Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is passing on a 2026 gubernatorial campaign after speculation that he could make a run for his old job.
“I’m not going to be a candidate for governor in 2026,” Walker said in a video posted Sunday to social platform X, thanking supporters who encouraged him to run again.
After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced last week he would not seek reelection, the Republican had shared a series of recent posts that appeared to tease a potential run, including wishlists of action items he thinks the Badger State’s next leader should tackle and a message about his tenure as the state’s 45th governor.
He had also posted an image of a “Make America Great Again” hat that appeared to emphasize President Trump’s roles as the 45th and 47th commander in chief, prompting questions about whether Walker would try to return as Wisconsin’s 47th governor.
Evers, who ousted Walker in 2018 by just more than 1 point, said he expects he would win if he ran for another term — but his exit tees up a competitive open race in the key battleground state.
Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez (D) entered the race last week, and other Democrats are expected to crowd in. Among the names being floated are Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Attorney General Josh Kaul and Sarah Godlewski, Wisconsin secretary of state.
On the Republican side, Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann and suburban Milwaukee businessman Bill Berrien have announced bids.
Walker in his video announcement pledged to put focus on reaching young voters through the conservative nonprofit Young America’s Foundation, of which he serves as president.
“To win in this state, we’ve got to do better with younger voters. When I last successfully ran for reelection, we took 47 percent of the vote of people age 18-29. Eight years later, the Republican running for governor took just 30 percent of the vote with that group,” he said.
And though he dashed ideas about a 2026 run, he didn’t rule out future ambitions.
“I’m not going to be a candidate, at least not next year. That doesn’t mean I’ll never run again,” Walker said.
