Public safety, access to abortion among top priorities for Josh Kaul’s next term

The Democratic incumbent attorney general pulled off a narrow victory

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The morning after pulling off a narrow re-election victory, incumbent Attorney General Josh Kaul addressed the media on the steps of the state Capitol, and reiterated his priorities for his next term, including “investing in public safety,” “restoring access to reproductive freedom” and “increasing shared revenue.” 

As of Wednesday afternoon, Kaul was ahead of Republican candidate Eric Toney, the Fond du Lac County district attorney, by 1.4 percent, or 34,145 votes. Toney conceded in the early hours on Wednesday. 

During the campaign Toney said that if elected, he would ask the Legislature for the powers to step in and prosecute cases in Milwaukee; the city’s homicide rate spiked yet again this year. 

Kaul said the better way to fight crime would be to increase shared revenue so that Milwaukee could hire more police officers to tamp down crime. 

Kaul said on Wednesday that he and Toney, in a phone call earlier that morning, committed to working together in the future on public safety efforts. 

Despite the obstacles presented by the Republican-dominated Legislature, Kaul said he’s “optimistic” about working with representatives across the aisle on the issue of abortion, as well. He plans to continue moving forward with his lawsuit to overturn Wisconsin’s abortion ban.

“It’s really unusual historically for the president’s party to be as successful as Democrats were in this election in this state,” said Kaul. Gov. Tony Evers similarly won reelection. “I think that shows voters like the direction we are taking this state in and they want to continue in that direction. Voters care about that issue,” Kaul said about abortion. “I hope that we will see the Legislature now take some action.”

Abortion was a key issue for Kaul supporter Susan Roberts, a nurse for 30 years and a current member of SEIU Healthcare’s retiree group. 

Roberts, who attended Kaul’s victory party Tuesday night at the Overture Center, said she remembers when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion with Roe v. Wade in 1973 and is unhappy that it has now been overruled by the high court with the Dobbs decision. She shared that her mother was a “devout Christian,” but still supported the original Roe decision. Roberts said no factors, including religion, should stand between a woman and her right to have an abortion — something she admires Kaul for believing, too.

“I’m very pro-women,” Roberts said, “and pro-good people,” referring to Kaul.

In promising not to enforce Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban if he were re-elected, Kaul told PBS Wisconsin that using the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s 100 investigators and “number” of prosecutors to investigate anyone who violates the 19th century abortion ban is “wrong” and shifts essential resources away from “protecting public safety.” 

Toney promised to enforce the ban.

The mood at Kaul’s election night party was generally cheerful and chatty. NBC’s national live coverage of the election results was projected on a large screen at the front of the room. 

Tim Virnoche, president and former owner of Badger Popcorn and a neighbor of Kaul’s, was also there. 

He said he voted for Ron Johnson in 2010, but doesn’t recognize the politician anymore, 12 years later. For Tim and his wife, Karen, a marketing and bank manager at Oak Bank in Fitchburg, Kaul stands in stark contrast to candidates like Johnson, who question the legitimacy of the 2020 election.

“Kaul will continue a common-sense-application of law in this state and avoid a move toward extremism,” Virnoche said.

Tim and Karen said they’ve talked honestly about their support for their neighbor with conservative coworkers and friends — people who are often fixated on the negative portrayal of Kaul and other Democratic candidates in political ads.

“Seeing him active with his family, being a decent human being and a good father — he’s a good person,” Tim said about Kaul.