Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) announced Thursday that he will not seek reelection and will retire from public office.
His announcement ended months of speculation about whether he would seek a third term during the 2026 midterm elections. The move from Evers, 73, leaves the Democratic field wide open as to who could run for the party nomination.
“Here’s the truth: Wisconsin, the only thing I love more than being your governor is being a husband, a dad, and a grandpa,” Evers said in a video, adding, “It’s why, Wisconsin, I’m announcing that I will not be running for a third term.”
“I’m so humbled to be your governor. This is the best job I’ve ever had. And folks, we are not done yet,” Evers said. “There is, as always, much work to do. And, Wisconsin, I’ll be working just as hard as I have for the last six years to keep doing the right thing and deliver for you.”
Evers, a former public school teacher and state superintendent of public instruction, was elected in 2018, defeating incumbent Republican Gov. Scott Walker by less than 30,000 votes. In 2022, Evers beat Republican challenger Tim Michels for reelection by a wider 90,000-vote margin.
Evers would have faced an uphill battle to win a third time. No governor in the state, except former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, has been elected a third time. Evers beat Walker in his third bid for governor in 2018.
Evers frequently disagreed with the Republican-led state legislature, making dozens of vetoes during his time in office. He also made Wisconsin history by issuing the most pardons of any governor.
However, his tenure also brought a number of bipartisan deals, including on education and tax cuts, and redrawing the state’s legislative maps.
Before Evers’s announcement, no Democrats had entered the race. Several high-profile young Democrats in the state, including Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, Evers’s first-term Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Attorney General Josh Kaul, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, former Chairman of the Wisconsin Democrats Ben Wikler, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, are speculated to be mulling runs.
Two Republicans have already entered the race: Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and New Berlin business owner Bill Berrien.
Following Evers’s announcement, Sabato’s Crystal Ball changed the race from “lean Democratic” to a “toss-up.” For the past several years, statewide elections have been won by razor-thin margins in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin also has a near-even split between voters registered as Democrats and Republicans.
In a statement, the Wisconsin Democratic Party called Evers “one of the most successful governors in our history.”
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“Governor Evers shut the door on the Scott Walker era forever, stopping the Wisconsin GOP’s war against workers’ rights and working families. And ever since he started this next chapter for Wisconsin, Gov. Evers has invested in a vision that would help elect Wisconsinites to office who actually looked out for their communities,” Wisconsin Democratic Chairman Devin Remiker said.
“That’s why he has been an important partner for us and a key reason why our party is stronger, more organized, and ready for the important fights ahead. While Republican candidates rush to embrace the most extreme elements of their party and face another divisive and bitter primary battle, we will be prepared to hold them accountable and ensure Wisconsin elects a Democratic governor in 2026,” he continued.