Washington County Exec Josh Schoemann officially kicked off his campaign for governor next year, accusing Dem incumbent Tony Evers and the status quo of failing Wisconsin.
Schoemann, first elected county exec in 2020, said entrepreneurs can’t afford to pursue their dreams in Wisconsin, young families can’t afford to put down roots, and parents and grandparents can’t afford to retire here.
Schoemann, 43, said he regularly runs into people living down south who are proud to say they’re from Wisconsin.
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“I, for one, think it’s about damn time we build a Wisconsin where people are proud to be, not just be from,” Schoemann said during a kickoff event yesterday in West Bend.
Schoemann took a series of shots at Evers, who hasn’t announced whether he will seek a third term next year. Schoemann said even if Evers “calls it quits on his own — God willing,” the Dems who would run to replace him would only offer the same failed status quo.
Schoemann slammed Evers for a veto he issued in the 2023-25 budget that annually increases the cap on per pupil spending through 2425, saying it would lead to four centuries of property tax increases. He hit the guv for proposing higher fees on hunting and fishing and car registrations in the 2025-27 budget, saying Evers’ spending plan would take Wisconsin from a surplus to a deficit in two years.
“We have a state government built for 1975 and 1995, not 2025 and certainly not 2045,” Schoemann said.
Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Izzi Levy said in a statement that Schoemann “brings to this race a toxic record of attacking public schools, opposing reproductive freedom, and championing Elon Musk’s attacks on the programs and services Wisconsinites rely on.”
Schoemann is the first Republican to officially enter the field. Others mentioned as possible candidates include: businessman Bill Berrien; U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Minocqua; Senate President Mary Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk; businessman Eric Hovde; and state Sen. Pat Testin, R-Stevens Point.
