Democrat Tony Evers secures second term as Wisconsin governor, networks report

Incumbent Democrat Tony Evers won a second term as governor of Wisconsin, beating Republican candidate Tim Michels by a higher margin than polls predicted, multiple networks reported.

Michels and Evers have been neck-to-neck in the polls since August, with Michels edging past Evers by less than a percentage point in the last few weeks. Governor races in Wisconsin have become increasingly competitive in recent years, with Evers beating former Republican Governor Scott Walker in 2018 by less than 30,000 votes.

As governor, Evers vetoed hundreds of bills from a Republican legislature, never winning the full support he needed to pass any of his own major legislation for Wisconsin. He has largely relied on his background as a former teacher and superintendent this campaign, proposing $2 billion in additional spending for the 2023-24 budget if re-elected as governor.

Michels framed himself as a tough-on-crime candidate, frequently criticizing Evers’ response to the 2020 Kenosha protests. The Republican had proposed slashing state funding to any city that cuts police budgets.