After several social media posts implying he’s interested in running for governor, former governor Scott Walker announced he's not going to be a candidate in a social media video post July 27.
“I’m not going to be a candidate for governor in 2026," Walker said in the video. "In fact, I’m going to continue my work as president of Young America's Foundation."
Young America’s Foundation is a nonprofit youth conservative organization.
After Gov. Tony Evers announced he's not running for a third term, Walker — who lost his own bid for a third term to Evers in 2018 — had a series of social media posts on X signaling interest in running for governor.
On July 24, he posted a photo of a Make America Great Again-style hat that featured President Donald Trump's presidencies: "45-47." Coincidentally, Walker would be the 45th and 47th governor if he had run and won in 2026.
Walker later posted a photo of a similar hat with the phrase “Make Wisconsin Great Again."
On July 25, Walker posted a list of 28 priority policies he thinks the 47th governor should support, like eliminating the state income tax, banning cell phones in school and banning China from owning farmland in Wisconsin.
In the July 27 video, while Walker said he didn’t want to run this year, he said he's not totally against running another year.
“I’m actually a quarter-century younger than Joe Biden," he said "That means I’ve got plenty of time and I don’t need an autopen."
Two Republicans have announced they're candidates — Whitefish Bay manufacturing CEO Bill Berrien and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann.
One Democrat, Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, has launched her campaign, while another, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, said he'll take steps to enter the race soon.
Molly Beck of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this story.
This story was updated to add information.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Scott Walker says he's not running for Wisconsin governor in 2026
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