WikiMini

Josh Kaul

Josh Kaul
Kaul in 2018
45th Attorney General of Wisconsin
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 7, 2019
GovernorTony Evers
Preceded byBrad Schimel
Personal details
Born
Joshua Lautenschlager Kaul

1980 or 1981 (age 43–44)
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLindsey Kaul
Children2
RelativesPeg Lautenschlager (mother)
EducationYale University (BA)
Stanford University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Joshua Lautenschlager Kaul (born 1980 or 1981)[1] is an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and the current attorney general of Wisconsin, serving in that role since January 2019. Before his election as attorney general, he served as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, Maryland.

His mother, Peg Lautenschlager, was the 42nd attorney general of Wisconsin, a United States Attorney, and the 1st chair of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission.

Early life and education

[edit]

Kaul is the son of Peg Lautenschlager, an attorney and politician, and Kashmiri Pandit immigrant Raj Kaul. His stepfather, Bill Rippl, worked as a police officer. He was raised in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.[2] Kaul graduated from Yale University as a double major in history and economics. He earned his Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.[2] While a student at Stanford, he served as president of the Stanford Law Review.

Career

[edit]

Kaul clerked for Michael Boudin in the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals.[3] From 2007 through 2010, he worked for the law firm Jenner & Block, and worked as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in Baltimore through 2014.[4]

In 2014, Kaul moved back to Wisconsin and joined the law firm Perkins Coie's Madison office.[5]

Attorney General of Wisconsin

[edit]

In the 2018 elections, Kaul ran for Attorney General of Wisconsin defeating incumbent Republican Brad Schimel. Kaul won by a small margin of just over 17,000 votes, but Schimel decided not to seek a recount and conceded defeat on November 19. Kaul became the state's first Democratic Attorney General since his mother's term in office.[6][7]

Kaul (right) with Governor Tony Evers and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin at a 2022 campaign event

Kaul was reelected in 2022, defeating Republican Eric Toney.[8]

On June 4, 2024, Kaul announced he was bringing felony forgery charges against three operatives of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign who were involved in the plot to produce fraudulent electoral college votes from Wisconsin. Those charged included Kenneth Chesebro, a Wisconsin native and the alleged architect of the national fraudulent elector plot, Jim Troupis, a former Wisconsin circuit court judge who represented Trump in 2020 litigation, and Mike Roman, a Trump campaign aide and former White House staffer.[9]

Personal life

[edit]

Kaul met his wife, Lindsey, at Yale. They have two sons.[2][10]

Electoral history

[edit]
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 2018[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Josh Kaul 1,305,902 49.41% +4.02pp
Republican Brad Schimel (incumbent) 1,288,712 48.76% −2.78pp
Constitution Terry Larson 47,038 1.78%
Write-in 1,199 0.05%
Plurality 17,190 0.65%
Total votes 2,642,851 100.0% +12.45%
Democratic gain from Republican
Wisconsin Attorney General Election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Josh Kaul (incumbent) 1,333,369 50.64% +1.23pp
Republican Eric Toney 1,298,369 49.31% +0.55pp
Write-in 1,539 0.06% +0.01pp
Plurality 35,000 1.33%
Total votes 2,633,277 100.0% +0.36%
Democratic hold

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schulte, Laura (September 13, 2022). "What you need to know about Josh Kaul, the Democratic Wisconsin attorney general running for another term in 2022". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Zientara, Bob (April 25, 2018). "Attorney General candidate has family ties to Barron | Free News". news-shield.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Candidate Q&A: Attorney general | Government & Politics". wiscnews.com. October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  4. ^ "In attorney general contest, Brad Schimel and Josh Kaul draw sharp contrasts | State-and-regional". wiscnews.com. October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  5. ^ "Wedge Issues: Josh Kaul talks public service, family, spreadable cheese | Politics and Elections". madison.com. September 14, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  6. ^ Wolfe, Morgan (November 7, 2018). "WI Attorney General race neck and neck". www.nbc15.com.
  7. ^ Republican Attorney General Schimel Concedes to Josh Kaul. US News. November 19, 2018
  8. ^ "Josh Kaul defeats Eric Toney to win second term as Wisconsin attorney general in 2022 midterm election".
  9. ^ Beck, Molly (June 4, 2024). "Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul charges former Trump associates in fake elector scheme". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  10. ^ "Meet Josh – Josh Kaul for Attorney General". Josh Kaul. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  11. ^ https://elections.wi.gov/sites/default/files/Canvass%20Results%20%282%29.pdf [bare URL PDF]
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Josh Kaul.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Susan Happ
 Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Wisconsin
2018, 2022 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Attorney General of Wisconsin
2019–present 		Incumbent