Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) announced Thursday he won’t seek another term in office, teeing up a competitive election in one of the state’s closest battlegrounds.
Evers said in a video posted on the social media platform X that serving as governor has been “the honor of my life” and he expects that he would win reelection to a third term as governor if he ran. But he said he loves being a husband, father and grandfather even more than being governor, and his family has made sacrifices for five decades to allow him to partake in public service.
He said he owes it to his family to send time on doing what they love to do together.
“That’s why, Wisconsin, I’m announcing I will not be running for a third term,” Evers said.
Evers said he’s not finished with his job yet, and he has a lot of work to do before his current term ends in 2027.
“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,” he said. “So let’s get to work.”
Evers’s announcement will kick off an open gubernatorial race in one of the biggest battlegrounds in the country. He was first elected governor in 2018, ousting then-Gov. Scott Walker (R) by just over 1 point, while he won reelection in 2022 by a more comfortable 3 points.
Statements quickly poured in from Democrats thanking Evers’s for his service and vowing that the party would keep the office next year.
Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Devin Remiker said in a statement that Evers is one of the most successful governors in the state’s history.
“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,” Remiker said.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) praised Evers as always putting the state and its children first.
“Tony embodies the best of the Wisconsin way – he knows what is right and is willing to fight for it, but is level-headed, Midwestern nice, and always willing to bridge divides if it’s right for our state,” she said in a post on X.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, called Evers’s leadership “transformative” for Wisconsin.
“No matter who emerges from the Republican primary, one thing is certain: they will be too extreme for Wisconsin, in stark contrast with the strong, results-focused leadership in the governor’s office that Wisconsinites have enjoyed over the last six years,” Kelly said.
Republicans vowed that Wisconsin would turn a page from Democratic leadership and return the GOP back to the office.
Courtney Alexander, the communications director for the Republican Governors Association, said in a statement that the same type of “out-of-touch liberals” as Evers will try to replace him.
“Wisconsin is ready for a return to common sense leadership and real solutions that have been lacking under the tenure of Gov. Evers and not a single Democrat in Wisconsin can credibly offer either,” she said.
The primaries on both sides could quickly get crowded, with various candidates rumored to be considering a run. For Democrats, the possible candidates include Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, state Attorney General Josh Kaul and Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, among others.
On the Republican side, Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) has expressed interest in possibly running, while Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann entered the race in May.
Updated: 1:59 p.m. ET
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