GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker officially announced Sunday night that he will not run for governor in 2026, ending recent speculation about a political comeback.
In a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), Walker said he’s staying focused on his current role as president of Young America’s Foundation (YAF), a national conservative youth organization.
Thoughts on 2026 pic.twitter.com/dFbE0cNcW8
— Scott Walker (@ScottWalker) July 27, 2025
I’m not going to be a candidate for governor in 2026. In fact, I’m going to continue my work as president of Young America’s Foundation.
Scott Walker
His statement follows days of rumors sparked by a cryptic social media post last Thursday, where Walker shared a “Make Wisconsin Great Again” hat alongside the numbers “45-47.” The post came shortly after Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced he wouldn’t seek a third term.
Some took the post as a signal that Walker was preparing another run for the state’s top office, a job he held from 2011 to 2019. But Walker shut down those rumors Sunday, saying his priority remains motivating younger voters.
Walker says when he last ran for re-election, he took 47% of the vote from people ages 18-29 and eight years later, the Republican running for governor took only 30% of the vote with that group.
Walker has led YAF since February 2021 and says he’s committed to growing the conservative youth movement. Still, he didn’t completely close the door on running for office again someday.
Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez becomes first Democrat to enter 2026 governor race
So far, the 2026 governor’s race is beginning to take shape. Democratic Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez officially entered the race last Friday, becoming the first Democrat to do so.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and businessman Bill Berrien have already announced their candidacies.
Walker said he plans to support conservative candidates but won’t be one of them, at least not in 2026.
