2025 Wisconsin spring primary election Tuesday; here's what to know

MILWAUKEE - Voters across Wisconsin will cast their ballots in Tuesday's spring primary election, narrowing the field for the state's top education job from three to two candidates.

State superintendent

The backstory:

The incumbent, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly, was first elected in 2021 with the support of Democrats and teachers unions. She has tried to position herself as the champion for public schools. She was endorsed by the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

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This year, Underly faces a challenge on the left from Sauk Prairie Superintendent Jeff Wright, a two-time Democratic candidate for state Assembly. Brittany Kinser, an education consultant and advocate for the private voucher school choice program, is backed by Republicans.

The race is officially nonpartisan. The top two vote-getters will advance to the April 1 general election.

Dig deeper:

Wisconsin is the only state where voters elect the top education official but there is no state board of education. That gives the person who runs the Department of Public Instruction broad authority to oversee education policy, which includes dispersing money to schools and managing teacher licensing.

Whoever wins will have to manage Wisconsin’s relationship with the Trump administration as it seeks to eliminate the federal Department of Education, which supports roughly 14% of public school budgets nationwide with an annual budget of $79 billion.

Tuesday's primary

What you can do:

The polls are open in Wisconsin from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Voters who are already registered should bring a photo ID. 

If you are not yet registered to vote, you may do so at the polls. All voters must provide a proof of residence document. That includes a valid State of Wisconsin driver's license or state ID card. There are several other acceptable forms of ID that will be accepted at the polls.

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In addition to the statewide race for superintendent, some municipalities will have local items on their ballot – such as in Milwaukee, where some will vote in a primary for the city's 3rd District seat on the Common Council. 

To see what's on your ballot, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website. 

What's next:

MyVote Wisconsin also makes it convenient for voters to track their ballot. You can see if a ballot request has been received or processed, find out whether your ballot has been sent, and find out whether there was a problem with a ballot.

Once the polls close, check back with FOX6 News for results.