Josh Kaul Wins Third Term as Wisconsin Attorney General
Democrat Josh fends off another challenge from Republican Eric Toney.
Attorney General Josh Kaul speaks to reporters during a campaign event Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Middleton, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Democrat Josh Kaul has defeated Republican Eric Toney to win a third term as Wisconsin attorney general.
Toney conceded the race at around 9:45 p.m. The Associated Press had not yet called the race.
All results will be unofficial until they’re certified by state canvassers in coming weeks.
Kaul, 45, has been leading Wisconsin’s Department of Justice since 2019, after he defeated Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel in the 2018 election. In 2022, Toney challenged Kaul for the first time, and lost by a margin of just over one percentage point.
Toney, 42, has spent the last 13 years serving as Fond du Lac County’s elected district attorney.
During their campaign, Toney criticized Kaul over delays at the state’s forensic labs, which are run by the Wisconsin DOJ. Toney also leaned into the “top cop” label often given to the attorney general, and he trumpeted his endorsements from law enforcement unions including the Wisconsin Fraternal Order of Police.
Republican attorney general candidate Eric Toney speaks during the 1st District GOP Fall Fest on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at the Racine County Fairgrounds in Union Grove, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
Kaul’s victory comes during an upswing for many Democrats. Republican President Donald Trump has hit record low approval ratings, and that’s been affecting GOP candidates across the country.
Since Trump began his second term, Kaul’s Department of Justice has filed or joined or more than 70 multi-state lawsuits against the Trump administration. That’s included suing to uphold birthright citizenship, protect mail-in voting and restrict federal access to sensitive voter data. Other suits have sought to undo federal cuts or to block tariffs.
During a debate last month, Kaul said his DOJ has been fighting to defend the U.S. Constitution, and he accused Toney of being a “yes man” for Trump.
Kaul has also touted settlements from multi-state lawsuits against corporations. That includes one reached with the social media giant Meta, as well as hundreds of millions of dollars secured from agreements with opioid manufacturers and distributors.
One of Kaul’s greatest political victories came in 2025, when Wisconsin’s Supreme Court overturned a near-total ban on abortion.
That’s after Kaul sued in 2022 to block enforcement of a 19th century law, which prohibited abortion at any stage of pregnancy, unless a pregnant woman’s life is in danger.
As a result of that lawsuit, elective abortions are now legal in Wisconsin until 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Attorney General Josh Kaul, left, greets lieutenant governor candidate Sara Rodriguez, right, during a campaign event Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Middleton, Wis. Angela Major/WPR
In October, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin sued to try and undo other abortion restrictions that remain in place in this state — namely, a 24-hour waiting period and a requirement that a physician perform the procedure.
Kaul has spoken critically about those restrictions in the past, although he has declined to get into specifics about the pending lawsuit. Kaul has said that Wisconsin’s DOJ will be weighing in on the Planned Parenthood lawsuit in court.
For Kaul, being attorney general runs in the family. His mother, the late Peg Lautenschlager, served one term as attorney general from 2003 to 2007.
Prior to Lautenschlager, Democrat Jim Doyle served three terms as attorney general. After his latest victory, Kaul will be starting his own third term in January.
Editor’s note: This story will be updated.
Josh Kaul wins third term as Wisconsin attorney general was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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