I always find it amusing how politicians are often the last to know the tide has turned. They can look out at a sea of changing faces, hear the shifting winds, and still insist the weather is perfectly fine for another voyage.

These leaders often talk about leaving on their own terms, for noble reasons like spending more time with family. Sound familiar? It’s the go-to line, after all. But for those watching closely, it often looks less like a planned retirement and more like a captain quietly abandoning a ship he knows is heading for rough waters.

That very scene, if you ask me, is now playing out in Wisconsin. Democrat Governor Tony Evers announced he won’t be seeking a third term, claiming he wants to focus on his family. While a respectable reason on its surface, the political reality in the Badger State tells a much different story.

From The Daily Wire:
Democratic Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced on Thursday that he will not seek a third term leading the Badger State.

Evers, 73, said he wants to spend more time with his family after a five-decade career in politics.

“For five decades, my family has sacrificed to give me the gift of service. They’re my world, and I owe it to them to focus on doing all the things we enjoy and love doing together. It’s why, Wisconsin, I’m announcing that I will not be running for a third term,” Evers said…

Evers predicted he would have won had he chosen to run again. His current term ends on January 4, 2027. Wisconsin will have an open gubernatorial race in 2026.

He’d Win — or Would He?

In his announcement, Evers projected supreme confidence. When asked if he would win a sixth statewide election, he said, “Of course. No question about that.” Really? “Of course?” I have to wonder if he’s looked at an election map lately.

That bold claim might come as a surprise to the people of Wisconsin, who handed the state to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election by about 30,000 votes. When the voters in your state have already chosen a new direction at the federal level, insisting you’d win anyway sounds less like confidence and more like denial.

A Record of Radical Policies

That record of failure is exactly why the political ground has shifted from under the governor’s feet. Evers consistently used his veto power to block common-sense conservative legislation, placing him far out of step with the state’s values.

Most notably, he vetoed a bill passed by the legislature that would have protected children from irreversible transgender surgeries and hormone treatments. Let that sink in for a moment. The governor of Wisconsin looked at a bill to protect kids from life-altering procedures and decided that was the bad idea.

This was just one of many instances. Evers also blocked conservative-backed bills on election integrity, the right to life, and Second Amendment rights. It appears the governor finally sees the writing on the wall. So no, I don’t buy the official story. He’s leaving because he knows he can’t win, and he’d rather walk away than face the voters he abandoned.

Key Takeaways

• Gov. Tony Evers is retiring after President Trump won his state in 2024.
• His “woke” agenda, like vetoing child protection bills, made him deeply unpopular.
• Evers claims he would win, ignoring his state’s clear conservative turn.
• His exit creates a prime opportunity for a GOP governor in Wisconsin in 2026.

Sources: Daily Wire