Reince Priebus, the former Trump White House chief of staff, says he expects the president will weigh in on Wisconsin’s race for governor and the GOP primary between Rep. Tom Tiffany and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.
“My general view is, and I don’t push the president on these things, but my general view is the president’s going to get involved,” Priebus said on WISN 12’s “UpFront,” which is produced in partnership with WisPolitics-State Affairs. “You just have to assume that. He likes to have his fingerprints on things. I think we all know that. I think he is going to get involved. I don’t see him sitting out. I do know that he respects very much Tom Tiffany. Tom has been very loyal, but Tom is his own guy.
“Clearly, Tom Tiffany, he’s got a lot of momentum,” Priebus added. “I think he’s well-known, certainly in the Republican world. I’ve never met the county executive who’s running against him, not that I needed to or he needed to reach out to me; he doesn’t. So what I know is Tom Tiffany has been a great congressman, and it seems by all accounts he’s probably the frontrunner with that.”
Broadly looking ahead to the midterms, Priebus says “nothing makes sense anymore” as both parties look ahead to the control of Congress and the governor’s mansion at stake.
>> WisPolitics is now on the State Affairs network. Get custom keyword notifications, bill tracking and all WisPolitics content. Get the app or access via desktop.
“I think it’s all going to depend on a few things,” Priebus said. “It’s going to depend on what’s the price of gas? What’s the price of groceries? Where are the Democrats on culture wars? I mean, I saw the narrative. The narrative is, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a rough year because of the incumbent president.’ But the truth is, and I think everyone understands this, nothing makes sense anymore. You can go back to 2016 like, ‘Oh, it was going to be close, or Trump wasn’t going to win.’ And lo and behold, he did. In 2018, we were going to get blown out. We didn’t do as bad as people thought. 2020 was going to be a blowout, and it was close, ’22 red wave didn’t happen, ’24 it’s supposed to be close. Trump wins the popular vote.”
Priebus said the campaigns in Wisconsin will all come down to data.
“I always say it goes back to really boring things because these elections are going to be close,” Priebus said. “It comes down to mechanics. It comes down to who’s got the better data, who knows everything about every voter that could possibly go one way or the other.”
Also on the program, Democratic strategist Joe Zepecki and Republican Bill McCoshen have revealed their 2025 winners and losers alongside their person to watch in 2026.
Zepecki’s 2025 loser: House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“My loser is very simple, which is Mike Johnson, who has lost control of the U.S. Congress,” Zepecki told “UpFront.” “The House of Representatives is now apparently only able to do anything by discharge petition … And so Mike Johnson will not be Speaker of the House after 2026 … My hot take is Mike Johnson is going to be looking for work.”
McCoshen’s 2025 loser: Wisconsin property taxpayers.
“I think the governor’s 400-year veto is now arriving in everyone’s mailbox. Your property tax increase for 2025 is anywhere between 11% and 28% depending on where you live. That is sticker shock, and that’s going to happen every year for the next 399.”
Zepecki’s 2025 winner: Attorney General Josh Kaul.
“(Kaul) did one of the hardest things to do in politics, which is take a pass on a run for higher office. Attorney General Josh Kaul has won statewide. He would have gotten into the governor’s race with a lot of advantages, and I think I respect the heck out of anybody who is willing to say, ‘You know what? Ambition can’t be the only thing.’”
McCoshen’s 2025 winner: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
“He came in on his second day on the job, we had the tragedy at DCA and in Washington, D.C., a crash between an airplane and a military helicopter. He’s instantly in crisis. I think he has seen multiple crises during his 12 months and found a way to manage through those … He’s coming out as a really solid member of the cabinet.”
Zepecki’s “who to watch” in 2026: California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I think a lot of people on my side now view him as the person who helped themselves the most in the presidential sort of pre, pre, pre-primary ahead of 2028. He has been unafraid, unabashed to take on the Trump administration, and that is a good opening act. What does he do as a follow-on in 2026?”
McCoshen’s “who to watch” in 2026: White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
“She is the first female chief of staff in U.S. history. Most people credit her with making the 47th administration far less chaotic and more organized than the 45th administration. Does she leave in 2026 or stay through the midterms? … My hope is she stays at least through the summer, but maybe even through the year.”
See more from the show.
