Bill Berrien, a businessman and retired Navy SEAL, enters GOP primary for 2026 Wisconsin governor's race
- Bill Berrien, a Navy SEAL veteran and manufacturing CEO, launched his Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign, positioning himself as a "political outsider" like Donald Trump.
- Berrien criticizes incumbent Governor Tony Evers on issues such as immigration, transgender athletes, and Evers' state budget proposal.
- Berrien's campaign emphasizes his business background and "America First" approach, highlighting his commitment to Wisconsin manufacturing jobs.
- The Republican field for the 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial race is growing, with other potential candidates including Josh Schoemann, Mary Felzkowski, Eric Hovde, Tim Michels, and Tom Tiffany.
MADISON - Republican Bill Berrien, a Navy SEAL veteran and manufacturing CEO from Whitefish Bay, launched a campaign for governor of Wisconsin on July 9, comparing himself to President Donald Trump as a "political outsider."
Berrien, CEO of Pindel Global Precision and Liberty Precision in New Berlin, joins Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann in the 2026 Republican primary field for governor.
"Bureaucrats and politicians like Tony Evers have failed Wisconsin," Berrien said in a statement provided to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "They sold our land to China, encouraged illegal immigration in our communities, and welcomed boys into our daughters’ sports and locker rooms. The time for change is now."
In the 2024 race for president, Berrien spent more than $30,000 to support former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. But on Wednesday, featured prominently in a new campaign video is President Donald Trump, whose approval Berrien will need to make it through a GOP primary.
"A Navy Seal is never out of the fight. We've seen that fighting spirit from President Trump. It's the same fight it takes to run a Wisconsin manufacturing business," Berrien says in the new ad.
"The globalists shipped our jobs in factories to China and the career politicians let it happen, not us. We went all in on Wisconsin," Berrien says, referring to his manufacturing business. "We hire American, build American, take the fight to China and create great-paying Wisconsin jobs. I'm an outsider and a businessman, just like President Trump, and I'll shake up Madison like he's shaking up D.C."
Berrien, 56, is launching his campaign without knowing who will be his potential opponent in a general election. Gov. Tony Evers has not yet announced whether he will seek a third term, though the Democratic governor said a decision will likely be made in July.
Even so, Berrien targets Evers in the new ad.
He takes aim at recent guidance Evers issued to state workers over visits from ICE officers and vetoing legislation that blocks transgender students from participating in girls' sports. In his ad, Berrien says he would sign the legislation. He also criticized Evers for provisions in his state budget proposal that would change areas of state law related to legal rights to children that same-sex couples choose to have through in vitro fertilization, sperm donors or surrogates. Evers proposed replacing "woman," "mother" and "wife" with versions of "person who is inseminated," or "inseminated person," a phrase Berrien specifically pointed to in the ad.
A spokesman for Evers declined to comment. "Bill Berrien’s rich enough to buy himself some attention and clueless enough to think that’s going to work — just like Elon Musk did this past April only to see his political career end," Democratic Party of Wisconsin chairman Devin Remiker said in a statement."The WisDems are already building on our playbook that helped take down Brad Schimel, Tim Michels, and Eric Hovde, and we have no doubt we’ll be in an even stronger position to defeat whoever Trump handpicks to do his bidding in the primary and emerges as the nominee."
Berrien joins the race after having raised $1.2 million since April through a PAC he launched earlier this year aimed at boosting GOP candidates through tough election cycles.
"Wisconsin Republicans have been losing elections for too long, and that ends in 2026," Berrien's April news release said.
Berrien was the first in the Republican gubernatorial primary field to make a public move ahead of the 2026 midterm election after a stinging defeat for Republicans in April when a conservative candidate for the state Supreme Court backed by Trump lost to his liberal challenger by double digits.
Since Trump was first elected in 2016, Republicans have struggled to win statewide races that did not involve Trump on the ballot. Since then, just U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, conservative state Supreme Court Justice Brian Hagedorn and state Treasurer Jon Leiber have won elections for state offices.
The loss cemented a trend in recent election cycles of Democrats performing better than Republicans in non-presidential elections after years of Republicans dominating such races.The Republican field for governor has been slow to take shape. Also considering bids are Senate President Mary Felzkowski, former U.S. Senate candidate Eric Hovde, former U.S. Senate and governor candidate Tim Michels, and U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.
Schoemann on Wednesday launched a grassroots leadership council of 40 people that represent each congressional district, according to his campaign.
"The support of these hardworking and dedicated grassroots conservatives is reflective of the kind of campaign I am running: boots on ground, tireless, with a commitment to hearing, working with, and creating a shared vision with our neighbors all across Wisconsin," Schoemann said in a statement.
Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.