Chaos in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary race for governor

Inside Wisconsin Politics

Chaos in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary race for governor

David Crowley re-entered the 2026 Democratic primary for governor and received an endorsement by Gov. Tony Evers — Inside Wisconsin Politics examines shifts in the campaign and what polls are showing.

July 23, 2026

A sedan with a driver raising their left arm in a fist out the window and an open driver-side rear door as two people sit on its roof and hold a U.S. flag in the air drives along one side of a boulevard, with a large group of people walking behind across multiple lanes of the street, with trees and multi-story buildings on either side, and the a Beaux-Arts style building with a dome at the top of a low hill in the background.
A sedan with a driver raising their left arm in a fist out the window and an open driver-side rear door as two people sit on its roof and hold a U.S. flag in the air drives along one side of a boulevard, with a large group of people walking behind across multiple lanes of the street, with trees and multi-story buildings on either side, and the a Beaux-Arts style building with a dome at the top of a low hill in the background.

Courts

Madison police shooting prompts protests and a candlelight vigil

The police shooting death of a man with a knife in Madison has roiled the city and prompted protests and a candlelight vigil, with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers calling for transparency and accountability in any investigation and 2026 candidates for governor offering comment.

July 23, 2026 • South Central Region

A bus and other vehicles drive along a city street through and past an intersection where traffic lights are illuminated yellow, with brick buildings on either side of the street, with trees and utility poles and traffic signs along the sidewalks.
A bus and other vehicles drive along a city street through and past an intersection where traffic lights are illuminated yellow, with brick buildings on either side of the street, with trees and utility poles and traffic signs along the sidewalks.

Courts

Madison police officer shoots and kills a man in a street on the city’s east side

A Madison police officer shot and killed a man at the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets on the city's east side, with the department's chief saying the man injured the officer with a knife while resisting arrest — cellphone video of the shooting circulated on social media shortly later.

July 22, 2026 • South Central Region

A $20 bill, $10 bill and $1 bill folded in half sit on top of two student loan repayment plan application forms.
A $20 bill, $10 bill and $1 bill folded in half sit on top of two student loan repayment plan application forms.

Education

Student loan defaults surge in Wisconsin, US after federal payment pause ends

Wisconsin student loan borrowers are struggling to repay after a pandemic-related grace period ended along with the most generous repayment plan — those who attended for-profit colleges in the state are twice as likely to be delinquent on making payments on loans.

July 22, 2026

Wisconsin’s 7th District Republican candidates on Congress
Wisconsin’s 7th District Republican candidates on Congress

Elections

Wisconsin’s 7th District Republican candidates on Congress

Jessi Ebben, Kevin Hermening, Michael Alfonso, Niina Baum and Don Raihala, running in the 2026 Republican race for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District, discuss the midterms and control of Congress.

July 21, 2026 • Northern Region

Rows of envelopes sit in.a plastic box, with the out-of-focus hair and shoulders of a person to the side in the foreground, and the out-of-focus hand of a another person to the other side in the background.
Rows of envelopes sit in.a plastic box, with the out-of-focus hair and shoulders of a person to the side in the foreground, and the out-of-focus hand of a another person to the other side in the background.

Elections

Wisconsin’s Democratic Party wants to allow voters to cast a new absentee ballot in the 2026 primary

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is urging the state elections commission to allow people who have already voted in the 2026 primary to cast a new absentee ballot, a request that is likely to result in a lawsuit when 80,000 ballots have been returned three weeks before the Aug. 11 primary.

July 21, 2026

John Short poses for a portrait while standin on a lawn in front areas of garden with different plants surrounded by mulch, with trees and a building in the background.
John Short poses for a portrait while standin on a lawn in front areas of garden with different plants surrounded by mulch, with trees and a building in the background.

Social Issues

The SAIL village in Dane County community helped pioneer a movement for older adults

One of the country's earliest village organizations, SAIL has inspired a movement that helps older adults support one another while aging independently within their communities, connecting them with volunteers, services and social activities.

July 21, 2026 • South Central Region

Different items fill a vending machine with a scratched transparent surface and a sign on the side reading Free and Narcan and safe use kits.
Different items fill a vending machine with a scratched transparent surface and a sign on the side reading Free and Narcan and safe use kits.

Health

How opioid settlement funds are being used around Wisconsin

State records illustrate how different counties and municipalities around Wisconsin are spending around $160 million in opioid settlement funds, as well as where millions remain unspent.

July 20, 2026

Zac Schultz and Frederica Freyberg sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.
Zac Schultz and Frederica Freyberg sit facing each other on the Here & Now set.

Politics

‘Here & Now’ Highlights: Zac Schultz, Kieran Furlong

Here's what guests on the July 17, 2026 episode said about a Democratic candidate for governor dropping out of the race and a nuclear fusion research facility planned for Madison.

July 20, 2026

A map showing state boarders and names of different municipalities in Wisconsin and areas of Minnesota and Iowa shows air quality levels coded with four different colors: yellow, orange, red and purple.
A map showing state boarders and names of different municipalities in Wisconsin and areas of Minnesota and Iowa shows air quality levels coded with four different colors: yellow, orange, red and purple.

Health

How to keep the air inside the home cleaner when wildfire smoke is thick

When the air is smoky from burning wildfires, health experts say to stay indoors, but there are steps to keep the air clean inside of homes.

July 19, 2026