🍴 We have a family member coming to visit tonight and I’m certain that once we discuss the Brewers’ loss this afternoon to the Giants (12-9), we’ll get to talking about the governor’s race somewhere between the Old Fashioneds and the bacon-wrapped pork filets. (Hey, there’s more to supper club menus besides steaks, chicken, and fish frys.) 

⛸️ The governor’s race feels like we’re just past the midway point of that Olympic long-distance speed skating race — the one where the competitors are very quiet for the first few laps but eventually throw themselves into a frenzied sprint. We’re at the point where the pack is speeding up, a couple of racers try to break out, but it’s not clear if they’ll maintain momentum or if someone else will make a charge that ends with a win. Things will really get busy starting next weekend at the state Democratic convention.

Scroll down to learn more about what all of the candidates have been saying and doing this week. 

Our newsletter-first feature is about one of the most important races to determine control of the Wisconsin Legislature: Meet the three Democrats squaring off in the 27th Senate District primary, hoping to unseat a co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee.

🐄 And we haven’t forgotten about Friday’s planned visit by President Trump to a farm just down the road from us. It just seems an odd stop to make, given that his record on ag issues is so demonstrably bad. Read my full story on our website for more about that.

Have a great weekend. And be sure to stay up to date with our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

It seems like 2026 will be the year that AI and data centers really cemented themselves as election issues for the foreseeable future.

🫒 This week, we published a story about former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes proposing ways to stop online merchants from engaging in AI-driven price gouging, where your browsing history or personal information is used to show you a higher price than someone else would pay.

🥕 Sen. Kelda Roys introduced a new energy plan this week that would require big tech companies to make substantial payments up-front before constructing data centers. That corporate cash would be used for a revolving loan program so that public buildings could get clean energy upgrades.

Roys’ plan also spells out renewable energy requirements and would offer state negotiating help to local governments so they don’t get steamrolled by corporate lawyers.

🫜 Rep. Francesca Hong addressed a personal financial issue when a credit card bank issuer filed a lawsuit against her this week over a $30,000 debt her campaign says has now been paid.

“I am an ordinary working Wisconsinite,” Hong said in a video posted to social media. I’m not ashamed to have made honest financial mistakes in pursuit of my dream of opening a restaurant. [This is] a time where people are struggling to feed their families, to put gas in the car while billionaires and corporations make record profits off of our hard work, where our tax dollars are going to fund tax exemptions and tax breaks. People are feeling left behind.”

🧀 Candidates like Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez reacted to news that President Trump was going to visit a farm in Chippewa County on Friday to talk about his record on agriculture and global trade.

🍇 Missy Hughes, the former head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, is doubling down on her pointed criticism of the other Democratic candidates for not endorsing a surplus spending deal negotiated by Gov. Tony Evers and legislative Republicans. In a column for the Capital Times, Hughes writes, “They tweet their outrage, govern by press release, or sit on the fence, focused on their own political future instead of the people they’re supposed to serve.”

🥦 Monday was the deadline for candidates to turn in nominating petitions with enough signatures to qualify to get on the ballot.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is seen preparing to turn in his paperwork.

🥗 I’m interviewing former Evers Administration Secretary Joel Brennan on Friday morning, so keep an eye on UpNorthNews for the latest from his campaign.

🥖 And finally, there’s the presumptive Republican nominee, Rep. Tom Tiffany, still peddling disinformation about the 2020 presidential election. After an appearance on WTMJ Radio where he again raised baseless claims about Green Bay staffing on Election Night, Mayor Eric Genrich blasted him — including a reminder about how former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman’s ham-handed “investigation” of the election cost the state millions of dollars and might still cost him his license to practice law.

Newsletter subscribers are seeing a preview of this story before anyone else. Read the full version on our website starting Friday.

🏃🏼 The week marked the filing deadline for 2026 candidates, so we now know that a full 20% of the legislature’s Republicans have decided to run away rather than ask voters for another term. Among the GOP lawmakers not stepping away is Sen. Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green), the co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee. But three Democrats are vying to give him a voter-imposed retirement.

An Aug. 11 primary will determine who will challenge Marklein in the Nov. 3 general election for the 17th Senate District in the southwest corner of the state. Corrine Hendrickson is a former home childcare operator in New Glarus. Rep. Jenna Jacobson from the Dane County community of Oregon is leaving her seat in the 50th Assembly District to run in the primary. And Lisa White is a home improvement business owner in Potosi.

👉🏼 The full story on our website starting Friday will have more about the candidates’ background and positions. Here’s what they have to say about what makes each of them the strongest nominee to oppose Marklein.

➡️ Corrine Hendrickson: “I am running because I believe that people who have lived experiences should be at the table making decisions. I would be the only state senator with an education degree. With all my work with Wisconsin Early Childhood Action Needed and Main Street Alliance, I’ve worked with state and federal representatives on writing legislation. I am somebody who understands and listens.”

➡️ Jenna Jacobson: “I think what I bring to the table is experience. I’ve worked both on local village government and now in the state assembly, getting bills passed, building coalitions around our community, people of differing perspectives to rally around a specific issue. We need a senator who’s going to listen to the district and write a budget that is reflective of what folks need.”

➡️ Lisa White: “I feel that since I’ve been a businesswoman in the most rural of areas and the most urban of areas, including all of Madison, I feel that I have a good handle on the broader voice — not just a singular topic. When I’m elected, I want to get control back into the hands of local people because they’ve been consistently robbed over the last couple of decades of their power and their financing to take care of townships and roads and what-not.”

For more, see the story on our website starting Friday.

☑️🔲 Speaking of primary elections: Chances are you heard about this week’s primary in California for governor and you might have caught the phrase “jungle primary.” It’s one of several ways supporters claim voters could hold more power over who wins elections. In an open or “jungle” primary, party labels don’t matter: no matter who the candidates are, the top two finishers in the primary move on to the general election, even if they’re both Democrats or Republicans. 

🗳️ Another proposed reform is ranked choice voting, where voters rank the candidates on their ballot. The last place candidate is kicked off after the first round of counting and their supporters’ second choice candidates get their votes — and you keep going until there are only two candidates and one wins by being ranked highly by a majority of voters.

To be clear, there are not any changes on the horizon here in Wisconsin, but which statement comes closest to how you would feel about “monkeying” with how we vote? #JungleHumor  

Click the blue box to answer over on our website. Leave us a comment and your first name and hometown for a chance to see it featured in this newsletter next week.

⛔ We asked if Rep. Tom Tiffany’s support for overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election and possibly sending taxpayer dollars to insurrectionists will hurt his campaign for governor. It was a split response with about half saying yes and half saying it will have little to no impact.

51% said A) It will sink his campaign as his views and votes become more widely known.

40% said B) It will cost him some independent voters, but not much else.

9% said C) It will have almost no impact compared to other reasons to vote for or against him.

👉🏼Linda in Wausau: ”I think this behavior is treasonous, but I’m also aware that many are cheering on these insurrectionists.” 

👉🏼Kathy from Menomonie: ”I don’t think the 1,500 people [convicted in connection with the insurrection] should have been pardoned and disagree with payment.”

👉🏼Kim, Green Bay: “Using taxpayers money to reward criminals for their actions in support of a traitorous president while farmers in this state are going bankrupt and people are going without health insurance is unconscionable. That should be an automatic reason for not voting for him.”

Thank you, as always, for some great table talk about the broken moral compass in our nation’s highest offices.

Our favorite supper clubs often have a bulletin board filled with information about upcoming events and local services. Here’s our version: A “Do Something!” calendar of opportunities to get involved in your community. Find the full calendar on our website.

[Now thru July 20]

💦 Great Lakes PFAS Action Network (GLPAN): Tell the EPA: Don’t Roll Back PFAS Drinking Water Protections (Online) The Trump Administration has announced plans to roll back maximum contaminant limits for four PFAS chemicals in drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting public comments on the proposed rule changes through July 20, 2026.

GLPAN, a coalition driven by people impacted by toxic PFAS pollution, has launched an online public comment tool to tell the EPA to “maintain drinking water protections for toxic PFAS and protect our communities.” Click here to submit a comment.

Thursday [June 11]

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin: Madison Night Market (Madison, 4:30-9 p.m.) Volunteer during the Madison Night Market by passing out free merchandise and connecting with the community about Planned Parenthood clinics.

Send your events and announcements to Abigail Deatrick, regional community development organizer at Courier Newsroom at abigail@couriernewsroom.com at least one week before the event to see them here.

📱 Remember, you can stay up to date all day with all of our team’s work through our social media feeds, including Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

🏁 Thanks for reading our update.

Have a great weekend!