Ahead of second term, Evers reviews cabinet, tours Madison school

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Marking the first public appearance since his election victory speech, Gov. Tony Evers (D- WI) toured a school in Madison and called public education a priority for the next 4 years.

He met with students and staff at Georgia O’ Keeffe Middle School Wednesday afternoon. Overnight, Republican challenger Tim Michels conceded as Evers held a 3-point lead.

Evers told reporters his stance on education was a reason he thinks he ultimately won.

He added, “Over the 4 years I’ve been governor... people understand we worked hard during the pandemic, got a lot of things done, and our economy is in good shape.”

He said he is already working with the state superintendent on increasing the education budget. In September, Evers called for spending nearly $2 billion more on public K-12 schools.

Evers also acknowledged voters who chose him but not his lieutenant governor, Mandela Barnes. Barnes conceded Wednesday to third-term Republican incumbent Sen. Ron Johnson.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my arms around that,” Evers said. “There are people that voted for me and voted for Ron Johnson. But at the end of the day, I know there are issues that transcend politics.”

Lieutenant Governor-elect Sara Rodriguez joined Evers at the school tour. She said, “Education and health care are intertwined. That’s the kind of thing we want to invest in in Wisconsin, whether that’s investing in education or investing in health care. These are going to be the priorities of this administration.”

For his second term, Evers said he is already reviewing his cabinet, adding there may be some members who want to “move on.”

A Michels campaign spokesperson declined to comment Wednesday.

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