Wisconsin
Stevens Point resident Collin McNamara announces candidacy for Wisconsin secretary of state
A primary will be held between members of the same party running for the secretary of state seat on Aug. 11, 2026. The general election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.
STEVENS POINT – Stevens Point resident Collin McNamara announced his candidacy Sept. 8 for Wisconsin secretary of state.
Secretary of state is a statewide office elected every four years in November partisan elections. The office maintains records of acts of the governor and legislature and keeps the Great Seal of the State of Wisconsin. The office also is responsible for issuing authentications and filing oaths of office and deeds for state-owned land and buildings, according to the office’s website.
Current Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in March 2023, announced Aug. 20 she would leave the office following the end of its current term to pursue a run for lieutenant governor. Current Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez announced a bid for Wisconsin governor July 25 following Evers’ announcement he would not seek a third term in 2026.
McNamara is the third candidate and second Democrat to officially announce a run for the secretary of state office after Milwaukee Common Council alderperson and former state assemblyperson JoCasta Zamarripa announced her candidacy on Sept. 4. Green Party member Pete Karas announced his candidacy for the office earlier in 2025. No Republicans have yet officially announced candidacy for the race.
More about McNamara
McNamara previously ran for Wisconsin’s 24th Senate District in November 2024 during which he lost to Republican State Sen. Patrick Testin, who won his third term in the seat since 2016.
Despite the loss, McNamara claims he overperformed in Republican areas of the 24th Senate District in central Wisconsin and “won the trust of people from all walks of life,” according to a Sept. 8 news release announcing his candidacy.
“From Rhinelander to Racine, Wisconsinites deserve leaders who know the value of hard work, who will show up, and who will never quit no matter how difficult the odds may be,” McNamara said in the release. “I am used to defying expectations, and I will never stop fighting for a better future for you.”
McNamara grew up in Iola and has been an active member of the Democratic Party in both Waupaca and Portage counties since he turned 14, according to his campaign website. While pursuing his degree in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point he was elected to president of student government. He helped lead student activists during a university campus budget crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and social and political unrest, according to his website.
“In every position I held, I earned a reputation for asking tough questions, challenging the status quo to achieve results, and collaborating with diverse individuals,” McNamara said of his time in student government. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 2022.
More information about McNamara can be found on his campaign website mcnamaraforwisconsin.com.
When will Wisconsin residents vote for secretary of state candidates?
A primary will be held between members of the same party running for the secretary of state seat on Aug. 11, 2026. The general election will be held Nov. 3, 2026.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@gannett.com.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
How Aleksas Bieliauskas has grown in first season with Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard has high praise for Aleksas Bieliauskas about a month into the Lithuania native’s freshman season.
MADISON – One of Wisconsin men’s basketball’s departing transfers is headed to an SEC program with some connections to the Badgers.
Ex-UW forward Aleksas Bieliauskas has committed to South Carolina, he announced on April 17.
Bieliauskas left the Badgers after appearing in all 35 games as a freshman and making 28 starts. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.4 points in 20.2 minutes, and highlights of his freshman year included his five 3-pointers in UW’s upset over eventual national champion Michigan.
He’ll join a program with plenty of Wisconsin ties. South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris was an assistant coach at Wisconsin from 2010-17 on Bo Ryan and Greg Gard’s staffs. South Carolina assistant coach Tanner Bronson and director of video services Roman DiPasquale also are UW alumni.
Bieliauskas is the second of UW’s four departing transfers to commit to a new school. Reserve forward Jack Robison committed to North Dakota State on April 15. Starting guard John Blackwell and reserve forward Riccardo Greppi have not announced their next schools yet.
-
Milwaukee, WI5 minutes agoMilwaukee boy critically missing, last seen near Teutonia and Kiley
-
Atlanta, GA11 minutes agoNew York hosts Atlanta with 1-0 series lead
-
Minneapolis, MN17 minutes agoFatal Minneapolis crash sentencing: Teniki Steward sentenced to more than 12 years
-
Indianapolis, IN23 minutes agoPirates farm report for April 18, 2026: Rafael Flores Jr. hits 1st homer in Indianapolis win
-
Pittsburg, PA29 minutes agoMcCorkle: Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 Mock Draft (Final Version)
-
Augusta, GA35 minutes agoAugusta nonprofit hosts family financial literacy day
-
Washington, D.C41 minutes agoStorm Team4 Forecast: A chilly, gusty Sunday before a cool start to the week
-
Cleveland, OH47 minutes agoWinners and Losers From Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Playoffs Game 1