Dem Tony Evers announced today he won’t seek reelection next year, passing on the opportunity to become only the second governor in Wisconsin history to win at least three four-year terms.
Evers, 73, a former state schools superintendent, announced his decision via a post on social media.
Evers praised his family for their support in the job and said he won’t be running because he owes his family time to do “all the things we enjoy and love doing together.”
“That’s why Wisconsin, I’m announcing I won’t be running for a third term. I was humbled to be your governor, this is the best job I’ve ever had. And folks, we are not done yet. There is, as always, much work to do,” Evers said.
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The guv’s announcement comes as Dems nationally have grappled with the appropriate time for their older elected officials to retire after then President Joe Biden decided to mount a reelection bid only to drop out last year after a much-panned debate performance.
He then won reelection in 2022, topping GOP rival Tim Michels by 3.4 percentage points.
Evers was the second-oldest person to be elected as governor of Wisconsin when he won a second term at 71 years old in 2022, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau. The oldest was former GOP Gov. Walter Goodland, who was elected in 1946 at 83 years old. He died a few months into his term at 84 years old. Former Gov. Tommy Thompson was Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor. He was elected four times and served 14 years, leaving his fourth term early after being appointed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary in February 2001.
At least a half-dozen Dems are considered potential successors, including: Milwaukee County Exec David Crowley (aged 39), Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski (43), Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson (38), AG Josh Kaul (44), Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (49) and state Sen. Kelda Roys (46).
Meanwhile, New Berlin businessman Bill Berrien, 56, and fellow Republican Washington County Exec Josh Schoemann, 43, have formally announced their bids for guv. U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a 67-year-old who lives in Minocqua, is among those considering a run for the GOP nomination.
Evers won his first term in 2018, beating then-Gov. Scott Walker by 1.1 percentage points.
His battles with the GOP-controlled state Legislature began shortly after, as Walker signed a package of bills before leaving office designed to strip powers from the guv and newly elected Dem AG Josh Kaul.
Evers spent part of his time in the east wing going around the GOP-controlled Legislature to fund priorities with federal COVID-19 funds that he had sole authority over. After liberals flipped the state Supreme Court in 2023, he started to rack up a series of victories that chipped away at the Legislature’s ability to stymie his administration’s moves. That includes rulings ending one committee’s power to block stewardship purchases and another’s ability to indefinitely suspend rules written by his agencies.
The liberal majority also overturned maps that put Republicans on the verge of supermajorities in both houses. That reduced the GOP majorities to 18-15 in the Senate and 54-45 in the Assembly, a dynamic that led to a bipartisan deal that included GOP lawmakers, Senate Dems and the guv to pass the state budget this year.
Along the way, Evers became one of the most prolific fundraisers in state history, thanks in part to a law his predecessor signed that placed no cap on the contributions political parties could receive and allowed them to make unlimited transfers to candidates.
Between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2022, Evers raised $41.2 million and spent $44.3 million, with the state Dem Party accounting for $15.6 million of his haul over that two-year period.
By comparison, Walker raised $26.9 million between Jan. 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2018, in his unsuccessful bid for a third term. That included $5.2 million from the state GOP.
Evers first ran for state superintendent in 1993 and 2001, losing both times.
Then-Superintendent Libby Burmaster appointed him deputy superintendent, and he served in that role until winning the superintendent’s office in 2009. He won reelection in 2013 and 2017 before launching his bid for guv in the summer after winning his third term as the state’s top education official.
