NEW: Wisconsin Democrat Gov Tony Evers will not seek reelection

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, will not seek reelection, and made an announcement for his retirement on Thursday. The move will tee up a competitive race for governor.  

Evers posted the announcement to X in a video and said that he instead wanted to spend more time with his family instead of pursuing the office once again.  

"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," he said. "I'm humbled to be your governor. This is the best job I ever had."

Evers continued, saying that the decision to not run again did not have to do with his odds at winning the next election. 

"I promised you when I ran for this office that I always worked to do the right thing, and I'd always give it to you straight," Evers said in the video. "I'm a science teacher at heart who ended up running for office and won five straight statewide elections. So would I win if I ran the sixth time? Of course, no question about that. But whether I'd win or not that's never been part of my calculus about running again." 

The decision from Evers to no seek another term comes after debate among some Democrats arguing over if governors should seek a third term, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The move will also be the predicate to set up competitive primaries from both Republicans and Democrats in what is considered a swing state.  

Wiscsonsin is one of the five states run by Democrats that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 election against former Vice President Kamala Harris, per NBC News. Some Democrat politicians have publicly or privately expressed interest in running for the position, including state Attorney General Josh Kaul, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson. 

One Democrat operative familiar with the situation told the outlet that “it would be a big field if [Evers] doesn’t run" and that the things could get "messy." So far, there are two gubernatorial candidates on the side of the GOP who have jumped into the race.