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141-587: Anthony Steven Evers ( / ˈ iː v ər z / EE -vərz ; born November 5, 1951) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th governor of Wisconsin since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party , he served as Wisconsin's Superintendent of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2019. Born and raised in Plymouth , Wisconsin, Evers was educated at the University of Wisconsin–Madison , eventually receiving

282-456: A Ph.D . After working as a teacher for several years, he became a school administrator, serving as a principal, until he assumed the office of district superintendent. Evers first ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1993 and again in 2001, losing both elections. Evers was instead appointed deputy superintendent, a position he served in from 2001 to 2009. In 2009, he ran for Superintendent of Public Instruction again, this time winning. He

423-740: A Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision in April, but later that month the Wisconsin Supreme Court reinstated the 15 Walker appointees, and ultimately ruled that the legislature's actions in the lame-duck session had not been unconstitutional. The Wisconsin Supreme Court also endorsed most of the lame-duck laws the legislature adopted, defeating lawsuits brought by the League of Women Voters and Service Employees International Union . The lawsuits largely hinged on

564-588: A recall election . An impeachment trial is carried out by the Wisconsin State Assembly , if a majority of its members agree to the impeachment. No governors have been removed from office through impeachment in the history of Wisconsin. However, Arthur MacArthur Sr. , who, as lieutenant governor, became acting governor upon the resignation of William Barstow in 1856, was removed after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that Barstow's opponent in

705-476: A right-to-work law , for which he gained significant national attention. After a brief stint running for president himself in 2015, Walker eventually endorsed Ted Cruz in the 2016 presidential race , in a bid to stop Donald Trump from getting the nomination. Cruz later won the 2016 Wisconsin Republican primary , though Walker later supported Trump after he clinched the party's nomination, and Trump went on to be

846-433: A state income tax , workers compensation , child labor laws and encouragement of cooperatives . Regardless of Davidson and McGovern's successes, La Follette ran his own loyal candidates against them, splitting the state's progressive Republicans and resulting in the 1912 election of the stalwarts' candidate Emanuel Philipp as governor. Despite campaigning on promises to dismantle progressive programs, Philipp proved to be

987-788: A " red flag law ", which would permit loved ones or police to petition to have an individual's guns taken away if a judge deems them a risk to themselves or others. Evers has said that Scott Walker's decisions about health care in Wisconsin led to higher insurance premiums for residents. He has pointed out that Minnesota accepted a Medicaid expansion and has been more proactive about healthcare overall, resulting in insurance premiums 47% lower than Wisconsin's. Evers supports legislation that would protect residents from higher costs for health insurance due to old age or preexisting conditions. He also supports allowing people to stay on their parents' health insurance plans until age 26. He plans to remove Wisconsin from

1128-487: A "power grab." Walker and other Republicans meanwhile argued that the bills were necessary " checks on power" and that they did not actually strip any real powers from the executive. Lawsuits were filed by Evers and various labor unions almost immediately after Walker signed the bills into law. On October 22, 2020, the party noticed suspicious activity in its account used for Donald Trump's reelection campaign. It soon appeared that hackers had altered invoices so that, when

1269-566: A committee that drafted many of the resolutions that would later be the basis for other anti-Nebraska meetings in the state, including the famous meeting in Ripon. The organizer of the meeting that gave birth to America's Republican Party was New York state native Alvan Earle Bovay , a lawyer and mathematics teacher at Ripon College . In 1852 Bovay traveled to New York City during the national Whig Party convention and met with old friend and New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley . Bovay suggested

1410-565: A divided federal appeals court found that Evers had violated neither the U.S. Constitution's Free Exercise Clause nor its Establishment Clause when he denied busing to an independent Catholic school because there was a nearby archdiocesan school. In March 2016, the United States Department of Education announced that Evers had been selected to serve on the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Title 1, Part A, of

1551-624: A majority of the Wisconsin State Senate and Wisconsin State Assembly in 1936. Their grip on power was short-lived, however, and they succumbed to a united Democratic and Republican front in 1938 which swept most of them out of office, including Philip. They were further crippled that year by attempting to expand the party to the national level. As the Progressives formed their own party, this allowed conservativism to increasingly dominate

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1692-454: A majority on the court for the first time since 2008. This led to Evers's long-sought abolition of the 2011 legislative gerrymander, creating the possibility that the 2024 legislative elections could produce a legislature that approximately reflects the popular vote. Evers has said his top priorities are improving the Wisconsin public school system, making health care more affordable and fixing Wisconsin's roads and bridges. In December 2021, as

1833-609: A margin one point greater than that of the 2010 election, becoming the first governor in American history to survive a recall attempt. In the 2022 gubernatorial election , over 2.6 million voters cast ballots for governor. This was the highest turnout for a gubernatorial election in state history, surpassing the 2012 recall election by 140,000 votes. There have been 44 governors of Wisconsin and 45 individual governorships. 1 governor, Philip La Follette , served non-consecutive terms. Four parties have had their candidates elected governor:

1974-566: A moderate, leaving nearly all of the reforms intact. As World War I raged in Europe, most Wisconsin Republicans moved cautiously from neutrality to preparedness. One exception was Sen. La Follette, an outspoken opponent of American participation in the war. In February 1917 he led a group of progressive senators in blocking President Woodrow Wilson 's bill to arm merchant ships. La Follette's actions made him nationally notorious. After being misquoted in

2115-659: A national lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act . Governor of Wisconsin The governor of Wisconsin is the head of government of Wisconsin and the commander-in-chief of the state's army and air forces . The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Wisconsin Legislature , to convene the legislature, and to grant pardons , except in cases of treason and impeachment . The position

2256-470: A national model for the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act in 1996. Following his initial election, Thompson would go on to win three more elections in the 1990s, each one by double digit margins, and would serve a record 14 years in office before leaving in 2001 to become U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services . The Republicans also won back control of the state legislature for

2397-543: A nonpartisan post, in 1993 and was defeated by John Benson . In 2001, he ran again and finished third in the primary to Elizabeth Burmaster . After her election, Burmaster appointed Evers deputy superintendent, a position he held until Burmaster was appointed president of Nicolet College . While serving as Burmaster's deputy, Evers served a term as president of the Council of Chief State School Officers . Evers then ran again in 2009, this time winning. He defeated Rose Fernandez in

2538-410: A pandemic, education, federal aid, redistricting, guns, police and crime, abortion, social welfare programs, and regulations and licensing. Since his election as governor, Republicans in the legislature and state supreme court have used their positions in partisan attempts to usurp powers from Evers and executive departments. This began just weeks after his election—before he took office—when

2679-688: A rematch by a slightly wider margin than the previous time. In the other subsequent recall elections in June 2012, Republicans lost control of the State Senate by a single seat to the Democrats, though they gained back their majority the following November. During his time in office, Walker signed numerous pieces of landmark (and often controversial) legislation into law, including laws restricting access to abortion, loosening labor regulations, and cutting property taxes. After being re-elected in 2014 , Walker also signed

2820-492: A speech as having no grievances against Germany, he was abandoned by many of his longtime associates and later threatened with expulsion from the Senate. Gov. Philipp also opposed arming merchant ships and conscription , but after war was declared he administered the state's war effort, marshaled state resources and formed councils to conduct the draft, sell Liberty bonds , generate propaganda and stifle dissent . The war shattered

2961-542: A state budget surplus by underfunding municipalities. Second, local governments had been restricted from raising their own revenue through new sales taxes. After a decade under the Walker policies, local revenue was becoming a statewide crisis as shared revenue to municipalities had fallen considerably as a percentage of the revenue collected. Municipalities of all sizes were struggling to make their budgets, with many threatening deep cuts to police and other vital services. Evers and

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3102-457: A statewide ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people, following an advisory from the federal government. This was expanded to a statewide "safer at home" on March 25, originally set to expire on April 25, with people allowed to leave their homes only for essential business and exercise. A poll conducted between March 24 and 29 gave Evers an approval rating of 65%, up 14% in one month, and also showed that 76% of voters approved of his handling of

3243-763: A teacher and media coordinator in the Tomah school district. From 1979 to 1980 he was principal of Tomah Elementary School, and from 1980 to 1984 he was principal of Tomah High School. From 1984 to 1988 Evers was superintendent of the Oakfield school district, and from 1988 to 1992 he was superintendent of the Verona school district. From 1992 to 2001 he was administrator of the Cooperative Education Service Agency (CESA) in Oshkosh . Evers first ran for state superintendent,

3384-446: A term of two years; in 1967, the constitution was amended to increase the term of office to four years, beginning with the governor elected in the 1970 election . There is no limit to the number of terms a governor may hold. The longest-serving governor was Tommy Thompson , from January 5, 1987, until February 1, 2001, a total of 14 years and 28 days; the shortest-serving was Arthur MacArthur Sr. , from March 21, 1856, until March 25 of

3525-763: A three-term governor. Republicans could forever claim they fought to preserve the Union, and veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic became a powerful constituency. The state Republican chairman from 1859 to 1869 was Wisconsin State Journal editor Horace Rublee, who with former governor Randall, Madison postmaster Elisha W. Keyes and others became known as the "Madison Regency." Randall later became President Andrew Johnson 's postmaster general , and with Keyes they steered federal patronage jobs to political allies and strengthened

3666-417: A traitorous Democratic Party. Nevertheless, the Republicans would continue to dominate Wisconsin government for the next six decades with few interruptions. Rublee ran a quiet campaign in the legislature for possible election as U.S. Senator, but after losing to Matthew H. Carpenter , Rublee was appointed by Grant minister to Switzerland in 1869. The party machinery was left in the hands of "Boss" Keyes. Yet

3807-651: Is William Blathras, who is serving in his second term as Chair. The 2009 party convention was held in La Crosse on May 1, with the highlight being straw polls for the upcoming 2010 gubernatorial and senatorial elections. The 2010 party convention was held May 21–23 in Milwaukee . The convention was the largest in RPW history with over 1500 delegates registering and participating in the convention. The convention endorsed Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker for Governor with 91% of

3948-479: Is deemed unfit for the purpose due to invasion or contagious disease . The governor may pardon , commute , or grant reprieve of sentences, except in cases of treason or impeachment . The governor must notify the Wisconsin State Legislature of these each year, along with the reasons for them. In cases of treason, the governor may suspend the carrying out of the sentence until the next session of

4089-520: Is no justification for the ongoing presence of Wisconsin National Guard personnel at the border." In February 2019, Evers's administration prepared a budget proposal that included proposals to legalize the medical use of marijuana for patients with certain conditions, upon the recommendation from a physician or practitioner. Evers also proposed to decriminalize the possession or distribution of 25 grams or less of marijuana in Wisconsin and to repeal

4230-608: The Democratic , the Whig , the Republican and the Progressive . Originally, the state constitution specified that the governor and lieutenant governor of Wisconsin were voted upon separately, but in 1967, the constitution was amended to state that they were elected together. Prior to this amendment, there were nine incidents in which the elected governor and lieutenant governor were not of

4371-618: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The committee was charged with drafting proposed regulations for two areas of ESSA. Evers proposed the "Fair Funding for Our Future" school finance reform plan. The plan sought to address some of the challenges with the Wisconsin school funding system and proposed changes to ensure equity and transparency in the quality of Wisconsin schools. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker never included Evers's plan in his proposed state budgets, citing

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4512-539: The Free Soil Party , with whom they formed a "people's ticket" as early as 1842. The coalition succeeded in electing the chief justice of the state supreme court, a Milwaukee mayor and aldermen. Many Wisconsin Democrats were also opposed to the Kansas–Nebraska bill, which not only would leave the question of slavery in the territories up to popular sovereignty , but as originally amended would also deny immigrants

4653-535: The Industrial Age hailed a shift of Republican power away from Madison, to wealthy men like Philetus Sawyer of Oshkosh , whose lumber fortune would help fund the party and advance him from mayor to state legislator to congressman to U.S. senator. Milwaukee's Henry C. Payne rose from dry goods dealer to the Young Men's Republican Club, where he engineered a voter registration drive among the city's immigrants to vote

4794-408: The U.S. Seventh Circuit . In addition, Walker made 82 appointments to state positions that the legislature rushed to confirm. In March 2019—shortly after the start of Evers's first term—a judge ruled that this process violated the constitution. At that time, Evers reappointed 67 of the 82 lame-duck appointees, but replaced 15 of those Walker appointed. Evers's appointments were endorsed by

4935-492: The United States Senate , Patrick Joseph Lucey to become Ambassador to Mexico , and Tommy Thompson to become United States Secretary of Health and Human Services . Additionally two governors— Louis Harvey and Walter Samuel Goodland —died while in office, and Orland Loomis , who was elected governor, died before taking office. The governor can also be removed through an impeachment trial or through

5076-725: The United States Supreme Court heard oral argument in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization , a case that overturned Roe v. Wade , Evers vetoed five bills that would have restricted access to reproductive healthcare in Wisconsin, saying "as long as I'm governor, I will veto any legislation that turns back the clock on reproductive rights in this state—and that's a promise." Evers supports directing more funding towards K-12 education and would like to work with Republicans to do more to help underperforming schools. He would like to expand Pre-K education to all students and continue

5217-465: The planned community of Kohler ) as a guard against unions. Like President Herbert Hoover, Kohler was stimied by the stock market crash of 1929, and his attempts to mitigate the effects of the Depression were ineffective. Running for re-election in 1930 Kohler was beaten decisively in the Republican primary by Phil La Follette, who led a successful slate of progressive allies to state office and Congress in

5358-459: The red scare during the early 1950s. McCarthy's wild and often false attacks against various government officials for being communist, including at one point targeting fellow Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower , eventually led him to be censured by his colleagues in the Senate in 1954, and also led to the creation of the term McCarthyism . By this point, public opinion throughout the country had generally turned against him. Back at home,

5499-501: The shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Evers issued a statement denouncing the excessive use of force by police and invoking the names of African Americans killed by law enforcement. He said, "While we do not have all of the details yet, what we know for certain is that he is not the first Black man or person to have been shot or injured or mercilessly killed at the hands of individuals in law enforcement in our state or our country." After

5640-536: The value of property . In 1904 the stalwarts fought bitterly against his second re-election with the use of bribed editors and a rump convention, but La Follette prevailed and saw his reforms passed. The state legislature elected him U.S. senator in 1905. Succeeding La Follette as governor was James O. Davidson, who supported and signed into law reforms such as state regulation of industries, insurance companies and other businesses. Governor Francis E. McGovern followed with an even more progressive program that resulted in

5781-464: The "least changes" rule had no basis in Wisconsin law or precedent and was therefore invalid. Evers was one of six parties to the lawsuit who proposed remedial redistricting plans. Court-hired consultants soon ruled out the two Republican proposals, saying they were both still gerrymanders. With the Court poised to select one of the four Democratic plans, Republicans in the legislature chose to embrace Evers's proposal. They first passed an amended version of

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5922-405: The 2000s, following the departure of Thompson from the governorship and the later defeat of his lieutenant governor Scott McCallum by Democrat Jim Doyle in the 2002 election , Wisconsin remained in a state of divided government with the Republicans continuing to control the legislature. The new decade also saw the rise of a new generation of Republicans, including conservative Scott Walker , who

6063-446: The 2011 map. Either map would have left Republicans with significant structural advantages in the legislative elections. But Evers's map better complied with the Court's "least changes" rule, and so the Court's swing vote, Justice Brian Hagedorn , sided with the Court's three liberals to adopt it. Republicans appealed the decision to the United States Supreme Court , which struck down the legislative map in an unsigned opinion, criticizing

6204-804: The August 2022 Democratic primary, Evers was unopposed and Brookfield-area state representative Sara Rodriguez was nominated as his running mate. Evers and Rodriguez prevailed in the general election, defeating the Republican ticket of Tim Michels and Roger Roth . Evers has extensively used his veto power, due to his opposition to the vast majority of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature 's agenda. He has used his veto power more frequently than any governor in Wisconsin history, and has used line-item veto power to rewrite Republican-authored bills. Evers's vetoes have included laws related to election procedures, government powers during

6345-636: The Fugitive Slave Law effectively repealed in Wisconsin. Some in the party anticipated a confrontation with the federal government. Governor Alexander Randall ordered an Irish militia disbanded because he doubted their loyalty to Wisconsin. Many in the militia subsequently perished in the shipwreck of the Lady Elgin . The Wisconsin delegation to the 1860 Republican convention backed Senator William Seward for president, but quickly supported Abraham Lincoln once his nomination appeared inevitable. Following

6486-534: The Germans brought into the party by Carl Schurz . United by national events like the Dred Scot decision , abolitionists still drove the party agenda, but were criticized for showing more concern for the black slave than for the white man. Following Sherman Booth's role in inciting the liberation of runaway slave Joshua Glover from a Milwaukee jail in 1854, many Republicans championed the issue of states' rights , declaring

6627-479: The La Follette family and their political allies, and certain radical farm and labor groups active in Wisconsin at the time. In 1934 Philip to run for re-election as Governor of Wisconsin and Robert ran for re-election to the United States Senate . Both men were successful in their bids, and the party saw a number of other victories as well in the 1934 and 1936 election, notably winning several U.S. House seats and

6768-465: The Philipp and La Follette forces separately supported John Blaine , the former mayor of Boscobel and a La Follette progressive. During the 1920s state Republicans racked up a decade of tremendous legislative majorities. For example, in 1925 the Democrats held no seats in the state senate and only one in the assembly, while the Republicans held 92 assembly seats. But with the end of the war, factions within

6909-758: The Republican Party of Wisconsin is the Wisconsin College Republicans , a member group of the College Republicans of America (CRA) . The Wisconsin College Republicans have over twenty chapters around the state, with major chapters at University of Wisconsin–Madison , Marquette University , University of Wisconsin–Platteville , and University of Wisconsin–Stout . The current Chairman of the Wisconsin College Republicans

7050-417: The Republican Party, though many more moderate members still continued to exert influence. This new conservative trend in the party was most famously exemplified by Joe McCarthy , who represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate from 1947 until his death in 1957. Initially described as "quiet," McCarthy eventually rose to national prominence over his stanch anti-communist views, and for being a primary instigator of

7191-509: The Republican Party. The Progressive Party would continue to have an increasingly diminishing influence at the state level until the mid-1940s when members of the party voted to dissolve the party and Robert M. La Follette Jr was defeated by Joe McCarthy in the Republican primary for senate in 1946. Following World War II many progressives were either defeated by or joined the Democratic Party. Conservatives increasingly began to dominate

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7332-524: The Republican ticket. In 1876 Payne was appointed Milwaukee's postmaster, a powerful source of patronage jobs. He later became wealthy as a manager of banks, utilities and railroads. John C. Spooner of Hudson was the principal attorney for the West Wisconsin Railroad, and his manipulation of land grants into Sawyer's hands contributed to his future as party insider, and later, U.S. senator alongside Sawyer. Upon his return from Europe Rublee resumed

7473-589: The Republican-controlled legislature met in a lame-duck session and passed legislation to reduce the powers of the incoming governor and attorney general. The laws targeted Evers's authority over economic development issues, required his administration to rewrite thousands of government documents, and required the attorney general to get legislative approval before settling lawsuits. The legislature also enacted legislation to restrict voting rights, including limits on early voting in Wisconsin and restrictions on

7614-422: The Republicans ultimately found themselves relegated to the minority once again, with the Democrats winning back the governorship and still maintaining wide majorities in the state legislature. In spite of this trend, Reagan would still manage to carry the state in his 1984 re-election as president, though this would mark the last time until 2016 where a Republican would carry Wisconsin in a presidential bid. At

7755-641: The Scott Walker- Rebecca Kleefisch ticket in the 2018 election by a margin of 1.1%. Evers was reelected by a larger margin of 3.4% in 2022 . Evers is known for his frequent use of his veto power, which is significantly greater for Wisconsin governors than for those of other U.S. states, due to his opposition to the vast majority of the Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature 's agenda. He has used his veto power more frequently than any governor in Wisconsin history, and has used line-item veto power to rewrite Republican-authored bills. Evers

7896-505: The Senate had only rejected four nominees. In Evers's second term, Republicans sought to enact constitutional amendments to further limit the governor's powers. In 2024, Wisconsin voters were asked to vote on two amendments that would limit the governor's control over state spending. One would invalidate any spending decisions made by the governor or other agency that was not explicitly appropriated by legislation. The other would require legislative approval for usage of any federal funds sent to

8037-504: The State Assembly and one seat in the State Senate. However, Republicans lost elections for all statewide executive offices, with the exception of John Leiber who was elected State Treasurer by a slim 38,604 votes. Currently the Republican Party of Wisconsin controls one of two U.S. Senate seats and six of eight U.S. House seats, as well as majorities in both houses of the state legislature. The party holds one statewide executive office, State Treasurer . The largest youth outreach arm of

8178-539: The Wisconsin State Legislature. The constitutional powers of the governor of Wisconsin are outlined in the Wisconsin Constitution at Article V, Section 4. In general, the governor ensures that the laws of Wisconsin are carried out. The governor of Wisconsin has the strongest veto power of nearly any American governor. Any bill passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature must be presented to

8319-459: The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Evers's mask mandate in a 4–3 ruling, split along conservative-liberal ideological lines, with the court ruling against Evers's argument that the changing nature of the pandemic justified multiple states of emergency. On April 30, 2021, Evers sought $ 1.6 billion in federal funds to expanded access to Wisconsin's Medicaid program. He also proposed legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, as well as increasing

8460-536: The aforementioned events the secretary of state would become governor if the lieutenant governorship was vacant, but after 1979 this provision, too, was amended to distinguish between "governor" and "acting governor." Governor ( list ) Lieutenant Governor ( list ) Secretary of State ( list ) State Treasurer ( list ) Attorney General ( list ) Superintendent of Public Instruction ( list ) Republican Party of Wisconsin After

8601-424: The appointments. Evers challenged the holdovers in state court, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that appointees whose terms had expired could remain in their positions indefinitely so long as the Senate refused to confirm a replacement. The Senate also wielded the confirmation power to punish Evers appointees. The Senate has so far rejected 21 appointees since Evers took office; in the 40 years before Evers's term,

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8742-407: The bill two days later, which prompted Bovay to organize another meeting in Ripon at Schoolhouse Dist. No. 2 on March 20, 1854, at 6:30 p.m. Composed of Whigs, Democrats and Free Soilers, 54 of Ripon's 100 voters filled the schoolhouse to capacity and were nearly unanimous in their support of a new party with Bovay's suggested name Republican. Bovay wrote Greeley on June 4 urging him to publicize

8883-620: The capitol's assembly chamber, the state convention was moved outdoors due to the many delegates and supporters arriving, with the crowd topping one thousand. The proceedings were run by experienced Whigs and Free Soilers, with editors Booth and King controlling the platform and nominating officers from all three major parties. Resolutions included abrogating the Fugitive Slave Act , re-instating Kansas and Nebraska as free states and banning all future slave states. They also resolved to invite all persons "whether of native or foreign birth" to join

9024-534: The chairmanship of the party. With help from backers, he purchased the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1882 and was its editor until his death in 1896. The Republicans briefly lost control of state government following the Panic of 1873 , when a reform coalition of Democrats, Grangers and Liberal Republicans elected Democrat William Taylor as governor. Immigrant backlash against Republican-supported temperance legislation

9165-410: The constitution was amended to specify that in the event of the governor's death, resignation or removal from office, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term, but in the event of impeachment, incapacitation or absence, the lieutenant governor merely becomes "acting governor" until the governor can return to his duties. The original constitution also specified that in any of

9306-567: The constitutionality of the legislature holding such votes in "extraordinary sessions"—special sessions not called by the governor. Such sessions are not explicitly authorized by the constitution or state law, so litigants contended that the acts of such sessions are not constitutional. The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected those arguments. Late in Evers's first term, many Walker appointees refused to leave office when their terms expired. Evers appointed replacements, but Senate Republicans did not act on

9447-614: The cost. As superintendent, Evers worked with the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council and federally recognized tribal nations in Wisconsin to begin an MOU process with each tribal nation to outline the working partnership the state seeks to establish and grow with each sovereign nation. Sparsity aid was enacted in Wisconsin based on recommendations from Evers's Rural Schools Advisory Council. The council stressed that declining enrollment and escalating fixed costs put added pressure on small, sparsely populated districts. Since it

9588-411: The end of the academic year. The legislature promptly sued to block the order, and the Wisconsin Supreme Court's conservative majority ultimately struck it down on May 13, following the expiration of Evers's initial state of emergency. Evers responded to the suit by accusing legislative Republicans of a "power grab", and said they cared more about political power than people's lives. Republicans have called

9729-445: The exception of U.S. Senate seats following the death of McCarthy, the Republicans continued to hold an edge. Between 1952 and 1972, Wisconsin voted for the Republican candidate in each presidential election except for 1964 . By the 1970s however, especially after the watergate scandal , Republican successes in Wisconsin began to diminish significantly. In 1976, the state voted for Democrat Jimmy Carter to become president, and by

9870-515: The executive branch, also has administrative powers (the power to administer agencies created by the Wisconsin legislature). Since 1965, there has been an increase in executive orders to "establish standards and provide uniformity to executive agency operations and programs." However, since 2011, the Wisconsin Legislature has attempted to limit the authority of administrative agencies. The governor also appoints heads of agencies created by

10011-417: The extension an "abuse of power". On April 20, Evers announced a recovery plan called the "Badger Bounce Back", laying out details of his plan for reopening Wisconsin's economy gradually as the pandemic subsides. The plan called for daily death tolls from the virus to drop for 14 continuous days before "phase one" could be initiated. On July 30, Evers issued a statewide mask mandate in a new attempt to curb

10152-430: The first Republican to carry Wisconsin in a presidential election since 1984. Later in 2018 , Walker sought re-election to a third term as governor, however his glamour as a young energetic conservative by this point had largely worn off, and his rising unpopularity due to his policies concerning public education, infrastructure, and a deal his administration made with Taiwanese company Foxconn in 2017 to create jobs in

10293-476: The first time in over twenty years in the " Republican Revolution " of 1994, giving the party a governing trifecta for the first time since 1970. In spite of these gains however, the party continued to struggle with elections to federal offices, namely elections to the U.S. Senate. Following Republican Robert W. Kasten Jr. 's 1992 defeat in his bid for re-election by Russ Feingold , the party would fail to win another Senate race for nearly two decades. For most of

10434-402: The flawed process the Wisconsin Supreme Court had used, saying that it failed to properly consider minority representation issues that arose from Evers's map. But the high court did allow Evers's least-change congressional map to stand, since it had no VRA implications. Chastened, Hagedorn sided with the court's three conservatives to drop Evers's map and select the Republican alternative. This map

10575-412: The freeze of the in-state tuition price for higher education. In July 2023, Evers made a line-item veto to the state budget for fiscal years 2024 and 2025 that enshrined per pupil increases in school funding of $ 325 a year until 2425. He did this by striking the hyphen and "20"s from where the budget bill mentioned the 2024–2025 school year. Evers has criticized Wisconsin's legislative maps as "some of

10716-558: The general election. After the 1930s and 1940s, the influence of the progressive faction began to wane as many eventually left office or joined the Democrats and the conservatives gradually took control. In 1934, Philip La Follette and Robert M. La Follette, Jr. established the Wisconsin Progressive Party which was an alliance between the longstanding "Progressive" faction of the Republican Party of Wisconsin, led by

10857-412: The general election. In April 2013, Evers defeated Don Pridemore and won reelection. In 2017, Evers defeated Republican candidate Lowell Holtz, a former Beloit superintendent, with about 70% of the vote. In 2009, Evers used government email accounts for fundraising purposes. He and another government employee were fined $ 250 each for soliciting campaign donations during work hours. In October 2018,

10998-478: The governor "to pursue a legislative agenda". The governor of Wisconsin is directly elected —the candidate with the most votes becomes governor. If two candidates receive an equal number of votes, which is higher than that received by any other candidate, the members of the state legislature vote between the two at their next session. Under the original Wisconsin Constitution , governors were elected for

11139-562: The governor, who either signs it into law , or vetoes it. In the event of a veto, the bill is returned to the legislature, who may then vote to override the veto. In 1930, the Wisconsin Constitution was amended to give the governor line-item veto power, which allows portions of appropriations bills to be struck out without rejecting the entire bill. Governors have the power to strike out words, numbers, and even entire sentences from bills. The partial veto may still be overridden by

11280-399: The governorship, ending unified Democratic control of the state. Later in 1980, Wisconsin voted for Reagan in his successful presidential bid, and conservative Robert W. Kasten Jr. unseated three-term incumbent Democrat Gaylord Nelson in the state's election for U.S. Senate . With a faltering state economy and rising budget deficit, Dreyfus chose not to seek a second term in 1982 , and

11421-476: The increasing spread of the virus, declaring a new state of emergency in order to do so. As with prior actions Evers took to tackle the pandemic, Republicans promptly sued, arguing that he had overstepped his power. This was despite the fact that Republicans in the legislature had the power to simply terminate the new state of emergency by a majority vote. No attempt was made at this until February 2021, when Evers countered by issuing another state of emergency. After

11562-768: The introduction in Congress of the Kansas–Nebraska bill in January 1854, many meetings were held in protest across the country. The meeting held in Ripon, Wisconsin on March 20, 1854, is commonly cited as the birth of the Republican Party in the United States due to it being the first publicized anti-slavery meeting to propose a new party with its name being Republican. Before the meeting in Ripon, an alliance existed between state Whigs , whose national party had weakened, and members of

11703-414: The late 1970s, the Republicans had been completely shut out of power at both the state and federal levels of government, with the Democrats controlling all statewide executive offices and holding a supermajority in the Wisconsin state legislature. During this time, more conservative factions of the party started to grow in power, with the moderates becoming increasingly irrelevant. This trend eventually led to

11844-482: The law while Governor Hoard and the Milwaukee Sentinel continued to defend it. Democrats won in a landslide, but the GOP returned to power two years later. During the 1890s the state Republican party was split into two factions. The stalwart faction in power was led by wealthy men such as Sawyer, Payne, Spooner and Charles F. Pfister (who would purchase the Milwaukee Sentinel in 1900). The other faction (the "halfbreeds")

11985-476: The leader of an insurgent movement to wrest control of the party from the stalwart machine. La Follette had backed other anti-machine Republicans for governor before first running for the office in 1896. He campaigned on a platform of election reform and corporate accountability while accusing the stalwarts of bribery. After being elected governor on his third attempt in 1900, he spent his three terms fighting for primary elections and taxation of corporations based on

12126-466: The legislature also compromised on a funding package for American Family Field , as the Milwaukee Brewers and Major League Baseball had begun threatening that Milwaukee could lose the team if improvements were not made to the stadium. Possibly the most important development of Evers's second term was the election of Janet Protasiewicz as justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court , giving liberals

12267-472: The legislature managed to compromise on shared revenue in 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, revising the formula to give an average boost of about 36% to the shared revenue for each municipality. Municipalities were also granted additional flexibility to raise new revenue through sales taxes. Evers also secured another victory for local government funding in the 2023 budget through use of his line-item veto . Wisconsin has one of

12408-406: The legislature used his own words against him when challenging the order in court. A conservative majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court blocked the executive order just hours after it was issued on April 6, and the election took place as scheduled on April 7. On April 16, Evers ordered an extension of the statewide lockdown to May 26, and mandated all schools in the state to remain closed through

12549-413: The legislature, who then vote to grant a pardon, commutation or reprieve, or to carry out the sentence. The governor must also "communicate to the legislature, at every session, the condition of the state, and recommend such matters to them for their consideration as he may deem expedient" (these annual communications are referred to as the " state of the state "). The governor of Wisconsin, as head of

12690-435: The legislature. In 1990 a further amendment specified that the line-item veto does not give the governor power to veto individual letters of appropriations bills, thereby forming new words. Despite this 1990 law, the strength of the governor's veto power gave rise to the term " Frankenstein veto " to describe the governor's ability to form a new bill that subverts the intent of the legislature. In 2023, Governor Tony Evers used

12831-442: The legislature. This appointment power is not explicitly granted by the Wisconsin Constitution, as it is in the appointments clause of the federal constitution, with the exception of appointing judicial vacancies. Instead, the governor appoints heads of agencies by statute. The governor of Wisconsin had 307 executive appointments between 2017 and 2018. State law requires the governor to prepare an executive budget bill. This helps

12972-532: The minimum wage and granting public workers collective bargaining rights. Republicans in the state legislature blocked all the proposals. After Evers's reelection in 2022, the legislature had to come to terms with Evers over the languishing issue of revenue for local governments. The problem had been created by two items in Scott Walker's 2011 "budget reforms": first, the formula for sharing state tax revenue to local governments had been adjusted to artificially create

13113-449: The most gerrymandered , extreme maps in the United States," citing as evidence the fact that the state legislature has opposed policies such as legalizing marijuana and expanding Medicaid despite polls showing that a majority of Wisconsinites support both. In January 2020, he created a nonpartisan redistricting commission by executive order with the intent of drawing an alternative map proposal for post- 2020 census redistricting to counter

13254-511: The most extensive line-item veto powers in the country, with governors enabled to delete specific words in order to change the meaning of a sentence or whole section of law. By striking a few words, Evers increased the limit under which school districts could request additional tax levee by referenda. In that budget, he also vetoed an income tax cut for the top two brackets of Wisconsin earners, and vetoed an attempt to condense Wisconsin's four income tax brackets into three. Later that year, Evers and

13395-458: The name "Republican" for a new anti-slavery party that would replace the fading Whigs. He favored it because it was a simple word rather than a compound name like Free Soil or Free Democrat, that it could be used as either a noun or an adjective, that it would remind people of Thomas Jefferson 's affiliation, and that it symbolized what he believed the new party should represent: " Res Publica ," synonymous with commonwealth . Bovay also believed that

13536-599: The name before Michigan and Wisconsin held their state anti-Nebraska conventions, which Greeley did in a Tribune editorial on June 24. On June 9 Sherman Booth repeated the call for a mass convention in Madison, and suggested July 13, the anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 that had banned slavery in the Northwest Territory . Other Wisconsin editors concurred and publicized the convention. Beginning in

13677-536: The name would attract immigrant voters that had recently fled monarchies . On February 26, 1854, Bovay sent a letter to Greeley urging him to editorialize about a new Republican party, without result. In the meantime he organized a public meeting at the Congregational Church in Ripon on March 1, where resolutions were passed condemning the Nebraska bill and promising a new party if it became law. The Senate passed

13818-575: The other way around, and under the maps I'm signing today, I am making good on that promise." Evers also joined a lawsuit in the Wisconsin Supreme Court challenging the 2022 congressional district map. That map had been created using the Court's now discredited "least changes" rule, so Democratic-aligned litigants argued that it should also be reconsidered. The Court refused this case without explaining its reasoning. Evers strongly supports universal background checks for gun purchases. He has also supported an extreme risk protection order act, commonly known as

13959-520: The outbreak of the Civil War , governors like Randall and Edward Salomon vigorously endorsed the war and mustered thousands of troops to meet the federal quotas, later resorting to a draft. Politically, the Civil War was a boon to the Republicans. Returning officers like Brigadier General Lucius Fairchild , who had lost an arm at Gettysburg , were the perfect spokesmen for the party. Fairchild later became

14100-485: The pandemic. On April 6, Evers issued an executive order to delay the state's April 7 presidential primary , as well as other coinciding elections. The move came in response to inaction by legislative Republicans to delay or otherwise modify the in-person election despite the widely perceived risk of worsening the spread of the virus if the election went ahead as planned. Evers had said on April 2 that he had no legal authority to issue such an order, and Republican leaders in

14241-478: The party at all levels of government. In the 2008 elections, this had the effect of allowing Democrat Barack Obama to carry the state by a landslide margin in the presidential election over Republican John McCain , and shutting Republicans completely out of power in state government for the first time since 1986 (with the exception of the state's Attorney General position, which was still held by Republican J.B. Van Hollen ). The Republican party of Wisconsin and

14382-534: The party began to re-assert themselves, and a second wave of progressives returned to power. La Follette was decisively re-elected senator in 1922, and two years later he ran for president on a Progressive Party ticket against President Calvin Coolidge . He received every sixth vote cast nationally, but only carried Wisconsin. He died in 1925, but the La Follette name and his brand of Republicanism were carried on by his two sons. Robert La Follette, Jr. defeated Wilcox in

14523-461: The party paid its expenses, $ 2.3 million was paid to the hackers rather than to the actual vendors to whom it was owed. During the 2022 Wisconsin elections , the Republicans gained a U.S. House seat, with Derrick Van Orden replacing Ron Kind , who did not run for re-election, and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson was re-elected to a third term, defeating Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes by 26,718 votes. Additionally, Republicans gained three seats in

14664-431: The party's hold on the statehouse. Despite such power the state Republicans were divided into factions, with the more ideological members opposed to Johnson's vetoes of Freedman legislation and President Ulysses S. Grant 's corrupt administration (many later joining Carl Schurz's Liberal Republican Party in 1872). Another faction of patronage-seekers and loyal veterans supported Grant as a bulwark against what they saw as

14805-687: The party, and a committee was assigned to establish a Republican German newspaper in Milwaukee. All resolutions were passed unanimously, and nine hearty cheers went up for the state's new Republican Party. After winning over much of the foreign-language press, the new party was very successful in the fall elections, helped greatly by the fact that the state Democrats were deeply split over the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Republicans elected two of Wisconsin's three congressmen ( Cadwallader C. Washburn and Charles Billinghurst ), as well as winning enough seats in

14946-485: The past 60 years. Republicans petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which had not handled a redistricting decision since 1964. The Court, with a 4–3 conservative majority, chose to assume jurisdiction and soon articulated that it would pursue a map with the least changes necessary from the existing one to bring it into compliance with the 2020 census figures. Complying with the Court's rules, Evers and legislative Republicans each submitted maps with only minor changes to

15087-412: The plan, seeking to protect a handful of incumbents, but Evers vetoed it. Republicans then passed Evers's original map without changes, and Evers signed it into law on February 19, 2024, in a celebratory signing ceremony. He said: "When I promised I wanted fair maps—not maps that are better for one party or another—I damn well meant it. The people should get to choose their elected officials, not

15228-476: The politics of the state in general during the 2010s were heavily dominated by the rise of stanch conservative Governor Scott Walker , backed by the then adescent Tea Party movement , a right-wing conservative movement that had formed in the late 2000s in response to Obama's election as President of the United States. In 2010, the Republicans, particularly those backed by the Tea Party movement, made sweeping gains in

15369-409: The power to change a portion of the state budget that funded schools until the "2024-2025" school year to "2425," increasing funding for over 400 years. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the state's militia . If it is deemed necessary, the governor may also convene extraordinary sessions of the state legislature; and may convene them anywhere in the state, if Madison , the state capital ,

15510-486: The previous election, Coles Bashford , was the election's legitimate winner. In 2012, Scott Walker became the only governor in Wisconsin history to face a recall election and was the only governor in American history to survive a recall election until Gavin Newsom also survived in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election . He retained his seat, defeating Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett by seven percentage points,

15651-409: The proposal the Republican-controlled legislature has said it will put forward if the issue ends up in the state's court system, as it has under past periods of divided government in Wisconsin. With the maps stuck in legislative gridlock, both sides sought relief from the courts. The Democrats sued in federal court; federal courts had handled redistricting in Wisconsin every time it had hit gridlock for

15792-546: The requirement that users of cannabidiol obtain a physician's certification every year. Evers's marijuana proposals were opposed by Republican leaders in the Legislature. On March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Evers declared a public health emergency in the state . The next day, he ordered all schools in the state to close by March 18, with no possibility of reopening until at least April 6. On March 17, Evers instituted

15933-473: The right to vote or hold public office. The bill was roundly condemned in the Wisconsin press, as editors such as Horace Rublee ( Wisconsin State Journal ), Rufus King ( Milwaukee Sentinel ) and Sherman Booth ( Waukesha Free Democrat ) encouraged the formation of a new party by calling for an anti-Nebraska convention at the state capitol in Madison . At a large meeting in Milwaukee on February 13, Booth led

16074-565: The rise of Lee S. Dreyfus , who ran for governor as a Republican in 1978 . Dreyfus, a party outsider who had become fearful of a one-party system after a visit to communist China , and ran because he believed Wisconsin was at risk of becoming a one-party state under the Democrats, moved the Republicans in a fiscal conservative direction, echoing the national trend that occurred with the rise of Ronald Reagan . Dreyfus's fiscal conservatism and populist sentiments, while still remaining generally moderate on social issues, would ultimately lead him to win

16215-423: The same political party . Originally, the state constitution only said that in the event of the impeachment, removal from office, death, resignation or absence of the governor, or in the event of the governor being unfit to serve due to illness, "the powers and duties of the office shall devolve upon the lieutenant governor" for the remainder of the term or until the governor is able to return to office. In 1979,

16356-476: The same year; a total of 5 days. Candidates for the office must be citizens of the United States and qualified voters in the state of Wisconsin. The governor usually leaves office because their term ends and they have not been re-elected. But the governor may also leave office through other means. For example, the governor may resign from office. Four governors have resigned: William Barstow due to fraud allegations, Robert La Follette Sr. to take his seat in

16497-595: The special election to fill his father's senate seat, while his younger brother Philip F. La Follette was elected Dane County district attorney. To fight the progressives, conservative Republicans organized the Republican Voluntary Committee as a political action group to strategize and raise large donations outside the state party. The RVC cited a Wisconsin Manufacturers Association -financed study that concluded that businesses were leaving

16638-414: The state Republicans' dominance of Wisconsin politics began to wane during the second half of the 20th century, with the party now regularly alternating and sharing control with the state's Democrats . Several Republican governors were elected during this time, most prominently Walter J. Kohler, Jr. and Warren P. Knowles , both of whom were of the more moderate wing of the party. At the federal level, with

16779-490: The state due to high taxes, but the report was refuted by economists that proved manufacturing had grown in the state. The study backfired and Gov. Blaine succeeded in shifting the tax burden from property to income. With help from the Republican Voluntary Committee the stalwarts returned to the governorship with the 1928 election of Walter J. Kohler of Kohler Company , a plumbing fixture manufacturer who practiced an industrial policy of benevolence towards his workers (including

16920-473: The state in exchange for around $ 4.5 billion in taxpayer subsidies, made re-election in 2018 far difficult than in his previous races. His increasingly unpopular conservative policies, compounded by the relative unpopularity of Trump in Wisconsin, ultimately resulted in Walker's defeat by Democratic candidate Tony Evers . Republicans also subsequently lost all statewide executive offices, though in spite of this they maintained wide majorities in both chambers of

17061-598: The state legislature despite losing the overall statewide vote, which some people have attributed to gerrymandering that took place following the 2010 elections. Following the defeat of Scott Walker , in December 2018, a special legislative session was called by Walker to pass a series of bills to limit the powers of his incoming successor Tony Evers , as well as incoming Democratic State attorney general Josh Kaul who had defeated incumbent Republican Brad Schimel . The bills were widely denounced by Democrats and others as

17202-446: The state legislature to elect the country's first Republican senator, Charles Durkee . By 1857 they not only controlled the governorship and the state legislature by large majorities, but also held all three Congressional seats and both U.S. Senate seats. Despite such electoral domination, the Republican party was split over many issues. Many former Whigs pressed for temperance legislation, resulting in charges of nativism from many of

17343-494: The state level, by the mid-1980s, the conservative transformation of the Republicans was completed. Subsequently, the party began to break free of its status as a minority party in the state. In 1986 , the party's candidate for governor Tommy Thompson successfully unseated one-term incumbent Anthony Earl by a wide margin. Having campaigned on a conservative platform, during his time in office Thompson become most well known for his welfare reform efforts, which would later serve as

17484-482: The state was facing at the time. Protests soon erupted however over a measure in the budget known as Act 10, which was set to limit collective bargaining rights of public employees in the state. After signing the budget and Act 10 into law, Walker and several other Republicans, including State Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald , were faced with recall efforts. This eventually led to a 2012 recall election against Walker, where he defeated his opponent from 2010 in

17625-404: The state. Alongside Walker's victory in the 2010 governor's race , Republicans also won every other statewide seat up for election, including a U.S. Senate seat won by Tea Party-backed Ron Johnson , as well as both chambers of the state's legislature. Shortly after taking power in 2011, Walker introduced his first budget which he stated was designed to fix the billion dollar budget deficit that

17766-426: The state. Voters rejected both amendments in the August 13 primary elections . In February 2019, Evers withdrew Wisconsin National Guard forces from the border with Mexico, where President Donald Trump had called for a " national emergency ". Evers said, "There is simply not ample evidence to support the president's contention that there exists a national security crisis at our Southwestern border. Therefore, there

17907-537: The subsequent unrest in Kenosha , Evers deployed the Wisconsin National Guard to Kenosha. Looting and damage to vehicles, businesses, and public facilities such as schools, the Dinosaur Discovery Museum , and a public library were reported during the unrest. Evers also responded by calling state lawmakers into a special session to pass legislation addressing police brutality. On March 31, 2021,

18048-609: The traditional alignments within the state's parties. Many progressives joined the stalwarts in supporting Wisconsin's war measures, while many immigrant voters abandoned Wilson's Democratic Party. Loyalty became a prime issue in political campaigns, to the detriment of farmers and others shortchanged by the war. Even after the Armistice, super-patriots like state senator Roy P. Wilcox of Eau Claire weren't above accusing party figures like Gov. Philipp and Sen. Irvine Lenroot of divided loyalties. To thwart Wilcox's run for governor in 1920,

18189-420: The use of student identification cards as acceptable voter identification. Walker signed all the legislation into law over Evers's objections. The move was "widely criticized as a power play" and challenged as unconstitutional in four lawsuits variously filed by Evers, other Wisconsin Democrats, and labor unions. The changes to Wisconsin voting laws were struck down by a federal district court, but later restored by

18330-456: The vote, as well as his criticism of Governor Walker, as key reasons for deciding to run. Evers launched his first campaign advertisement against Walker on August 28, 2017. Evers won the eight-candidate Democratic primary on August 14, 2018. On November 6, 2018, Evers narrowly defeated Walker in the general election . Evers sought reelection in 2022. His 2018 running mate, Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, instead chose to run for U.S. Senate. In

18471-585: The vote. The 2011 RPW convention was held May 20–22 in Wisconsin Dells . The convention was held at Glacier Canyon Lodge at the Wilderness. The 2012 RPW Convention was held May 11–13 at the KI Convention Center in downtown Green Bay . The convention will begin the final push for the Republican defense of the 2012 Recall Election of Governor Scott Walker . The Wisconsin Republican Party controls

18612-488: Was also a major factor. In 1874 Republicans backed the weak railroad regulation of the Potter Law, but replaced the law with the even weaker Vance Law once they returned to power the next year. Civil War veteran Jeremiah Rusk of Viroqua proved a popular Republican governor during his three terms (1882–1889). A farmer, Rusk supported measures that improved the state's agriculture, such as university-run experimental farms. He

18753-527: Was born on November 5, 1951, in Plymouth , Wisconsin, the son of Jean (Gorrow) and Raymond Evers, a physician. His first job was "as a kid, scraping mold off of cheese" in Plymouth. As a young adult, Evers worked as a caregiver in a nursing home . He attended Plymouth High School . He earned bachelor's (1973), master's (1976), and doctoral degrees (1986) in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin–Madison . He began his professional career as

18894-416: Was composed of reform-minded Republicans such as Dunn County's Albert R. Hall and Soldiers Grove's James O. Davidson who saw the powerful railroad and utility monopolies (such as The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company (TMER&L)) cheating their customers and corrupting their politicians. Following three terms as a stand-pat Republican congressman from Madison, Robert M. La Follette emerged as

19035-427: Was first elected as Milwaukee County Executive in 2002. Wisconsin politics in the 2000s was partly dominated by the presidency of George W. Bush . This has the effect of benefitting Republicans early on, however as Bush's approval ratings sank in the latter part of the decade, largely due to his perceived lackluster response to Hurricane Katrina and the increasingly costly Iraq War , Wisconsin voters began to turn on

19176-452: Was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state. Prior to statehood, there were four governors of Wisconsin Territory . The 46th, and current governor is Tony Evers , a Democrat who took office on January 7, 2019. The governor of Wisconsin has both inherent powers granted by the Wisconsin Constitution and administrative powers granted by laws passed by

19317-536: Was followed by that of another Republican farmer, William Hoard (1889–1891), who published a widely read journal on dairy farming. In 1890 the Republicans were swept from state offices again when the party ran afoul of ethnic politics by supporting the Bennett Law, a compulsory school attendance measure that stipulated that all classes must be taught in English. Immigrant groups and supporters of parochial schools condemned

19458-517: Was implemented, hundreds of school districts have benefitted from sparsity aid. In 2017, Evers secured increased state investment in order to increase the number of trained professionals in schools and more funding for mental health training and cross-sector collaboration. On August 23, 2017, Evers announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for governor of Wisconsin in 2018. He cited his 2017 reelection as state superintendent with over 70% of

19599-578: Was later appointed the country's first Secretary of Agriculture by president Benjamin Harrison . In 1886, he issued the "shoot to kill" order to the National Guard in response to widespread May Day strikes in Milwaukee, resulting in the Bay View Tragedy that left seven people dead. Despite the loss of life, Rusk's decision was applauded in state newspapers as well as nationally. Rusk's administration

19740-476: Was reelected twice, in 2013 and 2017. On August 23, 2017, Evers announced his candidacy for governor of Wisconsin, challenging two-term Republican incumbent Scott Walker . Walker was seen as a vulnerable incumbent and had been criticized for his education policies. Evers won the Democratic primary in August 2018. Former state representative Mandela Barnes won the primary for the lieutenant governorship , becoming Evers's running mate. The pair narrowly defeated

19881-467: Was used for the 2022 elections. In April 2023, Janet Protasiewicz was elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, flipping the majority to the liberals. Democratic-aligned interest groups brought new lawsuits, challenging the constitutionality of the 2022 legislative districts. In Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission , the Court struck down the 2022 map on technical grounds and also found that

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