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MILWAUKEE - Polls have opened across Wisconsin, where Democrat incumbent Josh Kaul faces Republican challenger Eric Toney in the race for attorney general. Here's where the candidates stand on some key issues.
When do polls close?
The details:
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Anyone who is in line to vote by 8 p.m. will get to cast their ballot. If you are unsure of where to vote, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website – each municipality has its own polling places. Here's everything Wisconsin voters need to know.
How to watch Wisconsin election coverage on FOX6
FOX6 will bring you live coverage of Election Day across Wisconsin, including live results and expert analysis when polls close.
Attorney general rematch
The backstory:
Kaul was first elected attorney general in 2018, defeating then-incumbent Republican Brad Schimel. Kaul then defeated Toney, the Fond du Lac County district attorney, for a second term in 2022. Kaul and Toney are now set for a rematch.
By the numbers:
According to FBI crime data, from 2019, when Kaul took office, through 2025, the last full year on record, violent crime fell roughly 17% statewide but rose roughly 20% in Fond du Lac County. The Fond du Lac County increase was not a steady climb; violent crime fell in 2024 before rising in 2025, and aggravated assaults drove much of the increase, while reported rapes and homicides stayed consistently low and made up a small sample size.
Wisconsin recorded 40% more murders last year than in 2019, according to FBI data. Murders peaked in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen every year since, though they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The broader homicide category rose about 25% from 2019 to 2025 and fell about 28% from its 2021 peak.
Wisconsin AG race: Can the numbers measure who's tougher on crime?
Wisconsin's attorney general rematch is putting crime numbers and their limits at the center of the Tuesday vote.
Crime labs
Big picture view:
Criminal justice experts told FOX6 Investigators that overall crime rates are shaped by many factors. They also said comparing a county district attorney with a statewide attorney general is difficult because the jobs serve different functions.
One area where the attorney general does have a direct role is the state crime labs, which analyze evidence submitted from crime scenes. A 2024 nonpartisan legislative audit found turnaround times rose nearly 50% from 2019 to 2023 while assignments dropped 13%.
Kaul said those figures are misleading because DNA analysis methods changed, allowing more precise results but longer wait times. Toney said increasing lab efficiency is one of his top priorities and said he would adopt formal performance metrics for lab analysts.
Wisconsin election coverage
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News has been keeping tabs on races in Wisconsin and across the country ahead of the November midterm elections.
- Who's running for Wisconsin governor? Where Crowley, Tiffany stand on key issues
- Who's running for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District? These are the candidates
- Final Marquette University Law School poll results
The Source: Information in this story is from the Steil and Berman campaigns, the Wisconsin Elections Commission and prior coverage of the race for Wisconsin's 1st Congressional District. The Associated Press contributed.