In the nearly four years since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision has returned the issue of abortion to the states, Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers were not able to agree on any laws regarding abortion — whether that was time limits, exceptions for rape and incest, or medical definitions for when the life of the mother is in danger.

With control of both chambers of the Legislature and the governor’s office up for grabs in the 2026 election, Here & Now asked the leading candidates for the seat if they would like to see any changes to Wisconsin’s abortion laws.

“Yes, and I’ve authored many of them. I believe that abortion — and frankly, all health care decisions — are personal and individual. Politicians have no role in making those decisions for you. And certainly we cannot allow abortion, contraception, IVF to be criminalized or put doctors under threat when they’re simply providing care. I want to see your freedom to make your own decisions guaranteed in this state,” said state Sen. Kelda Roys, a Democratic candidate.

Look, I’m a huge champion when it comes down to abortion here in the state of Wisconsin. When I was a state representative in 2017, I co-authored legislation declaring abortion as health care. As a father of three daughters, being a girl dad times three, it’s important for me to make sure that they have the same rights that their mother and grandmother had, not less. And so I’m going to always be a champion for women’s rights to choose,” said Milwaukee County Exec. David Crowley, a Democratic candidate.

“No. So, I voted for the current law, which, 10 years ago when I was in the state Legislature, which is you can have an abortion up to five months. I voted for that law, and as governor I will uphold it,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican candidate.

“Well, abortion to me is a decision that is best made between a woman and her health care provider. Abortion is health care. And so I’d like to see us to do things that get politics out of that and ensure that women and their doctors can make those decisions, the educated and informed decisions on their own,” said former Wisconsin Department of Administration Sec. Joel Brennan, a Democratic candidate.

“I would. What we need to do is to make sure that we enshrine Roe within Wisconsin. That’s what I’ve always been really clear about. I’m, again, a nurse by background. We know that these type of health care decisions are best made between a patient and their doctor, and Roe has been something that has kept women safe for decades. We need to make sure that we have legislation to keep women safe in Wisconsin so that it does not go back and forth between if we have different leaders between Republicans and Democrats,” said Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a Democratic candidate.

“We have to repeal the 1849 abortion ban and I think abortion freedom and. is about health care and democracy as well. And so I think it’s important that we keep in mind that abortion is health care and that access to that health care has to be equitable,” said state Rep. Francesca Hong, a Democratic candidate.

“I would love to see this country get back to a pre-Dobbs era because Roe was the law of the land that was generally accepted by Democrats, of course. But even Republicans who didn’t necessarily like abortion, wasn’t their thing, Roe is sort of a compromise for them and something they felt comfortable with,” said former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democratic candidate.

“I would like to see it proactively protected. Women’s right to choose right now is dependent on court cases, and we need to have a law on the on the books that protects women’s right to choose, protects women’s rights to take care of everything that they need for their bodies, and puts women first in that conversation,” said former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO Missy Hughes, a Democratic candidate.