A former Navy SEAL and political outsider is shaking up Wisconsin’s governor’s race, vowing to put Wisconsin first and take on the entrenched establishment that’s failed working families for years.
At a Glance
- Bill Berrien, ex-Navy SEAL and manufacturing CEO, has launched a GOP campaign for Wisconsin governor, promising a “Wisconsin First” agenda.
- Berrien’s platform targets revitalizing manufacturing, restoring law and order, and protecting families from policies he calls “radical” and “reckless.”
- The Republican field is getting crowded, with Berrien facing off against local official Josh Schoemann and possibly other big GOP names.
- Incumbent Democrat Tony Evers has not yet announced if he’ll seek a third term, but his progressive record will be a main target for Berrien and the GOP hopefuls.
Outsider Storms the Gate: Berrien’s Bold Bid
Bill Berrien is not your typical politician — and frankly, that’s the point. In a state where the same old political insiders have played musical chairs with power for decades, Berrien’s announcement has sent a chill down the spines of both Madison bureaucrats and left-wing activists. He’s built his message on two simple words: “Wisconsin First.” After years of watching manufacturing jobs disappear, families struggle under inflation, and state government bend over backward for special interests and activists, Berrien’s promise to restore common sense is resonating with voters who are tired of excuses and empty slogans. His campaign is already drawing comparisons to Donald Trump’s 2016 insurgency, and for good reason — both men made their fortunes in the real world before ever setting foot in the political swamp. Berrien’s Navy SEAL background only adds to his outsider mystique: he’s lived through real adversity and isn’t afraid to call out policies that put criminals and illegal immigrants ahead of law-abiding citizens.
Berrien’s campaign themes are a direct challenge to the progressive status quo. He’s hammering incumbent Governor Tony Evers for “selling our land to China,” for cozying up to radical activists, and for the relentless push to turn Wisconsin into a laboratory for leftist experiments. He says it’s time to get the government out of the way of job creators, protect Wisconsin communities from the chaos unleashed by soft-on-crime policies, and ensure that families—not government bureaucrats—make decisions about education and public safety. His message: enough is enough. It’s time to put the people who built this state back in charge.
A Crowded GOP Field—and a Battle for the Soul of Wisconsin
Berrien isn’t the only Republican with an eye on the governor’s mansion. Josh Schoemann, a county executive with a reputation for fiscal discipline, has already jumped into the race, and the rumor mill is working overtime with talk of more big GOP names circling. The establishment is nervous, and for good reason: outsider candidates are on a roll nationwide, and Wisconsin’s blue-collar voters are sick and tired of being ignored by career politicians who spend more time in Madison cocktail parties than on factory floors. The Republican primary is shaping up as a referendum on whether the party will double down on bold, outsider leadership or retreat to the safe, bland politics that handed Democrats the governor’s office in the first place.
Berrien’s fundraising numbers are turning heads—his political action committee has already hauled in $1.2 million since April. That’s not pocket change, and it signals that business leaders, manufacturing workers, and grassroots conservatives are ready to invest in a campaign that takes on both the left and the limp-wristed GOP establishment. Meanwhile, incumbent Tony Evers is keeping his intentions for 2026 close to the vest, but his record will be front and center no matter who the Democrats nominate. Evers has presided over two terms of relentless progressive overreach, from supporting sanctuary policies and softening penalties for criminals, to pushing divisive agendas in schools and signing budgets that balloon government at the expense of taxpayers and families.
Manufacturing, Law and Order, and the Fight for Common Sense
Manufacturing isn’t just an economic talking point in Wisconsin—it’s the backbone of the entire state. Berrien’s campaign zeroes in on revitalizing this sector, promising incentives for job creators and a laser focus on keeping jobs in Wisconsin instead of shipping them off to China or Mexico. He’s also not shy about calling out the Evers administration for what he sees as a betrayal of working families in favor of globalist interests and far-left social experiments. For Berrien, restoring law and order isn’t just a slogan—it’s a mission. He’s promising to roll back the policies that have turned cities into soft targets for criminals and to put power back in the hands of law enforcement, not activist judges and woke bureaucrats.
Berrien’s positions on immigration, education, and social policy are unapologetically conservative. He’s calling for tougher enforcement against illegal immigration, an end to sanctuary city nonsense, and a return to the basics in schools—reading, math, and American history instead of gender ideology and grievance studies. Predictably, progressive groups are already losing their minds, warning of “divisiveness” and “harm,” but for voters who feel abandoned and ignored, Berrien’s blunt approach is a breath of fresh air. The contrast could not be clearer: more of the same tired excuses from the left, or a candidate who’s actually willing to fight for Wisconsin families and call out the insanity eroding the state’s values and future.
