Wisconsin families are tired of watching violent crime erode our communities while political leaders offer excuses and post-George Floyd anti-police rhetoric to “solve problems.” In 2026, we have a chance to elect a proven prosecutor who will stand up for victims, back our law enforcement, and treat public safety as the top priority it deserves to be, and that leader is Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
As our state’s top cop, the Attorney General must confront the failures that have plagued Wisconsin, especially in Milwaukee. Under the current Attorney General Josh Kaul, too many families have lost loved ones to an epidemic of violence and drugs that spread from Milwaukee into suburbs and rural areas. Eric Toney understands this isn’t the time for status quo. As he said on the River Channel podcast in Hudson, “We need a top cop to stand with victims and the rule of law here in Wisconsin.”
Toney has been a consistent voice for reform. He has long highlighted how Milwaukee’s homicide clearance rate hovered around or below 50% in the first couple of years following the 2020 riots, meaning killers too often walked free. He rightly criticized the lack of officers and resources allowing people to literally get away with murder. Toney has called out how violent crime from Milwaukee bleeds into the rest of the state, including tragedies like the murder of nearly 20 children during this wave of violence.
Milwaukee has seen some modest improvements in clearance rates and crime statistics – 2026 homicides were down 8% and non-fatal shootings down 27% in the first quarter compared to 2025 – but these come after years of historic highs. The city recorded 142 homicides in 2025, up 8% from 2024 and far above pre-pandemic norms. All-time record violence like the 224 killings in 2022 still haunts neighborhoods. High recidivism rates (38-50% for released offenders) further exacerbates the problem, with many violent criminals reoffending. The modest decrease in crime stats in the first half of 2026 are likely to increase now that we’ve entered the warmer months.
The Milwaukee County DA’s office faces serious problems, including a massive backlog with over 10,000 unresolved felony matters as of late 2025, including thousands of uncharged cases. Prosecutor shortages and systemic delays mean justice moves too slowly for victims. Officials within the system – including prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges – have acknowledged that overloaded court dockets and staffing shortages have delayed the judicial process.
Eric Toney wants to see a legislative change to give the Attorney General’s office original prosecution authority in Milwaukee County. This would allow state prosecutors to step in on cases where local officials are unable or unwilling to handle effectively. “We need to have all hands-on deck to end the historic violence and the drug epidemic” in Milwaukee, Toney says. “During historic violence and drugs, we don’t do things how they’ve always been done. We have to be proactive.”
Toney has earned strong support from those who know public safety best. He has secured endorsements from the Milwaukee Police Association and a broad coalition of Wisconsin sheriffs and law enforcement associations – a record backing that reflects his proven partnership with police.
Contrast this with the status quo. Governor Evers’ Parole Commission released hundreds of murderers, attempted murderers, and dozens of child rapists and predators through discretionary decisions – releases the Attorney General should have explicitly opposed on behalf of victims.
“The Attorney General should be speaking out against these releases, standing up for victims and those families.” Toney said about Attorney General Josh Kaul. Too often, Kaul has been silent on these released criminals, many of which committed heinous felonies and are repeater offenders.
Wisconsin’s crime labs have struggled under mounting backlogs, staffing shortages, and growing delays in processing critical forensic evidence under Kaul. Independent audits found forensic turnaround times increased significantly in recent years, slowing DNA analysis, toxicology testing, and firearms examinations that are essential to solving violent crimes and securing convictions. When forensic evidence sits unprocessed for months, victims wait longer for justice, prosecutors face delays, and dangerous offenders can remain on the streets.
Wisconsin needs an AG who makes “public safety the number one priority.” Eric Toney will fight for more police on the streets, smarter prosecution strategies, and real accountability. He’ll push back against using crime crises to advance gun control agendas instead of solutions that work. By empowering the AG to support Milwaukee and demanding better results statewide, Toney will help close more cases, reduce backlogs, deter recidivism, and make our state safer for everyone – from the streets of Milwaukee to small towns across Wisconsin.
Since 2020, Wisconsin has faced growing public safety concerns while confidence in state leadership has steadily declined. Instead of restoring stability, state leaders have allowed many of these problems to worsen. Wisconsin cannot afford to continue down this path. Public safety is inextricably linked to every other quality-of-life metric.
This November, voters who value safe communities and effective leadership need to support Eric Toney for Attorney General. Public safety should never be a partisan issue. It is the foundation upon which every successful community is built. Families cannot thrive, businesses cannot grow, and neighborhoods cannot prosper when citizens no longer feel secure in their homes, schools, or public spaces.
It is time for leadership focused on accountability, enforcement, and protecting the people of this state. Eric Toney offers that leadership (13 years to be exact). The overwhelming majority of police and sheriffs support Toney – that’s all I needed to hear for Toney to secure my vote.
