There are nine months until the November 2026 elections but with so many declared Republican candidates we thought we had some kind of idea what the conservative options would be. Surprise! Changes have been happening and, especially with the August Primary, more are to come.

The big recent surprise was that President Trump endorsed Congressman Tom Tiffany in the Governor’s race. This was followed quickly by Washington County Executive Josh Shoemann suspending his campaign for Governor. The Schoemann campaign sent out a brief but cordial note giving glory to God, congratulating Congressman Tiffany, and wishing for great success in November. The note continued

“If we focus on the people of Wisconsin rather than fighting with one another, we can make Wisconsin the place to be, not just be from.”

This should make Congressman Tom Tiffany the Republican nominee in the November election. But, not to be forgotten, there is another declared candidate. Andy Manske is a 26-year-old medical service technician who is proposing the use of AI to improve state government while wanting to ban AI data centers from the state. He is, without doubt, a long shot but must be respected for his desire to serve.

Another declared candidate, Bill Berrien, had already dropped out in September after he was allegedly looking at stuff he shouldn’t have from his computer.

Knowing who the nominee for Governor is most likely going to be now puts more interest on the LT Governor election. Currently, there are five declared candidates. Two are considered long shots (little chance). Cyril Sabbich is a college student. John Tolz is a School Board Member from Oakfield. A third candidate is Nick Polce who is a small business owner and former Congressional Candidate for the 1st District. Given his campaign and business experiences, he may be a strong candidate, but not believed to be strong enough. The two strongest candidates are Will Martin who had management positions in both Governor Thompson and Walker Administrations and is a former LT Governor candidate; and David Varnam who is a former three-term Mayor of Lancaster and also a former LT Governor candidate.

To make the best team with Congressman Tom Tiffany in November, David Varnam appears to be the best choice. As a former three-term Mayor he has government executive experience with a good record. He would be a great asset to the governor in leading the state, especially how things impact local governments. He would be ready to fill “the big shoes” of the Governor without much of a learning curve if, Lord forbid, it was needed!

President Trump was in the news for another endorsement of a Wisconsin candidate. President Trump endorsed Michael Alfonso for Representative from the 7th Congressional District. This impacts the Coulee Region as parts of Juneau, Jackson, and Monroe Counties are in the 7th Congressional District. Alfonso, according to the endorsement, is a “MAGA Warrior” and a “young star” with a background in construction and the concrete industry and then a producer for a podcast. What is remarkable is that all this by the age of 25! Alfonso is also the son-in-law of former 7th District Representative and current Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy which may have had something to do with the endorsement.

Other candidates for Representative of the 7th include Jessi Ebben (former 3rd District candidate and works for a manufacturer), Kevin Hermening (former U.S. hostage in Iran), and Paul Wassgren (corporate lawyer).

There will be numerous other candidates on the November ballot, but currently no additional surprises to share. If there are multiple challengers for any partisan position on the ballot there will be a Primary Election in August.

There will be at least two, probably three, constitutional Amendments on the November ballot. For a proposed Constitutional Amendment to become a ballot initiative, it must pass both the Assembly and State Senate in two consecutive sessions. The State Senate recently passed proposed amendments on DEI and public health orders and a third one restricting the Governor’s veto power is pending (and expected to pass). The Assembly has already passed all three amendments this session. They all passed in both the Senate and Assembly during the previous legislative session.

EDITOR”S NOTE: To help you get informed (so that you can be more involved) we will strive to share more about the Constitutional Amendments and all the conservative candidates as the election season progresses. Don’t forget the April Elections for the Supreme Court, the Appeals Court (District IV), and local elections to include counties, municipalities, school boards, and possible referendums.