Democrat Tony Evers wins reelection in Wisconsin governor race
WISCONSIN -- Democrat Tony Evers has won a second term as Wisconsin's governor, defeating Republican challenger Tim Michels in Tuesday's election, CBS News projects.
MORE: WCCO's 2022 Election Guide
Evers won in 2018 by a little more than a percentage point, and history was not on his side for a second term. He was trying to become the first Wisconsin governor in 32 years who was the same party as the sitting president to win reelection in a midterm.
Recent polls showed the candidates about even ahead of Election Day.
Evers, the low-key 70-year-old who spent his career in education before knocking off then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2018, counted on voters liking his approach and wanting to keep him as a check on the Republican Legislature, which has increasingly swerved to the right. He's already vetoed more bills than any governor in modern state history.
Michels largely self-financed his run, pitching himself as a political outsider. He had the endorsement of Trump, which he touted to win the GOP primary but downplayed in the general election. Michels said "maybe" the 2020 election was stolen and was unclear about whether he would accept the 2024 results.
He also said at a campaign rally that "Republicans will never lose another election in Wisconsin after I'm elected governor." Michels' spokesperson Brian Fraley said Michels merely meant Republicans would be rewarded for doing a good job.