There's never a shortage of political news in Wisconsin, from the governor's office to the Legislature to the state's elected officials in Washington, DC. Join WUWM host Maayan Silver and Wispolitics.com editor JR Ross as they highlight and provide context to the latest developments.
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Sep 28, 2026 · 14:50
Republican Tom Tiffany has more money in the bank than Democrat David Crowley for ad buys in the Wisconsin governor's race. JR Ross explains why and what that means.
Sep 21, 2026 · 2:00
On this special edition of Capitol Notes , learn about Season 3 of WUWM's Swing State of the Union podcast. This season is all about power — more specifically, who has it to make…
Sep 14, 2026 · 13:30
Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul is running to keep the seat, with a challenge from Fond du Lac District Attorney and Republican, Eric Toney.
Aug 24, 2026 · 14:32
How will the gubernatorial election in Wisconsin between Tom Tiffany and David Crowley impact school funding, voucher program and the legacy of education in Wisconsin politics?
Aug 13, 2026 · 15:44
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and Congressman Tom Tiffany won their respective primaries. As we head into the general election, now what?
Aug 7, 2026 · 16:50
Wisconsin's partisan primary is Tuesday August 11. JR Ross shares his insights as candidates try to muscle their way into the lead Democratic gubernatorial spot.
Jul 27, 2026 · 13:00
It's been a tumultuous past few weeks for Democrats in Wisconsin's governor's race. First, as we discussed on the last Capitol Notes , Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley…
Jul 13, 2026 · 13:00
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley dropped out of the race for Wisconsin governor. There's still a crowded Democratic primary, what's next?
Jun 15, 2026 · 13:55
Wisconsin voters are concerned about AI. The state's politicians are jockeying to be the go-to leaders to assuage those fears.
May 18, 2026 · 15:15
Right here, folks: Everything you need to know about the $2 billion spending plan that would have increased school spending, lowered property taxes and resulted in $300 rebates…
May 11, 2026 · 12:45
There were small numbers of ballots that didn't get counted after the spring election in Wisconsin. Several voters even sued. What's the message for clerks and voters alike?
Apr 27, 2026 · 14:50
What the national Marquette Law School Poll shows about a potential blue wave and how it could affect state legislative and governor’s races.
Apr 6, 2026 · 17:15
Conservative-backed appellate judge Maria Lazar is running against Chris Taylor, an appellate judge who has support from liberals.
Mar 23, 2026 · 12:34
Some legislators, including GOP Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, announced they won't be running again. How does that change the outlook for Democrats ahead of the fall…
Mar 9, 2026 · 15:30
Find out why the Iran war may pose a problem for Republicans this midterm year, and the latest on the state Supreme Court race.
Feb 23, 2026 · 14:04
A look at the legacies and impacts of Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and longtime GOP Assembly Speaker Robin Vos who both aren't seeking reelection.
Feb 9, 2026 · 14:40
This week's Capitol Notes asks politics whiz JR Ross to lay out what's happening in Congress and how Wisconsin's representatives are approaching it.
Jan 26, 2026 · 16:30
The Wisconsin GOP-led Legislature wants to put a constitutional amendment before voters that would change the state government's approach to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Jan 5, 2026 · 15:45
Midterms. Governor's race. Control of the Legislature. Legislative action on big issues. All that's ahead in 2026. Find out about it on Capitol Notes.
Dec 8, 2025 · 15:30
Democrats are bringing a new argument in their challenges to congressional lines in Wisconsin. Will it change anything before the 2026 midterms?
Nov 17, 2025 · 12:44
Tech companies are trying to build data centers all over Wisconsin. Here's what to know.
Nov 3, 2025 · 13:35
Some states have declared a state of emergency as FoodShare benefits pause because of the federal government shutdown. Wisconsin has not taken action. Why is that?
Oct 13, 2025 · 13:50
The federal government has been shut down for about two weeks. This week’s Capitol Notes digs into the politics behind it and the potential effects in Wisconsin.
Sep 22, 2025 · 17:15
How is Gov. Tony Evers' executive order on vaccines affecting access to COVID shots? What to watch for as the race to replace him in 2026 shapes up.
Jul 14, 2025 · 13:30
As the federal government sliced health care coverage over the next decade, Wisconsin, too, passed its budget. How will it impact people with Medicaid coverage, SNAP benefits or…
Jun 30, 2025 · 14:30
Legislators in the GOP-led Joint Finance Committee are working to get a budget finalized. It then needs to go before the Assembly and Senate, and then the Democratic governor.
Jun 16, 2025 · 14:40
The GOP-controlled Joint Finance Committee is putting its stamp on the state budget. Last week, it took up K-12 funding and tax cuts. Will the plans survive Democratic Gov. Tony…
Jun 2, 2025 · 14:10
The U.S. House passed a reconciliation bill in May. The U.S. Senate is taking it up. There's a lot that's unknown about what will actually pass, but this week's Capitol Notes…
May 19, 2025 · 21:30
Have you been thinking about how Wisconsin's going to pay for stuff, like Medicaid, given that the federal government is working to slice its budget? JR Ross of WisPolitics.com…
Apr 21, 2025 · 15:50
What does a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling upholding the governor's ability to set up a 400-year school funding increase with his veto pen mean for this year's state budget…
Apr 7, 2025 · 16:50
Supporters of conservative-backed Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel included the possibility that liberal-backed Susan Crawford would sign on to new congressional…
Apr 2, 2025 · 4:00
Susan Crawford won the state supreme court race by nine percentage points. JR Ross chimes in on what it all means and what to keep an eye on from Wisconsin's high court.
Mar 24, 2025 · 15:45
Hear about the donors, issues, ads and comments affecting Wisconsin's race that could, again, affect the ideological balance of the state's highest court.
Mar 10, 2025 · 18:49
A look at the latest in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, the race for superintendent of the Department of Public Instruction and what's fascinating JR Ross right now in the…
Feb 24, 2025 · 13:00
On April 1, 2025 voters will go to the polls for yet another election for Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Whoever wins will, again, determine the ideological balance of the court.
Feb 17, 2025 · 3:12
On this special edition of "Capitol Notes," learn about Season 2 of WUWM's "Swing State of the Union" podcast.
Feb 10, 2025 · 17:10
This week, WUWM asks JR Ross how President Trump and Elon Musk's efforts to downsize the federal government could affect us in Wisconsin, including through the state budget or…
Jan 27, 2025 · 15:19
Republican President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of executive orders in his first week in office, including one seeking to end birthright citizenship. Democratic Attorney…
Jan 8, 2025 · 18:00
Republicans want the electorate to weigh in on whether voter ID should be added to the state constitution. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers says the public should be able to get their…
Dec 9, 2024 · 11:59
This episode of Capitol Notes examines the future of Wisconsin's Act 10 law following a recent court challenge and Ben Wikler's bid for DNC chair.
Nov 25, 2024 · 6:25
Some are thankful for what could be an interesting fight over reducing state taxes, and upcoming competitive elections in Wisconsin.
Nov 11, 2024 · 14:50
“The signs were there:” Post-results analysis from JR Ross of WisPolitics.com on why Tuesday’s election may signal new coalitions in Wisconsin and what it could mean for future…
Nov 4, 2024 · 12:59
We're in the thick of "worry season" — aka a big election — and while WisPolitics.com editor JR Ross can't make predictions, he can tell us about the trends and what to watch for…
Oct 21, 2024 · 15:35
It's "worry season" for both parties, says JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com. He explains how the campaigns are dealing with that in the dwindling weeks ahead of the November…
Oct 7, 2024 · 4:50
JR Ross, brings us up to date, less than 30 days before the election.
Sep 23, 2024 · 13:23
A Team Trump bus is coming, Kamala Harris was just here, GOTV efforts are underway, legislative races are heating up, and there's a key House race debate this week.
Sep 9, 2024 · 14:00
RFK Jr. left the race and is asking to be taken off the ballot in Wisconsin; Biden, Vance, Harris, Walz, and their surrogates are all crisscrossing the state. What's it going to…
Aug 26, 2024 · 13:27
Before there can be a presidential election this November, there are disputes to be resolved over who can be on the Wisconsin ballot.
Aug 12, 2024 · 13:39
This week's Capitol Notes is all about Tuesday's partisan primary and the slightly bigger one in November that may be overshadowing it. Tune in to find out about candidates and…
Jul 22, 2024 · 15:45
From now-official Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's speech to the VP pick of JD Vance, Capitol Notes
Jul 8, 2024 · 16:45
Delegates will officially nominate former President Donald Trump as the GOP's presidential candidate, take three. What else do you need to know about the RNC?
Jun 6, 2024 · 14:35
Tune in for a preview of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin's state convention this weekend in Milwaukee from elections to resolutions and everything in between.
Jun 3, 2024 · 14:59
It's the 34 convictions heard around the country. Or in some cases, muted. This Capitol Notes discusses what to look for in Wisconsin and national politics.
May 16, 2024 · 17:30
Wisconsin Republicans hope to drum up the base at their state convention in Appleton this weekend. Will it affect infrastructure this big election year? Fundraising? Give…
May 6, 2024 · 10:40
What do protests on Wisconsin campuses mean for Wisconsin Democrats, and how will the state's Republicans deal with a fundraising shortfall? Find out on Capitol Notes.
Apr 29, 2024 · 2:37
On this special edition of Capitol Notes, learn about a new politics podcast from WUWM — Swing State of the Union.
Apr 22, 2024 · 17:30
Millions of dollars in state funding to clean up groundwater contamination are going unused in Wisconsin. Why? We also look into how Democrats and Republicans are trying to…
Apr 8, 2024 · 20:08
Do you want to know about the candidates for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, what U.S. Senators actually do for people on the ground here, and how the candidates are approaching their…
Mar 25, 2024 · 15:25
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com gives the big picture on the upcoming presidential primary election in Wisconsin, the new lawsuit over drop boxes and the latest in the recall…
Mar 11, 2024 · 14:45
Lawyers for former President Donald Trump and ten Wisconsin Republicans who served as false electors had to affirm President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. Find…
Feb 26, 2024 · 15:19
Wisconsin's Ethics Commission referred former President Trump's joint fundraising committee, GOP legislator Janel Brandtjen and other Republicans to local district attorneys for…
Feb 12, 2024 · 11:15
Last week brought developments in the redistricting lawsuit in the state supreme court over state legislative lines. With ongoing litigation in the court, Legislative Republicans…
Jan 29, 2024 · 14:03
Divided Republican lawmakers attempt a referendum on an abortion ban and don't exactly like legislative redistricting maps submitted by Gov. Tony Evers.
Jan 16, 2024 · 12:15
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Racine County) is in the thick of state political news—again.
Jan 2, 2024 · 7:12
JR Ross of WisPolitics has been making a list of political stories to watch in 2024, and it's lengthy.
Dec 18, 2023 · 12:07
Stories and people from Milwaukee were part of many big state stories in 2023.
Dec 4, 2023 · 16:45
Seven unions representing teachers and other public workers in Wisconsin have sued to end the state’s near-total ban on collective bargaining for most public employees.
Nov 20, 2023 · 13:40
Wisconsin's state supreme court takes up a lawsuit that could affect how state legislative lines are drawn. Find out what's key to know, from the big picture to the nitty gritty.
Nov 6, 2023 · 19:10
Three important political stories in Wisconsin right now involve the courts, whether they're taking up lawsuits between the other branches of government or they're the subject of…
Oct 23, 2023 · 12:59
Freshman Wisconsin U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden is likely to have a key race for reelection in 2024. This week's Capitol Notes explains the importance of that race and…
Oct 9, 2023 · 14:57
A new week brings new efforts to challenge the state's nonpartisan top elections official. Jeff Mayers, president of WisPolitics.com gives a round up of where we're at.
Sep 25, 2023 · 17:35
Hear the latest on the GOP Brewers' stadium proposal and their "Iowa-style" redistricting reform plan.
Sep 11, 2023 · 14:45
Weeks into Justice Janet Protasiewicz's tenure as a state Supreme Court justice, and before she has even ruled on a case, Wisconsin Republicans have pulled out the "I" word.…
Aug 28, 2023 · 14:39
This Tuesday, the State Senate has scheduled votes to confirm or reject top elections official Megan Wolfe. The state's Democratic attorney general says the law doesn't support…
Aug 14, 2023 · 18:15
Within a week of liberals taking control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, law firms and groups representing mathematicians and statisticians filed two redistricting lawsuits. This…
Jul 31, 2023 · 15:20
Liberal-backed State Supreme Court justice Janet Protasiewicz gets sworn into the role on Tuesday, Aug. 1. Litigation is already in the works for Democrats as Republicans defend…
Jul 17, 2023 · 10:40
This week's Capitol Notes looks at taxes: Milwaukee's vote to raise sales taxes and Evers' actions on GOP tax breaks for the wealthy in the 2023-2025 budget. How will this affect…
Jul 3, 2023 · 7:30
JR Ross, of WisPolitics.com, looks at how Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers might apply vetoes to the state budget.
Jun 19, 2023 · 15:00
After baseless complaints of fraud by former President Donald Trump and a tumultuous pandemic election cycle in 2020, Wisconsin Republicans have reportedly "lost confidence" in…
Jun 5, 2023 · 13:45
This week's Capitol Notes digs into the partisan discord over the state's capital budget, which funds state-building projects and looks into what's next for the GOP-controlled…
May 22, 2023 · 16:45
Milwaukee is facing a fiscal cliff in 2025. What will the state government do about it (and for money to other counties and municipalities, as funds have been frozen for 30…
May 8, 2023 · 15:00
It's all things budget and shared revenue in the Wisconsin state capitol as local governments try to stave off fiscal cliffs after years of frozen state funding.
Apr 24, 2023 · 14:30
The end of April has been busy for state legislators, the Assembly and State Senate have been taking up bills on everything from public safety to open records, and Republicans…
Apr 17, 2023 · 13:20
This week's Capitol Notes looks at GOP attempts in the state Legislature to advance their positions on school safety and welfare work requirements. Democrats are not on board.…
Apr 10, 2023 · 13:29
With the Supreme Court election over, JR Ross guides us through other big matters ahead in Madison.
Apr 3, 2023 · 14:45
What is staggering spending telling us about the Wisconsin Supreme Court race? Where's it coming from? Who's doing it better? How is it related to the outcome?
Mar 27, 2023 · 13:30
This week's Capitol Notes looks into Republican calls for a special election for secretary of state, a GOP rejection of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' capital budget proposal and…
Mar 20, 2023 · 11:14
JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com explains why abortion law developments have been difficult for Republicans in the state.
Mar 13, 2023 · 12:40
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and GOP Legislative leaders are pitching alternate takes on what to do to keep the Brewers in Wisconsin. JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com explains…
Mar 6, 2023 · 12:07
Spending in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race is through the roof. JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com, breaks down what that means for the campaigns, ads and voters. Meanwhile,…
Feb 27, 2023 · 10:14
Turnout, money and messaging, it's all at play in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. This week's Capitol Notes looks into the prevailing campaigns.
Feb 20, 2023 · 12:50
Ahead of Election Day Tuesday, JR Ross, editor of WisPolitics.com lays out what to know about the statewide state Supreme Court primary race as it stands as well as a special…
Feb 13, 2023 · 12:00
Gov. Evers will unveil his full two-year spending plan to the GOP-controlled legislature on Wednesday and has already revealed several priorities. For example, he's calling for…
Feb 6, 2023 · 12:52
The ads buys are getting bigger in some key races ahead of voters going to the polls on Feb. 21.
Jan 30, 2023 · 12:32
WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross has his watchful eye on the Supreme Court race and state spending.
Jan 17, 2023 · 7:07
Mid-January doldrums? WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross says not at the State Capitol.
Jan 9, 2023 · 5:00
Wisconsin voters may have some state constitutional amendments to consider this April.
Jan 4, 2023 · 13:11
WisPolitics.com Editor JR Ross analyzes Tuesday's speeches and gets out the crystal ball.
Jan 2, 2023 · 5:09
After Tuesday's swearing-in, comes the intrigue of speeches and future political roles.
Dec 27, 2022 · 6:08
JR Ross, of WisPolitics.com, recaps the 2022 elections and the 2022 probe of the 2020 election.
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