THE CAPITOL REPORT: With Evers not running, the first open governor race since 2010

Third gubernatorial terms in Wisconsin are hard to get.

Consider Scott Walker. The Republican Milwaukee County executive swept into office with GOP legislative majorities in 2010, and in 2011 came Act 10. Walker beat a recall effort, won a second term, but then lost to state schools Superintendent Tony Evers in 2018 by just 1.1 percentage points.

So when the 73-year-old Evers was pondering whether to run for a third four-year term, some pundits noted that only one other Wisconsin governor — Tommy Thompson — has won at least three four-year terms. Thompson went on to win a fourth term but then left mid-term in 2001 to lead the Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush.

Evers, shown by polls to be the most popular politician in Wisconsin, said he would have won a third term: “I know I would have won. I mean, it would have been close. Wisconsin is a purple state, but having done it twice, I felt confident.”

We’ll never know if Evers would have won next year’s race. But his record in statewide general election runs has been impressive. He won three straight terms for state schools superintendent in nonpartisan spring races and then two terms for governor in partisan fall races. Evers first ran for state superintendent in 1993 and 2001, losing both times.

So when he finishes this term for governor, he will have been a statewide elected official for nearly two decades. That’s a long time.

And now Wisconsin will see the first open race for governor since 2010 — that race won by Walker after incumbent Dem Jim Doyle decided not to seek a third term.

Already primaries are shaping up on both sides.

Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez, a former Dem lawmaker from Brookfield, is the first Dem to declare. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, a former Dem lawmaker from Milwaukee, is preparing to jump in. And two-term Attorney General Josh Kaul is expected to run.

TwoRepublicanshavealreadyannounced their bids for the East Wing – New Berlin businessman Bill Berrien and Washington County Exec Josh Schoemann.And northern U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany is looking at it. Pundits see a Donald Trump endorsement as key in that budding primary.

But others could get in, too. The primaries aren’t until August 2026.

In the meantime, Evers has more time in office.

Evers praised his family for their support in the job, explaining he wasn’t 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.

For more, visit WisPolitics.com. The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics, and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.