The race for Wisconsin’s Superintendent of Public Instruction (DPI) has historically been an easy win for education establishment candidates. There has never been a Superintendent who has been friendly to school choice and education freedom. But this year, that could change. Brittany Kinser, a school choice advocate, is virtually tied with incumbent Jill Underly in early polling, and voter support skyrockets when they learn about her stance on school choice. This comes as poll after poll show that 6/10 voters in Wisconsin support school choice, including in the most recent Marquette Law School Poll. 

A recent survey by the Institute for Reforming Government (IRG) found that Kinser leads Underly 22% to 20%, with a massive 58% of voters still undecided. But the real game-changer? When voters learn Kinser supports school choice, her lead jumps to 56% over Underly 26%—a 30-point swing. The only issue with Kinser, is that voters do not know she is a supporter of school choice and her opponent Jill Underly opposes school choice and has been a longtime advocate for ending Wisconsin’s school choice programs.

This shift reflects growing frustration with Wisconsin’s K-12 education system. Half of voters say schools are heading in the wrong direction, and 65% support allowing state funds to follow students to the school of their choice, whether public, private, or charter. The data suggests that once voters understand where the candidates stand, they overwhelmingly favor a candidate committed to reform.

Key issues in the race align with this dissatisfaction. A majority of voters (54%) oppose tax increases for school funding, and nearly half (46%) support breaking up Milwaukee Public Schools to improve education outcomes. Additionally, two-thirds of voters (67%) believe the next superintendent should focus on raising academic standards, and by a four-to-one margin (72% to 18%), they oppose policies allowing biological males who identify as female to compete in girls’ sports.

The DPI race, typically an afterthought, is shaping up to be a battleground for Wisconsin’s education future. With school choice at the forefront, Kinser has a real shot at flipping a position long held by education bureaucrats resistant to reform. The challenge now? Making sure voters know her name before they cast their ballots.