U.S. House, Wisconsin 8th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District?
Tony Wied has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. Tony Wied scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Rick Crosson at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Tony Wied's highest marks are command of the job and roots in the constituency. Rick Crosson's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic
Rick Crosson
58 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 65
- Performance
- NR
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Tony Wied
67 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 67
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Rick Crosson
- Credit2000
Served 20 years in the U.S. Army, 1980 to 2000, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson, WLUK (FOX 11), Aug. 12, 2026
Tony Wied
- On the record2026-04-14
Reported at least $1.3 million in individual stock trades in February 2026; his staff said an independent advisor manages the trades and that he complies with ethics rules.
- Credit2026-02-27
Joined Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin in securing and announcing $5 million in federal funding for a new Green Bay fire station.
Sources: WLUK (FOX 11), Feb. 27, 2026, WBAY report (via Yahoo), Feb. 27, 2026
- Credit2026
Serves as chairman of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure.
Source: House Clerk, Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee roster
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Rick Crosson. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026, and a House candidate financial disclosure was filed April 16, 2026. No FEC administrative fine or other official finding found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, House Clerk candidate financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075739, FEC administrative fines search
Tony Wied. Annual House financial disclosure filed May 15, 2026, and campaign reports on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. Periodic transaction reports spot-checked were filed within 45 days. No ethics finding or FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: House Clerk annual financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076758, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Rick Crosson. Took part in 2026 Democratic primary candidate forums and gave a televised in-depth interview in September 2026. No general election debate found.
Sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette (via Yahoo), Aug. 11, 2026, WLUK (FOX 11), Sept. 24, 2026
Tony Wied. Holds call-in town halls, three in his tenure as of Aug. 31, 2026, and gave a televised in-depth interview with his opponent in September 2026. No 2026 general election debate found.
Sources: Green Bay Press-Gazette (via AOL), Sept. 1, 2026, WLUK (FOX 11), Sept. 24, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Rick Crosson. Served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 2000 and on the Green Bay school board until 2025 with no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson
Tony Wied. Has held House office since Nov. 5, 2024, after decades running businesses, with no censure, reprimand or formal conduct finding found.
Source: GovTrack, Tony Wied
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Rick Crosson. Served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 2000, retiring as a lieutenant colonel, and on the Green Bay school board, with no finding of misuse of office.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson, WLUK (FOX 11), Aug. 12, 2026
Tony Wied. Sworn in Nov. 5, 2024, after the January 2021 electoral count. No recorded action to reject certified results and no misuse-of-office finding found.
Source: GovTrack, Tony Wied
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Rick Crosson. Retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel after 20 years of service, former Green Bay school board member and former chief operating officer in trucking and logistics.
Source: Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson
Tony Wied. Member of the U.S. House since November 2024, completing a partial term and most of a full term; previously owned the Dino Stop gas station chain, sold in 2022.
Sources: GovTrack, Tony Wied, Ballotpedia, Tony Wied
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Rick Crosson. Publishes a priorities page and questionnaire answers on affordability, data center regulation, health care, immigration and veterans, mostly in general terms.
Source: Campaign site, Priorities
Tony Wied. Chairman of the Small Business Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee and vice chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; publishes issue priorities including the SERVE Act.
Sources: House Clerk, Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee roster, House office site, Committees and Caucuses, The Northwestern / Press-Gazette questionnaire (via Yahoo), Sept. 18, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Rick Crosson. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey, answered newspaper questionnaires, publishes a priorities page and took part in candidate forums.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson, The Northwestern / Press-Gazette questionnaire (via Yahoo), Sept. 18, 2026, Campaign site, Priorities
Tony Wied. Completed Ballotpedia's 2024 survey, answers newspaper candidate questionnaires, offers an office newsletter and holds call-in town halls. Has not completed the 2026 Ballotpedia survey.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tony Wied, The Northwestern / Press-Gazette questionnaire (via Yahoo), Sept. 18, 2026, Green Bay Press-Gazette (via AOL), Sept. 1, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Rick Crosson. Green Bay resident who served on the Green Bay school board. About 90 percent of itemized individual contributions came from Wisconsin.
Sources: The Northwestern / Press-Gazette questionnaire (via Yahoo), Sept. 18, 2026, Ballotpedia, Rick Crosson, FEC contribution totals by state
Tony Wied. Says he was raised in Green Bay and has lived his whole life in Brown County; lives in De Pere. About 68 percent of itemized individual contributions came from Wisconsin.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tony Wied (2024 Candidate Connection answers), FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Rick Crosson. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Tony Wied. Campaign reports are on file with the FEC through July 22, 2026. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. Missed 9 of 737 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from November 2024 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. Runs a De Pere district office with casework help for federal agency problems and has held three call-in town halls.
Sources: House office site, Help with a Federal Agency, Green Bay Press-Gazette (via AOL), Sept. 1, 2026
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. No Lugar Center score yet (not scored for the 118th Congress). Worked with Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin to secure $5 million in federal funding for a Green Bay fire station, announced jointly in February 2026.
Sources: WLUK (FOX 11), Feb. 27, 2026, WBAY report (via Yahoo), Feb. 27, 2026
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Rick Crosson. No public record found.
Tony Wied. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 6, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District?
Tony Wied has the strongest record in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District. Tony Wied scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Rick Crosson at 58, as of October 6, 2026. Tony Wied's highest marks are command of the job and roots in the constituency. Rick Crosson's highest marks are relevant experience and communication. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Rick Crosson (Democratic), Tony Wied (Republican, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Rick Crosson a good candidate for Congress?
Rick Crosson scores 58 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 65 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Tony Wied a good candidate for Congress?
Tony Wied scores 67 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 67 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Wisconsin race scored, and the Wisconsin 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.