Wisconsin Gov. Evers launches bid for second term
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers made it official Saturday, announcing his bid for a second term in the battleground state where he stands as a Democratic check on the Republican-controlled state Legislature.
Evers, 69, told The Associated Press in a Friday interview that he decided to run again because he has unfinished business and needs to remain able to stop Republicans through his veto powers, especially as they advocate for election law changes that would make it harder to vote absentee.
“Even though I haven’t played much hockey, I have come to appreciate the role of being a goalie,” Evers told the AP.
Evers announced his plans during the Wisconsin Democratic Convention, which was held virtually Saturday for a second year in a row.
“We have lots of work to do that the people of Wisconsin expect us to work on,” Evers told the AP, citing Medicaid expansion, criminal justice reform, expanding education funding and creating an independent redistricting process.
The first three and a half years of Evers’ term have been marked by clashes with the Gop-led Legislature and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Republicans brought successful lawsuits accusing Evers of overstepping his authority with closures, capacity limits and mask orders meant to slow the spread of the virus.
Evers told the AP that his handling of the pandemic saved lives and he listed it as “easily the most important thing that we’ve done.”
Evers, a former state superintendent of schools, was elected governor in 2018, when he narrowly defeating then-gov. Scott Walker, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate known for his 2011 law that effectively ended collective bargaining for most state workers.