WisPolitics.com in early July running for guv was one of several possibilities he was considering in 2018, including other elected offices, creating a new organization or working with an existing one.
In a statement Wednesday night, Kober said before making a final decision on a guv bid, he wanted to take more time to speak with people across Wisconsin.
“To move Wisconsin forward we have to take the opportunity to lead in the new economy,” Kober said. “In order to do so, we’ll need to educate every student to pursue their passion, enable businesses to innovate faster, and engage every citizen in the conversation about how their government can work better for them.”
Kober is a director for the Clorox Company, a multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. He also is a co-founder of Red Clay, a San Francisco-based enterprise design crowdsourcing company, according to his LinkedIn page. His wife Abby Kiefer also is a co-founder and is the company’s CEO.
The Wisconsin native graduated from UW-Green Bay in 2001 and got his MBA from UW-Madison in 2007, according to his LinkedIn page.
Kober is the latest Dem to consider a bid for guv. So far, those to formally announce their campaigns include businessman Andy Gronik, state Rep. Dana Wachs, Cross Plains businesswoman Michele Doolan and Bob Harlow, a former California congressional candidate.
Those who have filed and are still looking at campaigns include state Superintendent Tony Evers, state Sen. Kathleen Vinenout, former Wisconsin Democracy Campaign Executive Director Mike McCabe and former state Rep. Brett Hulsey.
