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Letter from Tony

Hi, my name is Tony Evers and I am Wisconsin’s 46th Governor.

Being Governor of Wisconsin has been my great honor. I’m a lifelong Wisconsinite. I root for the Badgers, and the Brewers, and the Packers. And I’m proud of the work we’ve already done to move Wisconsin forward and bring people together.

Whether that’s through the middle-class tax cut I signed, the thousands of small businesses we’ve helped grow, or work we’ve done to improve the quality of our public schools, Wisconsin is better and stronger today.

I’m running for re-election because there’s even more work to do. With your help, we’ll continue doing the right thing to make Wisconsin an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

I hope you’ll stand with me in the fight for Wisconsin’s future.

As Governor Tony Evers​​​

​​​On November 6, 2018, the people of Wisconsin voted Tony Evers (Ē-vers) the 46th governor of Wisconsin. Prior to his election, he served as the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction winning statewide elections in 2009, 2013, and 2017. With over three decades of public education experience, Governor Evers has dedicated his life to fighting for Wisconsin’s kids and serving the people of Wisconsin. As a life-long educator, the governor believes in bringing people together to solve the problems facing our state and putting the people of Wisconsin first.

He began his career in 1976 and has served Wisconsin students, parents, and citizens all over Wisconsin in Tomah, Oakfield, Verona, and Oshkosh.

Born and raised in Plymouth, Wisconsin, Governor Evers graduated from Plymouth High School and earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree in educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy, an educator. They are parents of three adult children, all public school graduates, and have nine grandchildren.

From his days as a public school science teacher to now as Governor, Tony Evers has worked to bring people together, instead of driving them apart. He cut income taxes by fifteen percent for most families-one of the biggest tax cuts in state history. Evers directed almost a billion dollars to tens of thousands of small businesses and nearly half of eligible farms to prevent layoffs and create new jobs. Rather than focus on hot-button political issues meant to divide us, Evers will keep working to address the cost of living, get people back to work, and give our kids the education they need to thrive. Governor Tony Evers is doing the right thing for Wisconsin.

First Lady Kathy Evers​

​First Lady Kathy Evers was born and raised in Plymouth, Wisconsin and met her future husband - Governor Tony Evers - in kindergarten. They had their first date at the junior prom and have been married for more than 40 years.

Kathy graduated from Plymouth High School and later received an associate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac. In a career spanning more than three decades, Kathy held IT management positions with private companies and provided computer software training and hardware technical support in Wisconsin public school districts, technical colleges, and in the private sector. She and the Governor lived and worked in various communities throughout Wisconsin including Tomah, Oakfield, Verona, Oshkosh, and Madison. She and the Governor have three adult children, all public-school graduates, and nine grandchildren.

Initiatives as First Lady:

Social and Emotional Learning and Mental Health: Along with work in a variety of policy areas as Wisconsin’s First Lady, Kathy has undertaken two main initiatives. Focusing on the needs of Wisconsin children, their families and their caretakers, she has partnered with Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH), the Department of Children and Families and the Department of Public Instruction to promote and enhance social and emotional learning efforts in Wisconsin. Expanding on that work throughout the pandemic, the First Lady has worked with OCMH to provide additional tools and strategies to children and their families to promote mental health and emotional well-being.

Dementia: Because of her special interest in working for people with dementia and their caregivers, Kathy and the entire staff at the Governor’s residence, along with many of residence volunteer docents received dementia friendly training, and the residence is now - for the first time – officially designated a dementia-friendly site. She and the Governor have met with the leadership of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center to discuss Wisconsin’s preeminent research and service delivery methods, and together they are working in a variety of ways to enhance dementia-friendly efforts, research, and supports for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.

Other activities and interests: Last year, Kathy chaired the 19th Amendment Celebration committee to celebrate 100 years of votes for women and Wisconsin’s role in the suffrage movement. This year, through her work as the chair of Wisconsin Executive Residence Foundation, she is heading the celebration of another centennial – the 100th anniversary of groundbreaking of the Executive Residence. In her spare time, Kathy is an avid pickleball player.

Tony’s Plan for Wisconsin

Gov. Evers is going to fight for a better and brighter future for all Wisconsinites

As Governor, I promised to build a better and brighter future for all Wisconsinites. Every single person has value and if we are going to change the direction of our state, we must do it together. I still believe thats what’s best for our kids is best for our state and I believe that my agenda reflects that priority.

Wisconsin is a place where we treat all people with respect and dignity, we must actually talk and listen to each other, and fight for common-sense causes that will improve the lives of everyone.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my positions on the important issues facing our state. As we emerge from this pandemic, we have to look to the future. I will need your ideas, support, and help, and together we can ensure Wisconsin bounces back better.

Building Safe Communities

Gov. Evers believes that every neighborhood and street should be safe, no matter where you live in the state. As governor, he has worked closely with stakeholders across the state to identify and invest in solutions to improve public safety. Under his leadership, the state has made direct investments in programs like Milwaukee’s Office of Violence Prevention and the statewide Violence Prevention Program, to give them the resources to tackle the root causes of violence. He has also directed millions to support organizations and programs that assist victims of crime, to make sure they have the support and tools they need to recover.

In his first two budgets, Gov. Evers proposed increasing support for local municipalities, providing more funding that cities and towns can use to address local challenges, including funding for first responders. For more than a decade, the legislature has failed to give a meaningful increase to local funding for these programs, but Gov. Evers will continue to work with legislative leaders to secure the funding local communities need.

In his recent State of the State address, Gov. Evers also announced funding to expand emergency medical services across the state. Without funding from the legislature, communities have been asked to do more with less, this $30 million investment is helping ensure that calls for help are answered by expanding EMS service across Wisconsin.

Connecting Wisconsin Communities

Recent years have made it even more clear that Wisconsin communities need to be connected to the rest of the state, and the rest of the world, to thrive. That’s why Gov. Evers has already made historic investments to expand high-speed internet access and repair the state’s roads and bridges after years of neglect.

Thanks to his leadership, more than 1,700 miles of roads and nearly 1,300 bridges have already been repaired. But this is just the beginning, and Gov. Evers will continue to invest in these critical projects to fix Wisconsin’s roads and improve the resiliency of our infrastructure.

Gov. Evers is also working to ensure universal access to affordable, high-speed internet in Wisconsin. With state and federal investments, Gov. Evers is already on his way to connecting more than 300,000 homes and businesses that previously lacked high-speed access. In addition to expanding access, he will continue to support programs to make fast and reliable internet affordable for everyone in our state.

Growing Our Workforce

Wisconsin’s workforce challenges aren’t new – for years, our state has struggled to fill job openings and grow the state’s skilled workforce. But the pandemic has only made it more difficult to fill openings across the state. Gov. Evers knows we need to take action to grow the workforce and he’s already delivering solutions. In this first term, Gov. Evers invested in 12 regional workforce development initiatives. These programs are designed to solve local challenges in communities across the state, because we can’t fix this issue with a one-size-fits-all solution. These regional programs are tackling barriers to employment like access to child care or job training programs, to grow the workforce in every corner of the state.

Gov. Evers will continue to work with leaders across Wisconsin to meet this challenge head-on. In addition to continuing local and regional partnerships, he also supports expanding talent attraction programs to recruit more workers to the state.

Growing Wisconsin Small Businesses

Wisconsin small businesses are the heart of our communities and the state’s economy. When small businesses grow, everyone in Wisconsin benefits.

When Wisconsin businesses were hit by the pandemic, we knew we had to do the right thing and support their recovery. Our entrepreneurs are innovative and resilient, and with the right support from the state, they could overcome these challenges to not only survive, but thrive.

Today, the success of our small business programs can be seen across Wisconsin.

Starting in the summer of 2020, our “We’re All In” grant program invested in Wisconsin small businesses to help them get back on their feet by rehiring or retaining workers, keeping the lights on, or stocking their shelves. We also took steps to help the restaurant and lodging industry recover stronger than before. These investments alone directed over 125,000 grants to Wisconsin small businesses.

For our communities to grow, we also need to revitalize Main Street and help entrepreneurs open up new storefronts. That’s exactly what my Main Street Bounceback grant program has done all across Wisconsin. This program has delivered grants to nearly 3,000 small businesses who have opened new brick and mortar locations in downtown areas across the state—not only creating new jobs, but revitalizing downtown areas and priming economic growth for surrounding small businesses.

We’ve prioritized our small business recovery. I’m proud to say that, as a share of the federal aid our state has received, Wisconsin ranked second in the country for aid we’ve directed to economic development, and we ranked first in the country in aid we’ve allocated to businesses.

Improving Our Public Schools

As a former public school teacher, high school principal, and state superintendent of schools, Gov. Evers knows that what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. In his first term, he has taken swift action to prioritize our public schools, empower parents, and increase funding. Today, Wisconsin’s public schools are ranked 8th best in the nation – up from 18th when Gov. Evers took office. That’s because we’ve made record investments in education, including restoring the state’s funding commitment to public schools for the first time in two decades and the first increase to special education funding in more than a decade.

But with a booming economy and record surplus, we have the opportunity to do even more. Gov. Evers will continue to support investments that improve the quality of Wisconsin public schools, while also keeping property taxes down. He also believes that parents are our kids’ first and most important teachers and will continue to find ways for parents, teachers, and school boards to collaborate in order to achieve the best outcomes for Wisconsin kids.

Protecting Access to Healthcare

Everyone in Wisconsin deserves access to high quality, affordable healthcare coverage. During this first term, Gov. Evers took swift action to remove the state from a lawsuit to end the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for the more than 2.4 million Wisconsinites living with pre-existing conditions. He has also proposed common sense initiatives to lower the cost of prescription drugs and expand emergency medical services to communities across the state.

In his second term, Gov. Evers will continue to champion BadgerCare expansion in the state. This expansion would increase coverage for more than 90,000 Wisconsinites, while lowering premiums for those with private insurance. He also supports additional action to lower drug prices, including establishing a $50 copay cap for insulin – because no Wisconsinite should be forced to ration or go without the medicine they need.

Gov. Evers has been a firm believer that Wisconsinites should be able to make their own healthcare decisions. With unprecedented attacks on a woman’s right to choose across the country, it’s more important than ever to have a governor who believes in access to reproductive care. Gov. Evers will continue to be a brick wall when it comes to restrictions on healthcare access and supports legislation to repeal a pre-Civil War law criminalizing abortion in the state.

Providing Tax Relief for Working Families

In his first term alone, Gov. Evers delivered over $4 billion in tax relief to Wisconsin workers and small businesses. Altogether, the tax cuts signed by Gov. Evers have already delivered a 15 percent income tax cut for working families in the state. He also directed changes to Wisconsin’s tax structure that mean families get to keep more money in their pockets from each paycheck.

As Wisconsinites continue to deal with rising costs, Gov. Evers will protect the progress he has made on taxes and continue to find ways to provide tax relief, including property tax relief for communities across the state.

Returning Our Record Surplus

Thanks to Gov. Evers common sense leadership, Wisconsin’s economy is booming. Today, the state has the largest projected surplus in state history: $3.8 Billion. Not only that, but the state’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest rates in our history and the rainy day fund is more than five times larger today than when Gov. Evers was sworn in – and the largest balance in state history.

Not only is Wisconsin’s economy booming, we have the resources to give the surplus back to taxpayers. Under Gov. Evers’ plan, Wisconsin families would be given back money now to help them pay bills and address rising costs. Specifically, the governor has called on the legislature to give a portion of the surplus back to Wisconsinites through the following programs:

• $150 tax rebate for every Wisconsin tax filer and each of their dependents – that’s $600 back for a family of four
• Expand the Child and Dependent Care Credit, giving an average of $274 back to more than 100,000 Wisconsinites
• Create a new $100 million Caregiver Tax Credit, benefiting approximately 370,000 tax filers
• Nearly $750 million to improve education quality while keeping property taxes down

Strengthening Our Agriculture and Rural Economies

Wisconsin’s rural communities and agriculture industry are critical to the state’s success. During his first term, Gov. Evers has worked to strengthen every corner of Wisconsin, including direct investments in Wisconsin farmers to help them meet today’s challenges head-on. Gov. Evers created the Office of Rural Prosperity, which is working with rural leaders across the state to find solutions that improve economic opportunity and connect farmers with state programs. Gov. Evers knows our state is strongest when everyone can succeed – in his second term, he will continue to fight for Wisconsin farmers and rural communities. Gov. Evers also directed $100 million to support more than 20,000 Wisconsin farmers through the Farm Support Program. Over the three rounds of this program, direct support has exceeded $1 million to farmers in more than half of Wisconsin’s 72 counties.

Accomplishments

4 Billion in Tax Relief

When I ran for governor in 2018, I promised a 10% tax cut for our middle-class families, because helping working families get ahead is the right thing to do. I made good on my promise by cutting taxes for working families not just by 10%, but by 15%. That means Wisconsinites will have more money in their pockets to pay bills, get ahead, and have the economic security they deserve.

Combined, I’m proud to have secured more than $4 billion in tax relief since taking office. That relief is already benefiting Wisconsin families and helping small businesses thrive. We’ve also invested more than $900 million to keep local property taxes low, while giving our schools the funding they deserve. With all the tax cuts Gov. Evers has signed into law, 86% of Wisconsin taxpayers will see a 15% income tax cut.

When Wisconsinites get ahead, our state gets ahead. I’m working to make sure our working families have the resources they need to succeed.

Investing in Roads

In 2018, I promised that we’d repair Wisconsin roads and bridges, and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.

In just three years we’ve repaired nearly 5,000 miles of highways – that’s enough to drive from Platteville to Denver…and back. We’ve also improved nearly 1,500 bridges all over Wisconsin, to keep drivers safe on the road.

We’ve come a long way from the previous administration, when our roads were among the worst in the Midwest. When I took office, my first budget included nearly a half-billion dollars in transportation funding, and even during the pandemic hundreds of road improvement projects were moving forward, some under budget and ahead of schedule. I’m proud to say Wisconsin’s roads are now ranked 8th best in the nation.

I’ll continue to invest in our infrastructure and fix our roads, one pothole at a time.

Education

From my days as a public school science teacher to now, I’ve always believed what’s best for our kids is what’s best for our state. That’s why I’ve worked to bring people together and make real investments to improve the quality of our public schools.

When I took office, Wisconsin’s K-12 public schools had been drastically underfunded for years. That’s why we’ve pushed for historic investments that improve quality and give Wisconsin’s kids every opportunity to get ahead. I promised to restore the state’s funding commitment to public schools, and we got it done – for the first time in two decades. We’ve also made sure that every student has the opportunity to achieve their dreams, and I’m proud to have signed the first increase in special education funding in a decade.

We’ve also increased the state’s investments in higher education to give the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin’s technical colleges the resources they need. When Wisconsinites have the opportunity to learn the skills they need for today’s jobs, our economy grows, and Wisconsin moves forward. We’ve also made investments to freeze tuition at UW schools, because students and families shouldn’t have to worry about the rising costs of education.

Today, Wisconsin’s education system is ranked the 8th best in the nation, up from 18th under the previous administration.

High-Speed Internet

Having grown up, lived, and taught in rural communities, I know how important it is to stay connected for our kids’ education and for our small businesses. That’s why I’m delivering on my promise to invest in quality, high-speed internet access across the state. During my time as governor, we will have invested almost fifteen times more into expanding high-speed internet than the prior four years combined. All told, our investments since 2019 will connect more than 300,000 homes and businesses with high-quality, high-speed internet.

In addition to expanding access, I’m proud to have made a record amount of funding for grants that will help make broadband more affordable for Wisconsinites. Because no matter where you live or what your background is, you deserve access to affordable and fast internet access.

Small Businesses

Wisconsin small businesses are the heart of our communities and the state’s economy. When small businesses grow, everyone in Wisconsin benefits.

When Wisconsin businesses were hit by the pandemic, we knew we had to do the right thing and support their recovery. Our entrepreneurs are innovative and resilient, and with the right support from the state, they could overcome these challenges to not only survive, but thrive.

Today, the success of our small business programs can be seen across Wisconsin. During his first term, Gov. Evers has invested over $1 billion to support small businesses.

Starting in the summer of 2020, our “We’re All In” grant program invested in Wisconsin small businesses to help them get back on their feet by rehiring or retaining workers, keeping the lights on, or stocking their shelves. We also took steps to help the restaurant and lodging industry recover stronger than before. These investments alone directed over 125,000 grants to Wisconsin small businesses.

Gov. Evers has supported more than 100,000 small businesses, and thanks to his Main Street Bounceback program, more than 4,500 small businesses have opened up new storefronts on main streets across our state.

Growing Our Economy

Wisconsin’s economy is better and stronger today than when I took office. That’s because we’ve done the right thing to support workers and small businesses across our state. Our work has paid off. Today, unemployment is at historic lows and we have the fewest number of unemployed people in our state’s history.

We also have a record-breaking projected surplus of $3.8 billion and our state’s “rainy day” fund is five times larger than when I took office, making it the largest in Wisconsin history.

But I know we have more work to do, especially when it comes to attracting new workers or finding solutions to fill job openings across the state.