First-term Governor Tony Evers is running for re-election to a second term and will face businessman Tim Michels in the general election. Prior to becoming Governor, Evers served as the state Superintendent for Public Instruction for ten years.
Governor Evers won the gubernatorial election in 2018, after beating incumbent GOP governor Scott Walker. Evers defeated Walker by 29,227 votes, becoming one of many Democratic victories in the 2018 “blue wave” election cycle. However, Evers’ victory was not an easy one, with the race being “too close to call” on election night. It was not until the early morning hours of the day following the election that Evers was able to pull ahead of Walker when 45,000 previously uncounted absentee ballots in Milwaukee were tabulated. This brought Evers’ lead beyond the recount threshold and culminated in his victory.
Tim Michels, who was the Republican nominee in the 2004 U.S. Senate race, emerged victorious from the August Republican gubernatorial primary. Following months of debate on whether he or former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson would enter the ring, Michels ultimately decided to make the jump following Thompson’s decision not to run. Michels is owner of the Wisconsin-based construction company Michels Corporation. In his announcement, Michels said that he will use his private-sector experience to bring people together. Michels announced that he will largely fund the campaign himself, stating that he will not accept donations from political action committees or lobbyists. He also declared that he would accept no more than $500 from individuals, despite state law allowing donations of up to $20,000.
Democratic Primary Results:
Tony Evers (i): Unopposed
Republican Primary Results:
Tim Michels: 47%
Rebecca Kleefisch: 42%
Tim Ramthun: 6%
Kevin Nicholson: 4%
Adam Fischer: 1%
