APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Governor Tony Evers said that a crowded democratic primary in the governor’s race will only make the winning candidate stronger, although he said it’s unlikely he’ll endorse a candidate during the primary.
Evers sounded off on a gubernatorial race that he no longer will be a part of during a stop at Frio Mexican Treats in Appleton Monday afternoon. He announced last week that he won’t run for a third term, reiterating to reporters Monday that a major factor in his decision was his desire to spend more time with his family.
Local 5 News asked Evers if he is worried that the Democrats lost their best opportunity to win the governor’s office when he decided not to run for a third term.
“I think I changed the way things are working in the state of Wisconsin (changed the perception) that we can’t have a Democratic governor,” Evers said. “I got things done, things accomplished in a bipartisan way as much as possible. Do I think that I would have won, sure, but I think the best candidate out of the primary will do just as good as I could do.”
Evers said deciding not to run for governor was the most difficult decision he’s ever had to make.
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley have already launched their campaigns for governor on the Democratic ticket.
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“I went through a primary, and there were 20 candidates going through the democratic primary, and that made me a better candidate,” Evers told reporters.
Governor Evers was at Frio Mexican Treats as part of a series of ‘Ice Cream Town Halls’ that coincide with National Ice Cream Month. In Appleton, he met with community leaders to talk about the state budget, answer questions, and connect how what happens in Madison impacts people in the Fox Valley.
Republican candidates for governor also spoke with Local 5 News about the landscape of the gubernatorial race now that Evers is out.
“Little disappointed because I wanted to run against Governor Evers,” said Republican gubernatorial candidate Josh Schoemann. “I think the contrast of what I’ve done in Washington County in the last six years compared with what he’s done. The candidates that are coming out are even more extreme, so that contrast will be even more bold as well.”
Schoemann is the Washington County executive and a military veteran. He launched his campaign for governor back in May.
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“I am the only candidate in this race or who is talking about joining this race who has proven I can win a primary and a general election,” Schoemann said. “I have proven here in Washington County that I can bring voters of all stripes out to vote for me. I think that reflects well into the general election in 2026. People have shown in the first 90 days of the race that I’m the candidate they want to see.”
Businessman and former Navy Seal Bill Berrien told Local 5 News that all of the potential Democratic candidates are in the “same mold” as Evers and that in the past six years, under Evers’ leadership, the state has gone in the wrong direction.
“(If I’m governor, I will bring the) philosophy of my company, where we say hire for attitude, train for skill,” Berrien said. “More value created, more value captured. If we can extend that philosophy across the state, we can create an environment of prosperity for everyone.”
Former Republican governor Scott Walker said over the weekend he will not run for governor again. Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski said she won’t run for governor, but would consider running as lieutenant governor on a democratic ticket.
While taking questions from reporters on Monday in Appleton, Evers reaffirmed his commitment to closing the Green Bay Correctional Institution in Allouez.
