The End Of A Republican Era In Wisconsin
Democrat Tony Evers will be the next governor of Wisconsin. In some sense, Scott Walker’s loss marks the end of a golden age for Republican politics in the Badger State. Of course, the state is still sending a number of Republicans to Washington, including Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, but hear me out.
Walker was first elected in 2010, then survived a historic recall election in 2012 and was re-elected again in 2014. He charted a staunchly conservative path for Wisconsin and championed polarizing legislation like Act 10, which limited the power of public unions, and “right-to-work” laws, which limited the power of collective bargaining generally. Walker was a (very) early darling for conservatives in the 2016 Republican presidential primary.
During Walker’s time in office, other Wisconsin Republicans also rose to national prominence. Paul Ryan became the 2012 vice presidential nominee and went on to become speaker of the House. Reince Priebus chaired the Republican National Committee from 2011 to 2017 and left to serve as President Trump’s chief of staff. Trump himself (not a Wisconsinite) won the state in the 2016 presidential race, becoming the first Republican to do so since 1984.
When Walker leaves office in January, he will close the book on eight years of Wisconsin Republican dominance. Priebus is out of his job at the White House and Ryan is moving home to Janesville. A Democrat in the governor’s mansion in 2021 will prevent any overwhelming Republican gerrymandering of the state’s electoral maps heading into the next decade. It’s been quite the Republican stretch for a state famous for its progressive politics.