That Crazy Leftist Wisconsin Brewery Owner Will Not Be on November's Ballot

Kirk Bangstad, the Leftist owner of the Minocqua Brewing Company, has tried to make a name for himself in Wisconsin politics. And that's not a good thing. Bangstad was most recently in the news because his business offered free beers if President Trump were assassinated. That came after the third failed assassination attempt at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

A month ago, Bangstad announced he was going to throw his hat into the very crowded Democratic gubernatorial primary. That dream of political office was short-lived, however, as Bangstad failed to get enough signatures to get on the ballot because he put the wrong date on the paperwork.

DEVELOPING: Wisconsin Elections Commission says Kirk Bangstad has failed to make the ballot as he listed the primary date instead of the general election on dozens of signature pages, invalidating submissions. https://t.co/ZOzTn8q09O pic.twitter.com/7SP3RFBZST
— The Heartland Post (@HeartlandPostWI) June 2, 2026

Here's more:

Kirk Bangstad, owner of Minocqua Brewing Company and a vocal progressive activist known more for his hatred of Donald Trump than his beer, has failed to qualify for the Democrat primary ballot for governor after submitting nomination papers listing the wrong election date, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The error appeared on dozens of pages, listing August 11, the date of the primary election, rather than the November general election date, as required by law.
WisPolitics reporter JR Ross first reported the mistake, noting that the incorrect date could invalidate the signatures collected on those affected pages. Bangstad had filed signatures earlier in an attempt to appear on the August 11 Democratic primary ballot.
Bangstad, who has used his brewery’s platform for years to promote progressive causes and attack Republican figures, now faces the collapse of his latest political effort over what appears to be a basic administrative mistake. Democrat Party officials had not included him on the list of candidates slated to speak at the upcoming Democratic state convention.