TL;DR: Josh Kaul has a strong record of prosecuting dangerous criminals and fighting back against laws that restrict access to voting to make sure voters still have a say in their government. Josh Kaul is the right choice for Attorney General—and three key Wisconsin newspapers agree.

This week, the Democratic nominee for Wisconsin Attorney General received three big endorsements from key newspapers in Wisconsin: The Cap Times, Badger Herald, and the Shephard Express. 

All three editorials agree on three reasons why Kaul is the best choice for AG:

1. His experience as a tough and fair prosecutor for the city of Baltimore.
2. His demonstrated commitment to upholding the Constitutional rights of the people of Wisconsin.
3. His opponent Brad Schimel’s increased use of the office to promote an extreme right-wing agenda and personal gain.

On Josh Kaul’s commitment to serving as the People’s Lawyer in Wisconsin, The Cap Times writes:

“We give our strongest endorsement to Kaul because he is exceptionally well qualified and because of his determination to always put principle above partisanship.”

The Cap Times also adds:

            “Kaul knows why he is running. It is his purpose to change the course. As he says: “My priorities are different from those of our current attorney general. He hired a corporate lobbyist to be his first deputy AG. He fought against guaranteed overtime pay for people who put in the hours and make a fraction of what he does. He settled an air-pollution case against a major corporation without requiring the company to pay any fine at all. And he has spent about $83,000 of taxpayer money on promotional swag — from commemorative coins to custom-made fortune cookies. We need to do better. We need an attorney general who is willing to take on tough fights and who is focused, every day, on protecting Wisconsinites.”

Read the full The Cap Times endorsement here.

The Shephard Express discusses why four more years of Schimel would be the exact opposite of what Wisconsin needs right now:

“Schimel even spoke at a conference held by the homophobic Alliance Defending Freedom, which is classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. He tried to hide his participation, but after his attendance was uncovered, he claimed it was a personal trip. However, at the conference he spoke in his capacity as Wisconsin’s attorney general and used taxpayer money to bring one of his top attorneys with him to the gathering of anti-LGBTQ, rightwing extremists. With actions like that, how can he claim to be fair and objective? That alone is enough to disqualify him from our state’s top-cop job.

“Schimel’s first term included spearheading a lawsuit to kill the Affordable Care Act (ACA)—even though it protects the health of Wisconsinites, especially the estimated 2.4 million of us with pre-existing conditions. He wants to arm teachers, putting guns in classrooms because he is beholden to his big donor, the NRA. And, in pursuit of this rightwing, out-of-touch agenda, he has ignored the basics of his job: testing rape kits, DNA and other vital evidence needed to keep Wisconsin residents safe and criminals off our streets.”

Read the full Shephard Express endorsement here.

The Badger Herald explains why Kaul’s experience as a prosecutor make him the best choice for AG:

            “Schimel most commonly attacks Kaul as an outsider, saying his time in Washington D.C. and Baltimore make him too far removed from Wisconsin issues. While Kaul has not tried a criminal trial in Wisconsin, this time as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore included frequent handling of drug, criminal and gang-related cases. In a state riddled with opioid, heroin and meth usage, Schimel’s claim that Kaul will be lost in the infinite nuance of a Wisconsin criminal case is baseless.”

And The Badger Herald calls out Schimel’s bluff on remaining loyal to enforcing the law and contrasts it with Kaul’s commitment to the rights of Wisconsinites:

“Kaul refuses to be complacent with Wisconsin’s voting legislation and recognizes the importance of facilitating access to the polls. A candidate virtuous enough to protect the sanctity of the vote deserves ours.

“Schimel, conversely, defended Gov. Scott Walker’s decision not to hold special elections for two legislative seats, even in the face of a Dane County judge and an appeals court that both said the state law clearly necessitates it. There’s a certain irony present in a candidate who claims to be “law enforcement’s choice” for attorney general but turns a blind eye to the law at contentious moments.”

Check out the full Badger Herald endorsement here.

The message is clear: Brad Schimel’s inability to keep right wing extreme politics out of the office of the Attorney General is dangerous for Wisconsin. Josh Kaul has the experience, values, and commitment to law that will keep Wisconsin families safe.