Governor Tony Evers isn’t running in 2026. He’s been extraordinary.

Tony Evers saved democracy in Wisconsin, delivered for our kids, and defended our freedom—all while being a truly great human being.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers just announced that he won’t be running for reelection in 2026:

Wisconsin owes a profound debt of gratitude to Governor Evers—one of the kindest, most decent, and most public-spirited people I've ever met, in or out of politics. He makes Wisconsin a better place, every single day, and will leave a legacy that touches all of our lives.

Kids can always tell whether adults are for real. My kids, and kids across the state, know what I've seen firsthand myself: Tony Evers is on their side. He got into politics for the right reason: to make things better for them. And because of that, he always does the right thing. He shows that kindness and conviction can go hand in hand, that empathy and integrity can be a form of strength, and that lifting people up makes us all grow. In a time of corrosive, cynical politics, Governor Evers—through the example of his life and his actions moment to moment—shows people that politics really can be about public service.

Anyone who defeated Scott Walker would have instantly become a hero for Wisconsin’s working people, its kids, and their families. It has always been gratifying that the person who defeated Walker was a teacher–a profession of everyday heroes that had been targeted by Walker most of all. As Wisconsin’s democracy was going over a cliff, he grabbed the wheel and steered us away from the brink.

But, year after year, Governor Evers has soared far beyond simply ending a dark time in our state’s governance. He has overseen the rebuilding of democracy in our state just as surely as he has fixed the roads, restored critical funding for our schools, protected reproductive freedom, cut taxes for the middle class, and refocused our priorities away from political games and towards delivering for regular families, no matter who they voted for—or whether they vote at all.

If you're a Wisconsinite, Governor Evers cares about you, and he's worked to ensure that our state’s government reflects that.

Wisconsin is the crucible of American politics, with a constant string of nailbiter elections. Governor Evers’s leadership of our state party has been transformative. As the party chair, I saw firsthand how Governor Evers worked to ensure that our party could show up for Democrats and public servants at every level of the ballot, setting a national standard for what a strong party led by a great governor could accomplish—winning 15 of the last 19 statewide elections, from his victory in 2018 through this spring’s Supreme Court election. At a personal level, I learned so much from his example and his leadership, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to support and partner with him.

Governor Evers’s legacy will be a better, more decent Wisconsin with a thriving democracy and a bright future. I'm profoundly grateful to him for his service, his character, and his steadfast commitment to building a politics that puts kids first.

Thank you, Governor Evers. We’re all lucky that you chose to lead—and that you’ve led us so well.