Governor Tony Evers' Tenure: A Legacy of Conflict and Accomplishment

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has announced that he will not seek re-election next year, marking the end of a tumultuous and action-packed tenure. Since taking office in 2019, Evers has navigated a Republican-controlled Legislature, often finding himself at odds with GOP lawmakers over issues like education funding, mask mandates, and abortion rights. Despite these challenges, Evers has achieved several significant victories, including the passage of bipartisan legislation and the establishment of new education programs.

Key Takeaways:

• Evers launched his gubernatorial campaign in August 2017, eventually defeating incumbent Governor Scott Walker in the 2018 election by just over 1 percentage point.
• In 2019, Evers signed his first biennial budget, issuing 78 partial vetoes and allowing spending of roughly $65 million more on K-12 education than Republicans had intended.
• Evers faced intense GOP pushback over his COVID-19 pandemic response, including stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, which were ultimately blocked by the conservative state Supreme Court.
• In 2021, Evers became the first governor in 74 years to not be physically present in the Capitol to deliver his State of the State address, which he gave by video.
• Evers vetoes GOP-drawn legislative maps in 2021, setting the stage for a court battle over Wisconsin's next 10-year maps.
• The conservative-controlled state Supreme Court ultimately sided with Republicans, but the court under a newfound liberal majority later rejected the maps as unconstitutional.
• In June 2022, Evers and Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul sued to strike the state's Civil War-era abortion statute, which was later repealed by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
• Evers has maintained a strained relationship with GOP leaders, including Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, over pandemics and policy issues.

Statistics:

• Evers' terms in office have seen significant funding increases for K-12 education, including an additional $65 million in the 2019 budget.
• Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Evers' administration has implemented various policies, including stay-at-home orders and mask mandates, which were later blocked by the conservative state Supreme Court.
• As of 2023, Wisconsin's state Supreme Court had upholding Evers' veto of a partial repeal to a state law that was intended to ration health care for patients with terminal illnesses by means of a state legislative bill package, which itself was originally intended to be reheard for another year prior to 2025 from due review rehearsals.
• Since 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has initiated an overhaul of the state's transportation infrastructure, with a focus on improving safety and efficiency.
• Evers has signed bipartisan legislation in December 2023 to authorize funding repairs at American Family Field and keep the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin until at least 2050.

Sources:

• "Evers won't seek re-election as governor in 2026." Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.): July 24, 2025.
• "Tony Evers: 'I will not be a candidate for governor in 2026'." Associated Press (AP): July 24, 2025.