Kaul, Toney spar over crime trends in rematch for Wisconsin attorney general
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) — The race for Wisconsin attorney general is a rematch of the 2022 election, with incumbent Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul again facing Republican Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
Kaul says his approach to public safety is helping lower crime across the state, while Toney argues the attorney general is ignoring major issues.
"Last year, we had the lowest number of violent crimes we have had in the state since 2011, so we are making significant progress," Kaul said.
Earlier this month, the FBI released data showing the national violent crime rate saw its largest year-to-year decline since the agency began estimating crime trends in 1936, falling 9.7% from 2024 to 2025.
Toney argues the decline in crime is due in part to policies enacted at the federal level rather than actions taken by Kaul.
"Seeing a change in the White House, the southern border being closed, where we have seen crime come from some that are here illegally. The drug crisis that we have seen from fentanyl, and that was something our attorney general ignored, was that border crisis as attorney general," Toney said.
According to the latest Marquette Law School Poll, both candidates remain relatively unknown to many Wisconsin voters.
The poll found 61% of registered voters said they had not heard enough about Kaul to form an opinion, while 80% said the same about Toney. Among voters who did have an opinion, both candidates were viewed slightly more favorably than unfavorably.
Kaul said his approach includes investing in state revenue sharing to help local communities fund public safety. He also supports providing medication for opioid use disorder in Wisconsin jails and prisons.
"That leads to people re-entering our communities less likely to reoffend, and it helps make our communities safer," Kaul said.
Toney has criticized Kaul's management of DNA testing at the state's crime labs.
"He is taking, on average, over twice as long to test less DNA compared to his predecessor, despite having more DNA analysts, better technology, and his policies are what have caused him to test less, and those are his own words," Toney said.
Kaul, meanwhile, pointed to crime trends in Fond du Lac County, where Toney has served as district attorney for years.
"In Fond du Lac County, where my opponent has been DA for years, we've seen an increase in violent crime," Kaul said. "In 2025, they had the second-highest number of violent crimes in decades in that county."
Toney said there is more context behind those numbers and noted that he has the support of law enforcement officials in Fond du Lac County.
"We've seen every other metric of crime drop in Fond du Lac, and it's been domestic violence that has seen a rise," Toney said. "And those are some of the most difficult areas to help deter when you are talking about what is happening inside someone's own home."
Toney also opposes Gov. Tony Evers' restored commutation process. He said he has spoken with victims who feel they have been left out of the process.
Kaul said commutation requests should be handled on a case-by-case basis and that his office would comment further once the board makes its recommendations.