Politics in Wisconsin never really sleeps, does it? Just when everyone thought the dust had settled after the 2024 presidential cycle, the state dove headfirst into a massive spring brawl. Honestly, the Wisconsin state superintendent election 2025 was way more than just a race for a "nonpartisan" office. It turned into a high-stakes proxy war over the very soul of public education, featuring millions in spending and a clash between the traditional public school guard and the rising tide of school choice advocates.
Dr. Jill Underly walked away with the win on April 1, 2025, but the road there was anything but smooth. She secured about 53% of the vote—roughly 1,148,427 ballots—to fend off challenger Brittany Kinser. While a win is a win, the margin tells a story of a state deeply divided over how to teach kids to read, how to fund classrooms, and whether public money should follow students to private institutions.
The Primary Scare and the Three-Way Split
People tend to forget how shaky things looked for the incumbent early on. Back in February, the primary was a total nail-biter. Underly only pulled in 38% of the vote. That’s low for an incumbent. For context, some political junkies pointed out it was the weakest primary showing for a sitting superintendent since the 1970s.
The primary field was tight:
- Dr. Jill Underly: The incumbent, backed by the Democratic Party.
- Brittany Kinser: A Milwaukee-based education consultant with heavy Republican support.
- Jeff Wright: The Sauk Prairie School District Superintendent who actually snagged the recommendation of the teachers' union PAC initially.
Wright’s presence was a huge thorn in Underly's side. He drew 27% of the vote, mostly from folks who felt Underly's Department of Public Instruction (DPI) wasn't communicating well with rural districts. When he was eliminated, those votes had to go somewhere. Most expected them to fold back into the "public school advocate" camp, but Kinser made a hard play for them, trying to bridge the gap between moderate Democrats and conservative reformers.
Why the Vouchers Debate Exploded
If you want to know why the Wisconsin state superintendent election 2025 felt so aggressive, look at the voucher programs. Wisconsin has the oldest school choice program in the country, and it's a constant flashpoint.
Kinser didn't hide from it. She was the former head of the City Forward Collective and openly supported the idea that public dollars should support kids wherever they go to school—private, charter, or traditional public. She argued that Milwaukee students using vouchers were getting less funding than their peers in Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) and called for equity across the board.
Underly, on the other hand, framed this as an existential threat. She spent a lot of airtime warning that expanding vouchers would be the "end of public education" as we know it. She positioned herself as the "No. 1 fan" of public schools, and that message clearly resonated in the Madison and Milwaukee suburbs, even as rural areas leaned toward Kinser's "standards-first" approach.
The "Lowering Standards" Controversy
One of the weirdest parts of the race was the fight over testing scores. Underly's DPI changed the state's proficiency cut scores in 2024. Suddenly, more kids were considered "proficient" on paper. Underly argued this was just aligning Wisconsin with national benchmarks like the NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) to give a more realistic picture.
📖 Related: Why Presidents Can Only Serve Two Terms: The Drama Behind the 22nd Amendment
Critics—including Governor Tony Evers, which was a bit of a shocker—weren't buying it. Kinser used this as a club, accusing Underly of "moving the goalposts" instead of actually helping kids read better. It’s one of those technical policy things that actually made its way into 30-second TV ads because it felt like a gut-punch to parents worried about learning loss.
Money, Musk, and the Supreme Court Shadow
Let’s talk cash. This was the most expensive state superintendent race in Wisconsin history. We're talking over $4.5 million spent across the primary and general. Underly saw a massive influx from the Democratic Party of Wisconsin—roughly $850,000 in the home stretch. Kinser was no slouch either, with the GOP pumping in nearly $1.7 million.
But why so much money for a school's chief?
Basically, the superintendent race was riding the coattails of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election. Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel were battling for a seat on the high court on the same ballot. That race saw nearly $100 million in spending, including a massive $25 million boost for Schimel from Elon Musk’s PACs. Because the Supreme Court race was a "must-win" for both parties, the turnout was artificially inflated for a spring election. Underly benefited from the massive liberal mobilization for Crawford, while Kinser rode the wave of conservative energy.
What Happens Now? Actionable Insights for 2026 and Beyond
Now that Underly has secured her second term, her job is actually getting harder. The federal landscape changed significantly with the 2024 presidential results. She’s now leading the DPI at a time when the federal Department of Education is facing threats of being dismantled or severely gutted.
💡 You might also like: Why Potential 2028 Presidential Candidates Still Matter Right Now
If you are a parent, educator, or taxpayer in Wisconsin, here is what you need to watch for in the coming months:
- Watch the Budget Negotiations: Underly is asking for an additional $4 billion in the biennial budget. With a divided or conservative-leaning legislature, this will be a massive fight. Keep an eye on the "per-pupil" funding numbers for both public and voucher schools.
- The Literacy Shift: The state's new early literacy requirements (Act 20) are in full swing. Schools are now mandated to use "science of reading" methods. Check with your local school board to see how your district is actually implementing these changes and if they are seeing results in the 2025-26 report cards.
- Property Tax Referendums: Since the state funding isn't keeping up with inflation, more local districts are going to the ballot to ask for property tax hikes. If you’re a homeowner, these local votes often matter more for your wallet than the state-level race.
- Teacher Licensing Audits: The legislature has already ordered audits into how DPI handles teacher misconduct and licensing. Expect more oversight and potentially new laws aimed at how the DPI manages the "professionalism" of the workforce.
Underly's victory means the status quo for public school advocacy remains in the driver's seat. However, the 47% of voters who chose Kinser aren't going away. They've signaled a massive appetite for "high standards" and "school choice" that will likely define the next several years of legislative battles in Madison.