The race for Waukesha County Executive is beginning to take shape, and what started as a potentially crowded Republican field has now narrowed to two sitting state legislators: State Senator Chris Kapenga and State Representative Adam Neylon.

Both are Republicans. Both have extensive legislative experience. Both are currently running for reelection to their legislative seats. And now both are asking Waukesha County voters to give them a different job.

But there is an interesting story behind how we got here — including several names who were discussed as potential candidates but ultimately did not enter the race.

October 20 Is the Deadline

The immediate hurdle for Kapenga and Neylon is getting onto the December special-election ballot.

October 20, 2026, is the deadline for filing nomination papers and signatures. If more than two candidates ultimately qualify, a primary election will be held November 17, followed by the December 15 special election. If only two candidates qualify, there will be no primary.

The special election was created following the July death of longtime Waukesha County Executive Paul Farrow. Tom Farley, the former Waukesha County Corporation Counsel, is serving as interim county executive until voters select someone to finish Farrow’s term.

And there is an unusual wrinkle: both Kapenga and Neylon are also appearing on the November 3 ballot seeking reelection to their current legislative positions.

If either wins the county executive position, state law requires that he resign from the Legislature. That would also create another legislative vacancy and potentially another special election.

So this isn’t just one election.

It could ultimately create two elections for one candidate’s current legislative seat while also deciding who finishes Farrow’s county executive term.

Who Didn’t Run?

One of the more interesting aspects of this race is looking at the people who were talked about as potential candidates but ultimately did not enter the contest.

Before the field settled on Kapenga and Neylon, there were several other names circulating in Waukesha County Republican and civic circles.

Among those were:

• Mickey Foti — former state representative and a conservative Waukesha County political figure.
• Kelly Piacsek — president of the Waukesha School Board.
• Rob Hutton — state senator from the Brookfield area.
• Michael Crowley — a longtime Waukesha County civic and regional planning figure.
• Scott Allen — former state representative and former Waukesha mayoral candidate.
• Nik Rettinger — former legislator, some say was “redistricted” out of his seat.

Not all of these potential candidates were at the same stage of considering a campaign, and being discussed as a possible candidate is obviously different from actually announcing one.

But the list is important because it demonstrates that the opening created by Farrow’s death attracted attention from a much larger portion of the Waukesha County political establishment than the final ballot may suggest.

State Sen. Rob Hutton and former Rep. Scott Allen were specifically identified publicly as potential candidates shortly after Kapenga announced his campaign.

Neither ultimately entered the race.

That leaves Kapenga and Neylon as the two declared candidates currently seeking the position, with the October 20 filing deadline still ahead.

There is also some political history behind the names who chose not to run.

Hutton, for example, has served in both the Assembly and Senate and previously served as a Waukesha County supervisor. Scott Allen represented Waukesha in the Assembly and also ran for Waukesha mayor.

So while this may look like a simple two-person contest today, the list of people who considered the opportunity helps explain why this race was initially viewed as potentially much more competitive within the Republican political establishment.

Kapenga’s Cannabis and Hemp Record

For those of us following Wisconsin hemp and cannabis policy, there is another reason this particular race is worth watching.

Chris Kapenga has been in Wisconsin politics for many years, first serving in the Assembly before moving to the Senate. He served as Senate President from 2020 through 2024 and currently chairs the Senate Committee on Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State and Federal Affairs.

His opposition to marijuana legalization has been clear for years.

But the more recent issue for Wisconsin’s hemp industry is even more relevant.

Kapenga was involved in legislation seeking to change Wisconsin’s definition of hemp and impose a total-THC standard, legislation that hemp businesses and cannabis reform advocates viewed as potentially devastating to Wisconsin’s existing hemp-derived cannabinoid market.

From the WiscoCan perspective, this is an important distinction: regulation versus prohibition.

Kapenga’s legislative record has generally placed him on the restrictive side of the marijuana and hemp debate.

That includes his opposition to broader marijuana legalization as well as his involvement with legislation changing Wisconsin’s hemp regulatory framework.

For Wisconsin’s hemp industry, these aren’t abstract legislative arguments. Changes to the legal definition of hemp can determine whether farmers can grow a crop, whether processors can manufacture products, whether retailers can sell them and whether consumers can legally purchase them.

Neylon’s Record Has Evolved

Adam Neylon’s history is different — although it is important not to rewrite that history.

Neylon has been in the Assembly since 2013, and his earlier WiscoCan record was not that of a major marijuana-reform legislator. Around 2017 or so it was being reported that Neylon was more sympathetic to the reform of cannabis laws than had been previously stated in public interviews. I believe Neylon ran unopposed in 2018 (that was the year of all those marijuana referendums in Wisconsin also.) His 2020 candidate campaign interview is archived and he does address cannabis in the interview.

But that changed significantly during the recent hemp fight.

Neylon became a co-sponsor of SB 682/AB 747, the Testin/Kurtz hemp legislation designed around regulating Wisconsin’s hemp-derived cannabinoid industry rather than simply eliminating much of the existing marketplace. Neylon has also been publicly supporting decriminalization concepts also.

And there is a very local connection to that decision.

Pete Swan of Green Swan Hemp Co. in Pewaukee is a 2026 Election Coverage Sponsor and has also been involved in the grassroots effort surrounding Neylon and hemp policy.

Swan’s work engaging Neylon on hemp policy helped lead to Neylon becoming a co-sponsor of SB 682/AB 747.

Now, that same Green Swan Hemp Co. is serving as a signature hub for the Neylon county executive campaign as the October 20 deadline approaches. Stop in and say high to Pete, sign the nomination page for Neylon and help be the change you would like to see in the world. Green Swan Hemp Co is open Mon – Saturday 10:30am until 5:30pm. Follow Green Swan Hemp Co on Facebook and Instagram.

That is a pretty interesting full-circle story.

A Pewaukee hemp business owner engaged his state representative on an issue affecting Wisconsin’s hemp industry.

The representative ultimately became a co-sponsor of legislation taking a regulatory approach to the industry.

And now that local business is helping the same representative collect signatures for a county executive campaign.

Why SB 682 Matters

SB 682/AB 747 represents a fundamentally different approach to the hemp question than simply banning large portions of the existing HDC marketplace.

WiscoCan’s current position is centered around “Protect & Promote” — protecting Wisconsin farmers, manufacturers and retailers while establishing reasonable regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

That includes issues such as testing, labeling, age restrictions and clear product definitions.

The organization has made protection of Wisconsin hemp a major part of its 2026 election agenda.

So from a WiscoCan perspective, Neylon’s decision to become a co-sponsor of SB 682/AB 747 is significant.

It doesn’t make him a longtime cannabis reform advocate.

It does, however, demonstrate a more recent movement toward the regulatory approach supported by Wisconsin’s hemp industry and WiscoCan.

That distinction matters when comparing his legislative history with Kapenga’s.

Two Legislative Records Worth Watching

For voters interested specifically in hemp and cannabis policy, the contrast is fairly straightforward.

Chris Kapenga

• Longtime opponent of marijuana legalization.
• Has publicly argued against legalization.
• Has been involved with legislation changing Wisconsin’s hemp definition.
• Has held significant committee leadership during the state’s recent hemp debate.
• Has generally taken a more restrictive approach toward marijuana and hemp-derived cannabinoid policy.

Adam Neylon

• Has a longer legislative history of support without being a major marijuana-reform sponsor.
• Supported decriminalization.
• Became a co-sponsor of SB 682/AB 747.
• Has supported a regulatory approach to Wisconsin’s hemp-derived cannabinoid industry.
• Has a direct grassroots connection to Pewaukee hemp businessman Pete Swan and Green Swan Hemp Co.

Those records don’t tell us everything about either man’s approach to running Waukesha County.

The county executive position involves a much broader range of issues — budgets, public safety, infrastructure, housing, county services, regional cooperation and economic development, among others.

But their hemp and cannabis records provide one documented example of how these two legislators have approached a major policy issue.

And Then There Is the Tax Question

Hemp isn’t going to be the only issue defining this race.

Both candidates have already said they oppose establishing a Waukesha County sales tax. Waukesha is one of only two Wisconsin counties without a local sales tax on top of the state’s 5% rate. Farrow previously proposed a county sales tax as a way to address future budget pressures, but withdrew the proposal in January 2025.

Neylon has talked about looking for alternative ways to address the county’s financial challenges, including regulatory changes and retaining more fee revenue at the county level.

Kapenga has emphasized his background as a CPA and business owner and has framed his approach around controlling spending, finding efficiencies and resisting tax increases.

Those fiscal questions will likely become much more important once the November election is over and the county executive race gets the full attention of Waukesha County voters.

A Race That Could Have Looked Very Different

It is worth remembering how quickly this race came together.

Paul Farrow’s death created an unexpected vacancy.

Several names were discussed.

Some potential candidates ultimately decided not to run.

Kapenga entered the race in July.

Neylon entered in September.

And now the two state legislators are simultaneously asking voters to reelect them to Madison while asking those same voters to consider them for county executive.

That creates a very unusual political situation.

The November 3 election comes first.

The October 20 signature deadline determines who gets onto the county executive ballot.

A possible November 17 primary could follow.

And then the December 15 special election determines who completes the remainder of Farrow’s term.

After that, there will be another county executive election in April 2027 for the full four-year term.

So the winner of the December race could be back on the campaign trail almost immediately.

The Green Swan Connection

For this 2026 Election Coverage project, I also think the Green Swan story is worth highlighting.

Pete Swan and Green Swan Hemp Co. are not only 2026 Election Coverage Sponsors — Green Swan is also a signature hub for the Neylon campaign.

That puts a local hemp business directly into the grassroots side of this county executive race.

And it gives Wisconsin hemp advocates another reason to pay attention to what happens in Waukesha County.

The question isn’t simply who wins the county executive seat.

For those following Wisconsin hemp and cannabis policy, there is also a question of what the legislative records of these two candidates tell us about how they approach regulation, small business and an industry that has become a significant political issue in Wisconsin.

For now, the next deadline is clear:

October 20, 2026.

That’s when we’ll know who actually made it onto the December ballot — and whether this two-person race stays a two-person race.

I’ll continue following the Waukesha County Executive race as part of the 2026 Wisconsin Election Coverage project.

For more information on the campaign(s) of Adan Neylon, please visit his official campaign website at www.AdamNeylon.com, follow his campaign facebook page at Neylon for Waukesha County.